ROBERTSON, ROBINSON? - Tobago, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica

[Abygail]

Have 3 generations of males who allegedly were involved in commerce, plantations and law (lawyers).

Brothers John (merchant in Tobago) George, (Grenada then Demerary). Their nephew, Gilbert (snr), was the lawyer b.ca.1773 in Scotland and was in the WI by 1794 as he had a son born December 1794 to allegedly 'his slave mistress', this child was named Gilbert (jnr) and was later educated in Scotland by his grandfather, the Rev Robertson.

Allegedly Gilbert (snr) had another son with a subsequent mistress, Eliza Thomas described as 'a free person of colour'. Gilbert (snr) apparently returned to Scotland toward the end of his life as he died there in 1840.

I do not know if he had any other offspring or if he ever married.

Gilbert (jnr) married in Scotland in 1819, to Agnes Lee, their 1st daughter, Frances was born at Gladsmuir. Their 2nd daughter Elizabeth is registered at Jamaica in 1823. She died Jan 1847 on Norfolk Island where her father had been the Superintendent for Agriculture. The rest of Gilbert's (jnr) daughters all married in Australia and raised families here. Gilbert died at Colac suddenly in 1851, his widow Agnes in 1853.

I have been able to trace the daughters, Gilbert and Agnes had a son, George and I have not found any mention of him after they left Norfolk Island in 1846.

Is anyone able to help me with leads on any of the men in my query, and Gilbert (jnr) mother?

[Abygail]

Hi,
Have sent you a PM, have you tried searching backward from Josephine, to see where it may take you? I'm trying to figure out the family connected to Gilbert Robertson from when his father Gilbert R. was born in Scotland in 1774 through to his death in Edinborough in 1837. Somewhere inbetween was the relationship with young Gilbert's mother, his marriage to Eliza Thomas and another child being born. Don't know if this is of help, please get in touch.

[Sue02]

My 3xGreat Grandfather was Gilbert Robertson Jnr. There is a fantastic article written by Professor Cassandra Pybus called " The Colourful Life of Gilbert Robertson." It is available to read on the web.

There is also an interesting book entitled "The Last Carribean Frontier'" by Kit Candlin in which he writes about the Robertson family and Dolly Thomas who allegedly is Gilbert Robertson Jnr's Mother in Law ie: she is the mother of Eliza Thomas, Gilbert Jnr's mother.

[Abygail]

Hi Sue, I'm more than a bit rusty re dates for Gilbert snr other than from when he arrived in the West Indies c 1794 to when he returned to Edinborough c 1839 just before he died - have a copy of his death certificate. No spouse or children listed. There are papers in the Liverpool Archives in 'The Parker Collection". Both times I've been to the UK the archives were closed so it was a non event but from what I found on line Dolly was a very enterprising woman of her time. But I have doubts as to her daughter Eliza Thomas being Gilbert jnr's biological mother. I think she was too young to be his mother. Can't remember her year of birth but am fairly sure the dates didn't fit. The other reason I am puzzled re his mother is that by being true to traditional naming patterns of the time Gilbert jnr named his daughters after family members that I have been able to cross check with exception for his first daughter Frances de'Bruton (or variations there of) subsequent daughters were named in the method of the day. Elizabeth White - after her maternal grandmother, Margaret Rainey - family connection (after a cousin of Gilbert snr I think) Agnes Lees - after her mother and finally young George - possibly after great uncle George. I asked Cassandra for actual proof that Eliza was Gilbert jnr's mother, it hasn't been forthcoming. According to the slave returns of the time when Gilbert snr held the Kiltern Plantation in British Grenada there were de Bruton's living close by but I had hit a wall trying to explore their history forward or backward.
Allegedly Gilbert jnr was born in Trinidad but at that time the French were in control of it and the British were the enemy, that being the case what nationality was his mother?