William Robertson, historian (1721– 1793)

William Robertson is remembered both as a churchman and a historian. He had a strong Enlightenment influence on the Kirk, where he was a ‘moderate’ who favoured toleration of faiths and the relaxation of some of Calvinism’s stricter theology.

A son of the manse, Robertson was educated at Dalkeith Grammar School and Edinburgh University, where he studied divinity and later became Principal.

He was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1763. He was supposed to have had a rather awesome reputation, and it was said that even his sisters addressed him as Sir.

As a historian, Robertson wrote with an appropriate dignified style that gained him a wide readership. But as was the fashion of the 18th century, he took great care to avoid using Scotticisms in his writing. His first work to achieve success was his 'History of Scotland during the Reigns of Queen Mary and James VI' , published in 1759. His histories of America and of the Emperor Charles V were also popular works.

Robertson was a founder member of Edinburgh’s Select Society in 1754 along with David Hume, Adam Smith and Allan Ramsay and supported the establishment of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1783.

He was also active in his University’s move from cramped premises in Infirmary Street to the spacious new Robert Adam campus on the South Bridge.

Picture credit: William Robertson. From page 92 of 'Kay's Originals, Volume 1' (c.1880s). Digitised and published by the Edinburgh Bookshelf.