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James Robertson was born June 28, 1742, in Brunswick, Virginia, the son of John and Mary Robertson. [1] [2]
James married Charlotte Reeves on January 21, 1768 in North Carolina.[1]
In about 1769, James, after becoming frustrated with the ways of the North Carolina Government, accompanied pioneer Daniel Boone on his exploration of present-day eastern Tennessee. Robertson himself planted corn in present-day Elizabethton, Tennessee, along the Watauga River[3], where he built a cabin and established his claim on the land before returning to North Carolina to retrieve and relocate his family. [2] Many of his friends and neighbors decided to join the Robertson family and they relocated as well. The settlers at Watauga thought they were settling in Virginia, but a survey showed the settlement to be in North Carolina. [4] In May of 1772, James was elected magistrate of the newly founded Watauga Settlement. [2]
In 1776, the Cherokee Indians attacked and then laid siege to Fort Caswell in Watauga. Robertson was one of the officers in charge. Afterward he was appointed Indian agent, aiding the Revolution by keeping the Indians peaceful and preventing them from joining the British efforts.[5]
In 1777, present-day Middle Tennessee was purchased by the Transylvania Land Company, from the Cherokee tribe. James, Donalson, and others set out to explore the land and opportunities for settlement. They arrived in present-day Nashville on Christmas Day of 1779, where they found Jacqués Timothé (Boucher) Demonbreun, a French fur-trader, living in a cave on the Cumberland River. [2] They named the new post Fort Nashborough.[3]
James Robertson passed away on September 1, 1814, and was buried in the Nashville City Cemetery, in Nashville, Tennessee. [6] [1]
Robertson County, Tennessee is named in his honor.
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James is 24 degrees from Herbert Adair, 19 degrees from Richard Adams, 17 degrees from Mel Blanc, 24 degrees from Dick Bruna, 16 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 30 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 16 degrees from Sam Edwards, 15 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 18 degrees from Marty Krofft, 14 degrees from Junius Matthews, 11 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 18 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
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