Acknowledgement: Some of the information on this page was provided by Nicki Gardiner, a descendent of Robert, who maintains her family tree details on www.geni.com. The details here have been reproduced with permission.
Robert Robertson (born 5 April 1831, baptised 11 April 1831 (Ref 362 50/99) - 1900, Christchurch, New Zealand) was the third son of Colin and Christian Robertson from Drumvaich, near Doune, and brother of John Robertson who migrated to Geelong, Australia.
Robert Robertson married Mary Sked at Tradeston in Glasgow in 1856 (Ref 644/98). Mary Sked was born in 1831 to David Sked and Annie Robinson (Ref no 6908), according to Victorian records.
Robert and Mary Robertson had two children, neither of whom survived a year:
The birth (and death) location of the children suggests that Robert and Mary Robertson returned to Doune, perhaps because his father was dying, or to help his mother.
The 1859 census for the Parish of Kilmadock shows that Colin Robertson, a dyke builder, died on 13 June 1859 aged 74. His father was recorded as John Robertson (decd.) farmer and his mother Helen Clark (decd). This information was notified by Robert Robertson, his son. Colin was buried at Doune Churchyard.
Following the death of her husband, Christian Robertson, along with her son Robert Robertson and his wife Mary Robertson decided to migrate to Australia. They departed Liverpool as unassisted passengers on board the British Trident on 9 January 1860, arriving in Melbourne, Australia, on 5 April 1860. The emigration to Australia and Colin's letter above seems to indicate that none of their children remained in Scotland. Christian died in Geelong on 12 May 1873.
Robert Robertson was recorded living in Corio Street Geelong in the 1861 directory. His older brother John was also recorded in the same year.
Robert and Mary Robertson had the following children, possibly all born in Inverleigh, west of Geelong:
Mary Robertson (nee Sked) died or was buried on 24 June 1869 according to the Victorian BDM records (Ref 6908). Her death may be linked somehow with the birth of her youngest daughter Christina. The burial record notes she was the daughter of Ewen and Catherine McKinnon, which seems to be incorrect.
Robert Robertson married Eliza Wright in 1871 (VIC BSM Ref 1871/2029).
Eliza Wright (possibly nee Craig) (possibly born 1824 - see below) was likely the wife of Richard Wright. It is believed that Richard and Eliza Wright were married overseas as there is no obvious marriage record in the Victorian BDM records. They had one child, also named Richard Wright, born in 1860 (VIC BDM Ref 3172). It is worth noting, in this respect, that at Eliza's death in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1900 the local newspapers reported that she was twice married and had a son, Richard Wright living in Auckland.
Richard Wright presumably died sometime before 1871; Victorian BDM records show the death of two Richard Wrights in 1865, one in 1863, and one in 1861. Further research is required to identify the exact Richard Wright. Several men of that name appear in the Melbourne newspapers in the 1860s, especially in court reports.
Outgoing passenger records for Victoria show that Eliza Robertson left for New Zealand with all the children in January 1874 on board the Alhambra.
It is not known yet when Robert Robertson travelled to New Zealand but he may have travelled ahead of his family - or at the same time but was not recorded.
It is believed that Robert and Eliza Robertson lived in Christchurch on the south island.
Christina Shaw Robertson gave birth to a daughter, Florence Christina Robertson, on 19 November 1889 in Nelson, New Zealand. (NZ BDM Ref 1889/13399). The father was not named.
Christina Robertson married George Warren in 1894 (NZ BDM Ref 1894/1541). It appears that Christina's daughter took on her step-father's name from this point, becoming 'Florence Warren'. She was also known as 'Flossie Le Mar'.
Annie Robertson married Albert Williams (1872 - 1899), the youngest son of Thomas and Eliza Williams, in 1894 (NZ BDM Ref 1894/3326) and they had three children:
Albert Williams died at Seacliff, a small village located north of Dunedin in the Otago region of New Zealand's South Island, on 6 October 1899 aged only 27. His death notice was in the Evening Star of 7 October 1899.
Both Robert and Eliza Robertson died in Christchurch on 7 July 1900. According to one newspaper report at the time, Robert woke on Saturday morning 'and found Mary dead in bed beside him. He went out into the street, where he fell down senseless and died in a few minutes'.
The following notice appeared in the Ashburton Guardian of 7 July 1900:
SUDDEN DEATH - Husband and Wife: Information was received at the Police Station, Christchurch, yesterday that a man named Robert Robertson, a bootmaker, in Victoria Street, had died suddenly at an early hour that morning. Deceased had informed Thomas Pickering, a tailor at the old Britannia Hotel, early in the morning, that his wife, Elizabeth Robertson, was very ill. Robertson returned to his home and found his wife dead. He left the house again, apparently deeply affected, and dropped down in the street. He was taken to the hospital in a cab, but when the vehicle arrived there its occupant was dead. Dr Downes had been attending Mrs Robertson and he stated that death was due to chronic bronchitis. Robertson was sixty nine years of age and his wife was seventy two. Mrs Robertson had been twice married, and a son by her first marriage, Mr Richard Wright, resides at Durham Street, Sydenham. A son by her second marriage resides in Auckland.
Annie Williams (nee Robertson) married Henry Sanson (5 December 1876, Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand - 3 August 1941, Dunedin, New Zealand) in 1901 (NZ BDM Ref 1901/4858). They had four children:
Florence Christina Warren (nee Robertson) married August Joseph Gardiner (formerly Gertenheyer, born 4 December 1886, Sobernheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) in 1911. They had one son:
Florence Gardiner, then aged 53, divorced August Joseph Gardiner on 21 May 1942 in order to remarry. She married Frederick William Innes (1879, Auckland - 1963, Auckland).
Florence (nee Robertson) died on 12 April 1951.
Page created 11 May 2017, updated 13 May 2017. Copyright © 2021 Andrew Warland. (andrewwarland(at)gmail.com)