William Robertson (urban missionary)

William Robertson (1805–1882) was a Scottish minister of the

He was born in Eyemouth, Scotland on 28 July 1805 the third son of Margaret Jameson of Alloa (1769–1805) one William Robert Robertson (1761–1833), a corn merchant in Eyemouth. His mother died a few days after his birth. He was christened on 10 August, a week after her death, and was then apparently sent to live with his mother's family in Alloa where he was then raised.^[1]

Robertson studied divinity at the

When he moved to Edinburgh he initially lived at 12 Drummond Place in the New Town. It is important to note that Greyfriars Kirk was split into two halves at this time: Robertson ministering to the New Greyfriars in the west; Rev Thomas Guthrie ministering to the Old Greyfriars in the east.^[3] Unlike the quiet town of either Eyemouth or Alloa, or the rural parishes of Muckhart or Logie, Robertson was immediately shocked by the widespread poverty in Edinburgh, and the high number of adults and children who attended neither school nor church. He set himself the task of addressing this.

During his time in Edinburgh he worked with both Rev Andrew Thomson and

In 1868 he received an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Divinity) from the University of Edinburgh.^[2]

His final years were spent living in a Georgian terraced house on Calton Hill: 39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh.^[5]

He died during a visit to Cannes, France on 21 February 1882. After his 39 years service at New Greyfriars his position as minister was filled by Rev Henry Cowan.^[2]

Family

In July 1834 he married Georgina Touchet Cossins (d. July 1892), daughter of James Cossins of

Their son William Buxton Robertson served as a captain in the

Recognition

In 1884 the Robertson Memorial Mission Church was erected in his memory of the north-west corner of the

• Journal of a Clergyman during a Visit to the Peninsula (1845)
• Letters to the Congregation of New Greyfriars from Rome (1850)
• Letters to the Congregation of New Greyfriars from Florence (1851)
• Account of the Parish of Logie (1883)

References