John Parish Robertson

John Parish Robertson (1792–1843) was a Scottish merchant and author.

Life Robertson was born at Kelso or Edinburgh. His father, at one time assistant-secretary of the Bank of Scotland, was engaged in business at Glasgow; his mother, Juliet Parish, was the daughter of a Hamburg merchant of Scottish extraction. He was educated at Dalkeith grammar school.

Robertson accompanied his father to South America in 1806. He landed at Montevideo on the day after its occupation by the British forces under Sir Samuel Auchmuty. On the cession of the city to the Banda Oriental, he was sent home by his father, but in 1808 sailed on his own account for Rio de Janeiro, where he was employed as a clerk for three years.

Intending to devote himself to study, Robertson entered Corpus Christi College, Cambridge; but in 1833 he moved to the Isle of Wight for his health. He was in London in 1834 for business reasons. He died at Calais on 1 November 1843.

His great-nephew was the singer and actor John Graham Robertson (1859-1940).

Works Robertson published:

Solomon Seesaw … with Illustrations by Phiz, 3 vols. London, 1839; 3 vols. Philadelphia, 1839. With his brother, William Parish Robertson, Letters on Paraguay; comprising an Account of a Four Years' Residence in that Republic, under the Government of the Dictator Francia, 2 vols. London, 1838; Philadelphia, 2 vols. 1838. A sequel Francia's Reign of Terror appeared in one volume, London, 1839; 2 vols. Philadelphia, 1839; 2nd edit. 3 vols. London, 1839. Letters on South America, comprising Travels on the Banks of the Paraná and Rio de la Plata, 3 vols. London, 1843.