George Robertson (c.1750–1832) was a Scottish topographical, agricultural and genealogical writer.
Life
Born in
Midlothian
Midlothian (; gd, Meadhan Lodainn) is a historic county, registration county, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh, ...
about 1750, Robertson occupied a farm at
Granton, near
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, for many years. He was active in agricultural affairs in various parts of Scotland, from 1765 until shortly before his death.
Robertson moved from Granton to
Kincardineshire
Kincardineshire, also known as the Mearns (from the Scottish Gaelic meaning "the Stewartry"), is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area on the coast of northeast Scotland. It is bounded by Aberdeenshire on the north and w ...
in 1800, and then to
Ayrshire
Ayrshire ( gd, Siorrachd Inbhir Àir, ) is a historic county and registration county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine and it borders the counties of Re ...
in June 1811. In later life he concentrated on genealogical investigations, working in the library at
Eglinton Castle
Eglinton Castle was a large Gothic castellated mansion in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland.
History
The castle
The ancient seat of the Earls of Eglinton, it is located just south of the town of Kilwinning. The original Eglinton Castle w ...
and Glasgow libraries. He died at his residence, Bower Lodge, near
Irvine Irvine may refer to:
Places On Earth Antarctica
*Irvine Glacier
*Mount Irvine (Antarctica)
Australia
*Irvine Island
*Mount Irvine, New South Wales
Canada
*Irvine, Alberta
* Irvine Inlet, Nunavut
United Kingdom
*Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotla ...
, in 1832.
Works
Robertson's major publications were:
* ''General View of the Agriculture of the County of Midlothian, with Observations on the Means of its Improvement; drawn up for the Consideration of the Board of Agriculture and Internal Improvement'', Edinburgh, 1793; London, 1794; Edinburgh, 1795. In 1807, he authored the publication “Rural Recollections” while living in Kicardineshire, providing the best description of the cattle of that historic county during that time period. Two appendices to his earlier Board of Agriculture publications cover dairy and garden management. Also for the
Board of Agriculture
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) was a United Kingdom government department created by the Board of Agriculture Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.30) and at that time called the Board of Agriculture, and then from 1903 the Board ...
, in 1813, he sketched the ''Agriculture of Kincardineshire, or the Mearns''.
* ''Topographical Description of Ayrshire; more particularly of Cunninghame; together with a Genealogical Account of the principal Families in that Bailiwick'', Irvine, 1820.
* ''A Genealogical Account of the Principal Families in Ayrshire, more particularly in Cunninghame'', Irvine, 3 vols., 1823; with index and supplement, issued at Irvine, 1827.
* ''Rural Recollections; or the Progress of Improvement in Agriculture and Rural Affairs'', Irvine, 1829. It covered changes in Scottish agriculture and in the condition of agricultural workers, from direct observation; with appendix of "Extracts respecting Manners and Customs".
* ''A General Description of the Shire of Renfrew'' (1818, Paisley), including an account of noble families: with a continuation of ''The Genealogical History of the Royal and Illustrious Family of the Stewarts'' (1710), of
George Crawfurd
George Crawford (also Crawfurd) (1681-1748) was a Scottish genealogist and historian.
Life
He was the third son of Thomas Crawfurd of Cartsburn. When Simon Fraser laid claim to the barony of Lovat, he employed Crawfurd to investigate the case ...
.
Robertson also contributed to
Arthur Young's ''Annals of Agriculture''; and tracts to the
Highland Society.
Notes
Attribution
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, George
1832 deaths
Scottish topographers
Scottish genealogists
Year of birth uncertain