Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 48.djvu/413

 each poem in the series.’ Both these works were included in the above-mentioned volume. His ‘Expository Lectures on St. Paul's Epistle to the Corinthians’ were published after his death (London, 1859, 8vo, several editions). In his youth he wrote much verse, some specimens of which have been privately printed under the title of ‘A few Extracts from the Early Poetical Writings of F. W. R.’ They do not possess much merit.



ROBERTSON, GEORGE (1748?–1788), landscape-painter, born in London about 1748, was son of a wine merchant, and received his education from a Mr. Rolfe in Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell. He studied art at Shipley's school, and was noted there for his skill in drawing horses, for which he received a premium from the Society of Arts in 1761. He afterwards went to Italy, and studied in Rome. He was patronised by (1709–1770) [q. v.] of Somerley Hall, Suffolk, with whom Robertson went to Jamaica, where Beckford had a large property. Robertson drew several views of this property in Jamaica, which on his return were finely engraved by D. Lerpinière, T. Vivares, and J. Mason, and published by [q. v.] He also exhibited views of Jamaica and other landscapes at the Incorporated Society of Artists' exhibitions, acting as vice-president of the society for some years. He obtained employment in London as a drawing-master, notably at a ladies' boarding school in Queen Square, Bloomsbury. He inherited a small fortune from an uncle and a house in Newington Butts, where he died on 26 Sept. 1788, aged about 40.

Robertson's landscapes are theatrical in conception, but have peculiar merits. Many were engraved, including a series of views of the iron works in Coalbrookdale, by J. Fittler, Wilson Lowry, and F. Chesham, and two views of Windsor Castle, one with the royal family on the terrace, by J. Fittler; all of these were published by Boydell. A series of scenes from Thomson's ‘Seasons,’ drawn by Robertson in conjunction with [q. v.], were also engraved. Robertson seldom painted in oil, but in the hall of the Vintners' Company is a picture by him in oils of ‘St. Martin dividing his Cloak.’ He also etched a few landscapes.



ROBERTSON, GEORGE (1750?–1832), topographical writer, was born in Midlothian about 1750, occupied a farm at Granton, near Edinburgh, for many years, and was actively engaged in agricultural affairs in different parts of Scotland from 1765 until shortly before his death. He moved from Granton to Kincardineshire in 1800 and migrated to Ayrshire in June 1811. He devoted the latter portion of his life to genealogical investigations, working in the library at Eglinton Castle and among the Glasgow libraries. He died at his residence, Bower Lodge, near Irvine, in 1832 (Retrospect in Rural Recollections).

Robertson's more important 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, 4to; London, 1794, 4to; ‘with the additional remarks of several respectable gentlemen and farmers in the country,’ Edinburgh, 1795, 8vo. This report enjoyed a good reputation among its fellows both for matter and style; two appendices treat of dairy and garden management. For the same 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, 4to (a useful compilation, with index to genealogies).  ‘A Genealogical Account of the Principal Families in Ayrshire, more particularly in Cunninghame,’ Irvine, 3 vols. 12mo, 1823; with index and supplement, issued at Irvine, 1827, 12mo.  ‘Rural Recollections; or the Progress of Improvement in Agriculture and Rural Affairs [in Scotland],’ Irvine, 1829, 8vo. The author judiciously confines himself to such changes in agriculture and in the condition of the agricultural population as fell under his own immediate and very capable observation; and says McCulloch, ‘his work is highly interesting,’ for the advance made by Scotland in industry, wealth, and their correlatives since 1765, when these recollections commence, ‘has, we believe, been quite 