John
William
Robertson
Born in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom
Ancestors 
Son of James Robertson
and Isabella (Fraser) Robertson
Brother of
James Robertson, Robert Fraser Robertson, Isabella Macdonald Robertson, Margaret Balfour (Robertson) Menzies, Catherine Robina Fraser Robertson and Blanche Brom Robertson
Husband of
Ada Mary (Shaw) Robertson
— married
28 Feb 1918 in Poplar, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
Descendants 
Father of
Winifred Edith Mary Shaw (Robertson) Dixon, Robert Joseph Shaw Robertson, Ada Lilian Fraser Robertson, Henry William Robertson and [private daughter (1920s - 2020s)]
Died
at age 72
in Mitcham, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
Profile last modified
| Created 21 Mar 2023
This page has been accessed 54 times.
Biography
John was born in 1863 at 8 Sylvan Place in Edinburgh,[1] the son of James Robertson and Isabella Fraser.
He had a chequered life and there are many family stories that may or may not be grossly exaggerated. One story was that he was disowned by his father and certainly he and his brother, Robert, suffered under his father's will.
Another story was that he ran away to sea. John became an apprentice in the Merchant Navy, signing up in Glasgow, at the age of 14 so this could be true. John did well in the Merchant Navy and finally passed his Master's exam in 1888 although, like many who were qualified as Master, he never actually served as one. In 1915 his ship was torpedoed but out of the twenty crew, only three were announced as missing.
John did many other jobs whilst not on board and on his children's birth certificates and other documentation, he is described as: carter, insurance agent, tube worker, shopkeeper, collector, traveller and docker.
John did not marry his first partner, Jessie Robertson, with whom he had six children. Five were born in Scotland and the sixth in London. Jessie returned to Scotland and John married Ada Mary Shaw at Poplar Registry Office in 1918[2] and he described himself as a widower. He and Ada had five children together.
in 1921 he was living at 7 Longcroft Road, Camberwell.[3]
| Name | Relation | Status | Sex | Age | Birth Place | Occupation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John W Robertson | Head | Married | M | 57yrs 10m | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Collector & Tracer | |
| Ada M Robertson | Wife | Married | F | 25yrs 11m | Walworth, London | Home Duties | |
| Jessie Robertson | Dau (Visitor) | Single | F | 17yrs 7m | Airdie, Scotland | General Domestic Servant | |
| James Robertson | Son | Both Alive | M | 11yrs 4m | Camberwell, London | School Whole Time | |
| Winifred Robertson | Dau | Both Alive | F | 2yrs | Camberwell, London | ||
| Robert Robertson | Son | Both Alive | M | 3m | Camberwell, London |
He died in 1936 after having a heart attack because he had had to run for the bus.[4][5]
Sources
- ↑ Birth Certificate transcribed at General Register House, Edinburgh Ref:685(2)/685
- ↑ Marriage Certificate held by Barbara Roach
- ↑ 1921 Census RG15/02606/RD 27/ED 17/Sch 101, FindMyPast
- ↑ Death certificate held by Barbara Roach
- ↑ Surrey Mid Eastern RD 1936 Q1 Vol 2a Page 210 Age 72
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Rejected matches › John Robertson (1853-)
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