John Robertson (congressman)

John Robertson ( * April 13, 1787 in Petersburg, Virginia; † July 5, 1873 in Lynchburg, Virginia ) was an American politician. Between 1834 and 1839 he represented the state of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Career

John Robertson was a brother of Thomas B. Robertson (1779-1828), who was among other things, Governor of Louisiana, and Wyndham Robertson (1803-1888), a governor of Virginia. He attended the common schools and then studied at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. After a subsequent study of law and qualifying as a lawyer, he started working in Richmond in this profession. At the same time he embarked on a political career. For some time he held the office of the Attorney General of his home state. Politically Robertson was an opponent of President Andrew Jackson. He was first a member of the National Republican Party and the Whig Party.

Following the resignation of Mr Andrew Stevenson Robertson was due to the election for the eleventh seat of Virginia as his successor in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington DC chosen, where he took up his new mandate on 8 December 1834. After two re- elections he could remain until March 3, 1839 Congress. Between 1835 and 1837 he took there on the 19th and then the 18th electoral district of his state.

After the end of his time in the U.S. House of Representatives John Robertson served as a judge at the Court of Chancery in Henrico County. In the spring of 1861 he was a delegate at a conference in Washington, was trying unsuccessfully on, to prevent the outbreak of civil war. Between 1861 and 1863 he sat in the Senate of Virginia. John Robertson died on 5 July 1873 the estate Mount Athos near Lynchburg.