Col. Donald Robertson b.1761 Blair Atholl d.1834 Nova Scotia

[Chetnut1]

I've been working on this ancestor of mine for quite awhile now and seem to be completely stuck.

Donald Robertson was born in Blair Atholl, Perthshire in 1761. There were three other Donald Robertsons born in 1761 in Blair Atholl as well, so I have four sets of possible parents, though family and internet lore suggests his father was Alexander.

But here's what I know. He married, at Blair Atholl, Janet Campbell 9 Feb 1793. She was born 11 Oct 1769 in Blair Atholl. The record of their marriage states that Donald was of the homestead of Over Bohespic, she was of the homestead of Nether Bohespic. At this time, an Alexander Robertson was the landowner of both Bohespics. (One of the four Donalds born in 1761 had a father, Alexander Robertson, and mother, Christian McMillan.)

Donald did military service in North America and attained the rank of Colonel. I'm not sure in which regiment he served. The 88th, 82nd and 42nd regiments of foot are all possibilities. He seems to have served out of Nova Scotia towards the end of the American Revolution. He was in some way related to Col. Alexander James Robertson (a cousin?) who served in the 82nd and received a large land grant in Merigomish, Pictou, Nova Scotia, including Big Island, on which he built a house though he never lived there. Relatives of his did, however. Alexander went on to become the 15th Chief of Clan Robertson and their lands were restored under him. He died, childless in 1822.

Donald and Janet emigrated to Pictou, Nova Scotia on the ship, Sarah, in 1801. With them were three children, one of whom died on the voyage. They had the following kids: Jean; Margaret b.1795; Christian b.1800; John b. 1802 d. 1882; Alexander b. 1805 d. 1878; Janet b.1809 d. 1875; Catherine. John married Christian McKenzie, daughter of William McKenzie and Catherine Sutherland in Kenzieville, Nova Scotia (William was the first settler there in 1803).

In 1817, Donald and his family relocated from land in Merigomish to Barney's River, Pictou, Nova Scotia. He died there 10 Nov 1834; his wife Janet died there 12 Nov 1870. They are both buried in the Kenzieville Cemetery where, I am told, there's a monument explaining Donald's relationship to Col Alexander Robertson (I've a cousin who's going to look for it ).

I would love to find out who Donald's parents were and his relationship to Col. Alexander, as well as the regiment in which he served. Anything on Janet Campbell would also be appreciated. The only think I know about her ancestry is from her obituary which says that her grandfather, John, was 21 when he served in the Battle of Culloden.

Any help would be truly and deeply appreciated!

[StewL]

Hello Chetnut

I am sure someone will be along shortly who may be able to assist you in your search.
They are a very helpful group of people on TS

[Currie]

Hello chetnut1,

The 82nd Regiment of Foot in which Alexander Robertson was at some time a Colonel only existed between 1777 and 1783.

The only references I’ve found to a Donald Robertson in connection with Pictou have him as just that with no indication of a military rank. e.g. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 661,970989

When was he supposed to have attained the rank of Colonel, was it before or after the 1801 journey, and what evidence is there for that? Could he have been Militia?

In the 1805 Army List, there’s only one Donald Robertson of high rank – Lt. Colonel, 21st Regiment of Foot. (Royal North British Fuzileers.) He appears to have died mid 1820s. There’s a will at ScotlandsPeople.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=zhE ... J&pg=PA687

1787 Army List. The Donald Robertson there was the one who ended up in the 21st Foot.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=ViI ... J&pg=PA201

1778 Army List.
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=sME ... J&pg=PA182

I can’t find any other lists.

All the best,
Alan

[Chetnut1]

Thanks, Alan, for such good and helpful investigative work!

The primary evidence for his being a Colonel comes from his wife's obituary where he is referred to as such, as well as a book on Avondale, Nova Scotia, where his family is referred to as the "Colonel Robertsons" to distinguish them from the "Piedmont Robertsons", the first having got their name from our Donald. The writer knew both families well, she claims.

My assumption that Donald attained his rank before 1801 is somewhat questionable. But he would have been 40 by the time he came to Nova Scotia; his children were very young at the time and early census records show him as farming a few years after he arrived. It's hard for me to imagine that he would have been able to carry on much of a military career while settling a young family on tough lands. And, by the age of 40, he would have had much of his military career behind him before emigrating to NS, assuming he did reach the rank of Colonel.

I've seen military records for four Donald Robertsons from Blair Atholl that fit within the time period on Scotland's People. I haven't wanted to shell out the money to look at them all, but perhaps it's time. There is a book out there on Google covering the military history of Perthshire, but it's geo-blocked here in Canada. When I get to a larger city (I'm currently in a small place), I'll check out a decent library. Ancestry records show a Donald Robertson in the 42nd, though it's hard to know if this Donald is mine. I've also read a history of the 88th (which served in NS) that mentions a Donald Robertson, and there was a Donald Robertson who received 500 acres as part of the 82nd land grant (which suggests this person was an officer). The ranks of these gentlemen and any other information, however, are not readily available.

One other route for me would be to discover which of the four Donald Robertsons born in Blair Atholl in 1761 emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1801. So far, no luck. But I keep plugging away. Perhaps a visit to Perthshire someday will turn up the answer.

If my cousin gets any info from the "monument" alleged to be at the Kenzieville cemetery, I'll certainly post it!

Again, many, many thanks.

[Currie]

It would be nice if there were a few more Army Lists online for that time period.

Is this the Military History of Perthshire book you mentioned? There’s a footnote tangled up with the results text. https://www.google.com.au/search?tbo=p& ... ire&num=10

The search result for Donald Robertson on page 303 refers to events in 1715 and reads:

“Unlike the terrible vengeance wreaked on the English Jacobites, there was little vindictive prosecution in Scotland, and although there were naturally many attainders and forfeitures, no Jacobite captured in Scotland lost his life. Of the Perthshire men taken at Preston three were executed; Archibald Menzies, a subaltern in Lord Nairne’s Regiment; Captain Donald Robertson, brother to Drumachine; and Lieutenant Donald Macdonell of Tullochcroisk, an officer in Lord Charles Murray’s Regiment. It is said that Donald Robertson’s death was due to an act of brotherly devotion; he answered to his elder brother’s name, and was executed in his stead.”

There’s a reference to a Lieutenant Donald Robertsone on page 40 but that in connection with events in 1688.

Some histories for the regiments you’ve mentioned.
42nd Foot - http://archive.org/stream/cihm_48390#page/n15/mode/2up
82nd Foot - http://archive.org/stream/historicalrec ... 4/mode/2up
88th Foot - http://archive.org/stream/historicalrec ... 3/mode/2up

Best of luck with the cemetery.

Alan

[Chetnut1]

Alan,

Again, many, many thanks. I will spend some time with the links you sent.

The Donald who gave his life for his brother is, no doubt, a relative, but the events in question happened before my Donald was born. It's quite a story, no?

I'm very appreciative of all your help and look forward to spending time with the histories you've sent.

Best,

Anne

[BigIsland]

Hello all,
The Donald Robertson from Pictou is my four greats/ grand-dad. Ancestry just started posting some British military records, or I've just figured out how to find them. They have a 1816 register of officers in the 88th in Valenciennes with a Captain D Robertson who signed up in 1797, was 35 years old and of Scots heritage.
Wondering if anyone thinks this could be the Robertson given the land grant at Big Island, Nova Scotia?
Thanks all,
Lisa

[deacon]

Good morning, Chetnut,
It has been three years since you said that your cousin would be going out to Kenzieville cemetery to read Donald Robertson's gravestone. Did he do it, and can you share his findings with us? Could you also tell us whether the gravestone is an original (with the concomitant implication that what it says is true) or whether it is a late twentieth-century stone (with the concomitant implication that what is inscribed is only family lore)?

I have a booklet here titled "The Family Tree of the descendants of Lt. Col. Alexander Robertson of Struan, Scotland." It was compiled in 1960 by A.J. Bannerman, a descendant of Donald Robertson, son of the lieutenant-colonel. I will gladly share its contents with you and exchange family information, but I first want to know if you are still on this forum and receiving replies to your posting.

[Damadyl]

Hello Deacon

I hope you are still around. I am researching this same ancestor, and have hit a brick wall. Would you be able to provide me with that booklet?

Thank you!

[deacon]

Hello, Damadyl,
Indeed, I am still around.
The booklet whereof we speak is 52 pages, chock full of names and just a few notes about some of the persons named therein. It treats the descendencies of the six children of Donald Robertson of Perthshire, husband of Janet Campbell and son of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Struan Robertson of Struan. It was compiled in 1960 by A.J. Bannerman of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, who was a great-grandson of Donald and Janet; and was subsequently updated in 1997 by a granddaughter-in-law of James W. W. McKenzie (1885-1960) to include the lineage of her husband's grandfather. James W. W. McKenzie was, like Bannerman, a great-grandson of Donald and Janet.

The booklet is a coagulation of names and some notes with no vital statistics anywhere in view. It is difficult but not impossible to follow the various family lines; and as well as being void in birth, marriage, and death dates, there is nowhere a place name or source reference. Any dates or place names that are pencilled into the family lines are of my doing. I look forward to helping you; it sounds like fun. What's your first question?