William Archibald Robertson

{{short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = William Archibald Robertson | image = William Archibald Robertson.png | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date text|1832}} | birth_place = Perthshire, Scotland | death_date = {{Death date and given age|1926|06|23|93}} | death_place = Victoria, British Columbia | other_names = | occupation = Prospector, politician | employer = | years_active = | known_for = | notable_works = | spouse = {{Marriage|Matilda Martha Mayne|1870}} | children = | awards = | education = | party = Independent | office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia | constituency = Victoria | term_start = 1874 | term_end = 1875 }}

'''William Archibald Robertson''' (1832<ref name="archives"/> – June 23, 1926<ref name="death">{{cite web |url=http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-4E75D75/view/Deaths/find-adv%2B%20callnumber=%28%221926-09-363253%22%20%29%20AND%20microfilm=%28b13128%29%20%2B%2B%2B%2B/1 |title=Vital Event Death Registration |publisher=BC Archives |accessdate=2011-07-17}}</ref>) was a prospector and Scottish-born political figure in British Columbia. He represented Victoria District in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1874 until his retirement at the 1875 provincial election. He never sought provincial office again.

He was born in Perthshire, the son of Alexander Robertson,<ref name="morgan"/> and came to Upper Canada in 1834 with his family. They lived in Dunnville, then Toronto and finally Flamboro West. In 1862, Robertson joined the Union Army in the United States. After being captured and paroled, he resigned his commission and moved to British Columbia, settling in Victoria. He was elected to the assembly in a by-election in 1874, 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.<ref name="archives">{{cite web |url=http://www.archivescanada.ca/english/search/ItemDisplay.asp?sessionKey=1143825756048_206_191_57_199&l=-1&lvl=1&v=0&coll=1&itm=262071&rt=1&bill=1 |title=Reminiscences of William Archibald Robertson |publisher=Archives Canada |accessdate=2011-07-21 |archive-date=March 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323050134/http://www.archivescanada.ca/english/search/ItemDisplay.asp?sessionKey=1143825756048_206_191_57_199&l=-1&lvl=1&v=0&coll=1&itm=262071&rt=1&bill=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1870, he married Matilda Martha Mayne.<ref name="morgan">{{cite web |url=http://www.canadiana.org/view/32949/0632 |title=The Canadian parliamentary companion for 1875 |page=620 |last=Morgan |first=Henry J |year=1875 |accessdate=2011-07-21}}</ref> He died in Victoria at the age of 93.<ref name="death"/>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, William A}} Category:1832 births Category:1926 deaths Category:Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario Category:Canadian people of the American Civil War Category:Union army personnel Category:American Civil War prisoners of war held by the Confederate States of America Category:Independent MLAs in British Columbia Category:19th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia