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Patrick Francis Robertson (24 August 1807 – 20 January 1885) was a British businessman and a Liberal Conservative MP for Hastings, East Sussex, England.
Patrick Francis Robertson was born on 24 August 1807 in Meigle, Perthshire, Scotland,[1] the oldest son of Daniel Robertson (1755 - 1817) and Isabella Small (1774 - 1811). His father was a professor of Oriental Languages at St. Mary's College, St. Andrews, Scotland from 1809 - 1817.[2] His maternal grandfather was Alexander Small, Minister of Newtyle and Kilconquhar, Scotland. The family was a member of the Smalls of Dirnanean.
Robertson's mother died when he was four. Robertson and his two younger siblings were primarily raised by a maternal aunt, Cecilia Small, after his mother's death.
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Robertson obtained his formal education at the University of St. Andrews. After graduating, Robertson joined other members of his extended family in the East India and China trade, becoming a wealthy man.[2][3][4] He lived for a time in Canton, China.[4]
Positions as a sub-governor for the London Assurance Corporation,[2] department-chairman of the Bank of Egypt, and director of the Oriental Bank and the Ceylon Co, eventually followed for Robertson.[4]
Around Hastings, Robertson was known for his real estate development projects.[5]
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Robertson was a Deputy-Lieutenant of Sussex and a Justice of the Peace for the borough of Hastings.[4]
In 1847 Robertson was an unsuccessful candidate for Parliament.[2] He ran again and won election as a Liberal Conservative for Hastings in July 1852, serving until April 1859. He chose to run again in October 1864, but was not re-elected until July 1865.[2] He declared himself retired in 1868, but unsuccessfully ran yet again in 1869 and 1874.[2]
A lifelong bachelor, Patrick Francis Robertson died on 20 January 1885 in Hampstead, Middlesex, England.[2]
Robertson's estate in Hastings, on Old London Road, was named Halton House.[6] The mansion house no longer exists but the hill where it stood is called Robertson Hill.[6] Robertson Street and Robertson Terrace, sites within a large-scale development belonging to Robertson, are also named after him.[6]
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