A Naval Biographical Dictionary/Robertson, William
ROBERTSON. (Capt., 1837. f-p., 24; h-p., 20.)
William Robertson entered the Navy, 9 June, 1803, as Midshipman, on board the Defence 74, Capt. Geo. Hope. After serving in the North Sea and sharing in the glories of Trafalgar he removed, in Dec. 1805, to the Fame 74, Capts. Graham Moore and Rich. Henry Alex. Bennett, attached to the force in the Channel, where, in June, 1807, he rejoined Capt. Hope, as Master’s Mate, on board the Theseus 74. In the following Nov., having previously, in the Spencer 74, Capt. Hon. Robt. Stopford, accompanied the expedition against Copenhagen, he was taken prisoner. Escaping in May, 1809, he joined, 15 Aug. in that year, the Victory 100, flag-ship in the Baltic of Sir Jas. Saumarez, by whom he was nominated, 20 Sept. ensuing, Acting-Lieutenant of the Dictator 64, Capt. Rich. Harrison Pearson. He was confirmed a Lieutenant 26 Feb. 1810; and was subsequently appointed – 1 March, 1810, to the Lynx sloop, Capts. John Willoughby Marshall and Thos. Percival, in the Baltic – 30 Aug. 1811, to the Sarpedon 10, Capts. Jas. Green and Thos. Parker, on the Leith station – 7 Oct. 1812, to the Fortunée 36, Capts. Geo. Fras. Seymour, Hon. Fred. Wm. Aylmer, and Wm. Goate, on the coast of Ireland – 4 March, 1814, to the Erne 20, commanded by the late Lord Napier, with whom he served on the North American and West India stations until Sept. 1815 – 14 Jan. 1818, to the Isabella sloop, Capt. John Boss, in which vessel he was employed, until paid off in the next Dec, in exploring Baffin Bay and in inquiring into the probability of effecting a north-west passage to China – 1 May, 1820, 2 Dec. 1821, and 6 May, 1824, to the Conway 26, Créole 42, and Diamond 46, Capts. Basil Hall, Hon. Fred. Spencer, and Lord Napier, all on the South American station, where, in the Conway and Diamond, he filled the post of First-Lieutenant – and, 5 Dec. 1826, to the Galatea 42, as Flag-Lieutenant to Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy, under whom he escorted to Lisbon a body of troops intended as a reinforcement to the Portuguese Constitutionalists, and took part in an experimental cruize. Attaining the rank of Commander 12 Nov. 1827, he served in that capacity, in the Snake 16, on the North Sea and South American stations, from 30 April, 1832, until the spring of 1835; and in the Castor 36, Capt. Lord John Hay, on the north coast of Spain, from 14 May, 1836, until advanced to his present rank 10 Jan. 1837. He has not been since afloat.
Capt. Robertson married, in 1838, Elizabeth, daughter of the late H. Pater, Esq., of Bristol. Agents – Hallett and Robinson.