John Robertson

Who was John Robertson?

John Robertson, was Minister of Cambuslang from 1810 until his death. He was responsible for that Parish's entry in the Second Statistical Account of Scotland dated 1836, though he did not write it himself.

He was nephew of the Scottish Enlightenment historian William Robertson, Principal of Edinburgh University.

Robertson was born circa 1768, he was licensed by the Presbytery of Lanark on the 8th of May, 1795, when he was made assistant to Dr Meek, his predecessor. He was ordained as assistant minister on 22 August 1797 and took over the Parish as Minister in 1810 on the death of Dr Meek. His one publication, "Lay Preaching indefensible on Scriptural Principles," appeared in octavo form, in Glasgow, 1800 followed swiftly by a pamphlet rebutting criticism of his arguments. In 1813 he married Sarah, eldest daughter of William Shaw, bookseller, Glasgow. He had two sons, both educated at Glasgow University. The elder, William, was Minister of Monivaird in Strathearn from 1843 until his death in 1864. He was a composer of many hymns, including "A little child the saviour came". The younger son, Alexander", became a "clerk" in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and later died from a wound he received while assisting at a dissection. He also had four daughters one of whom, Elizabeth died along with her mother, in 1831, possibly of cholera. We know the name of another daughter, Joanna, who survived and married.