Felix Robertson (1781–1865) was an American pioneer, physician and Jeffersonian Republican politician. He served twice as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1818 to 1819 as well as from 1827 to 1829.

Early life

Felix Robertson was born on January 11, 1781, at the fort Freeland's Station, which was later commemorated as a neighborhood of Nashville.Malcolm D. McLean, "ROBERTSON, FELIX," Handbook of Texas Online (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fro25), accessed March 25, 2013. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. He was born to General James Robertson and his wife Charlotte Reeves, who had arrived with the first large group of settlers in Middle Tennessee.Tennessee Portrait Project
/ref>Jeanette T. Acklen, ''Tennessee Records: Tombstone Inscriptions and Manuscripts'', Genealogical Publishing Com, 2009, p.

/ref> He was the first known white child born in the settlement now called Nashville, while his father is regarded as the "Father of Tennessee" in history books.E. D. Thompson, ''Nashville Nostalgia'', Westview Publishing Co., 2003, p. 1

/ref> Robertson studied medicine under the direction of Benjamin Rush at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his M.D. degree in 1806.Nashville City Cemetery, Mayors
/ref>

Career

Robertson practiced medicine in Nashville for forty years. He served as Mayor of Nashville from 1818 to 1819 as well as from 1827–1829.Nashville Library
/ref> He later took part in Robertson's Colony with his cousin

Sterling C. Robertson Sterling Clack Robertson (1785–1842) was an empresario from Tennessee, during Mexican Texas. He introduced 600 families into Robertson's Colony. Robertson was also an elected delegate to the Washington-on-the-Brazos convention, signing both the T ...

, but they returned to Tennessee. He delivered a speech at the 26th annual meeting of the Tennessee Medical Society detailing the early physicians and medical practices in the early settlement of Nashville. He went on to work as a professor of medicine at the former

University of Nashville University of Nashville was a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It was established in 1806 as Cumberland College. It existed as a distinct entity until 1909; operating at various times a medical school, a four-year military college, a ...

. He served as director of the Medical Society of Tennessee from 1834 through 1840 and again in 1853 for two years. He was a close friend and personal doctor of President Andrew Jackson (1767–1845). He worked on his 1828 presidential campaign.

Personal life, death and legacy

Robertson married Lydia Waters on October 9, 1808. They had five sons, James Waters, Benjamin, John E. Beck, Felix (died as infant), and Felix Randolph, and two daughters, Elizabeth, Elnora Reeves. He died on July 10, 1865, and he is buried in the

Nashville City Cemetery Nashville City Cemetery is the oldest public cemetery in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of Nashville's prominent historical figures are buried there. It includes the tombs of 22,000 people, 6,000 of whom were African Americans. Overview Nashville ...

. His tombstone is inscribed with the epitaph "First white child born in settlement now called Nashville; Distinguished as a physician; Foremost as citizen." His son, James Waters Robertson (1812-1836), went to Texas from Louisiana, took part in the Siege of Bexar during the Texas revolution and later served in the Alamo garrison. He died in the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836.Bill Groneman, "ROBERTSON, JAMES WATERS," ''Handbook of Texas Online'' (http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/frobz), accessed September 27, 2014. Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. His portrait, painted by

Washington Bogart Cooper Washington Bogart Cooper (September 18, 1802 – March 30, 1888) was an American portrait painter, sometimes known as "the man of a thousand portraits".James Hoobler,Washington Bogart Cooper" ''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'' ...

in July 1839, hangs in the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Felix 1781 births 1865 deaths Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni Physicians from Tennessee American people of Scotch-Irish descent Mayors of Nashville, Tennessee Tennessee Democratic-Republicans Andrew Jackson Burials in Tennessee