William Archibald Robertson

Who was William Archibald Robertson?

William Archibald Robertson was a prospector and Scottish-born political figure in British Columbia. He represented Victoria District in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1874 to 1875.

He was born in Perthshire, the son of Alexander Robertson, and came to Upper Canada in 1834 with his family. His family lived in Dunnville, then Toronto and finally Flamboro West. In 1862, Robertson joined the Union Army in the United States. After he was captured and paroled, he resigned his commission and moved to British Columbia, settling in Victoria. He was elected to the assembly in an 1874 by-election held after Arthur Bunster and Amor De Cosmos were elected to the Canadian House of Commons. Robertson was able to locate coal and silver deposits. In 1870, he married Matilda Martha Mayne. He died in Victoria at the age of 93.