Mary Robertson, née McPherson, was born 5 April 1775, in Trois-Rivières, in the Province of Quebec. Her parents were John McPherson, a merchant, born in Badenoch, Inverness, and Mary Cameron, the daughter of Donald Cameron, 1st cousin of Dr Archibald Cameron, brother of Lochiel.

Contrary to popular belief, there was no such thing as Canada in 1775. The land was occupied by aboriginal people, and was first invaded by the French and renamed New France. Quebec City was established as a permanent settlement on 3 July 1608 by French explorer Samuel de Champlain. In 1757, Frasers Highlanders, led by General Wolfe, climbed the cliffs from the watery way, faced the French on the Plains of Abraham, and conquered the inhabitants; Quebec City subsequently capitulated to the British on 18 September 1759. It is important to note that Mary McPherson was not born in Canada, as the nation did not exist in 1775; the area was simply the Province of Quebec under British administration. It wasn't until 26 December 1791, that Upper Canada was officially created in what is now the province of Ontario, but until then, all land beyond the settled areas was called the Wilds or the exteriors, where Scottish fur traders ventured out to conduct business.

The first few months of Mary's life were tumultuous. Her parents took her by ship to Quebec City to find shelter from the imminent invasion of Major General Richard Montgomery and the Continental Army. This man had successfully helped capture New France in 1757 and afterwards bought a farm at King's Bridge, 13 kms from New York City. On June 25, George Washington arrived in town and assigned him as deputy commander under Schuyler. Within days, Schuyler received orders to invade the Province of Quebec. The army was able to capture the towns, except for one: Quebec City, the very city where Mary was safely hiding. This city was put under siege and was being constantly volleyed with bullets. Mary's father, John, under the company of Thomas Ainsle, bravely defended the city. Richard Montgomery died 31 December 1775, from the shots of a cannon as he fearlessly charged the city. He fell to the ground, and the next day, his body was found frozen solid.

Mary's grandfather, Donald Cameron, a former Lieutenant in the French Service, was one of the men present on 31 December 1775 at the Sault au Matelot. Although he did not take on service under the British, he volunteered to defend his home from the enemy. That night, he fought bravely against the Continental Army, armed with a broadsword and a pistol. He went head to head with exhausted Americans and forced the army back to an empty part of Quebec City. It was from this vantage point in the Lower City that the army kept Quebec City under siege until their retreat in July of 1776. But it wasn't without cost; Mary's ten-year-old uncle was killed by a ricocheting bullet while the family was having tea.

After the siege was lifted, Mary's family returned to Trois-Rivières, only to find that their home and the buildings that served as their places of business had been ransacked by the rebels. The family spent a great deal of time repairing the damage. Although the specific structures impacted at the time remain uncertain, it is reasonable to assume that the McPhersons’ home on the corner of rue du Fleuve—built on 22 March 1756 by Jean-Baptiste LeClerc, son of the King’s carpenter at Trois-Rivières—remained secure. Following the sale of this property on 20 October 1796, the family presumably relocated to their tavern, known today as Le Buck.

29 September 1792

Fast forward seventeen years, leading us to 29 September 1792. In the very church Mary was baptized in, she married Alexander Robertson. The record states:

"Le vingt neuf de septembre après la publication de trois bans consécutifs, a été marié Alexandre Robinson et Marie McPherson en la présence de plusieurs témoins."
The twenty-ninth of September, after the publication of three consecutive banns, Alexandre Robinson and Marie McPherson were married in the presence of several witnesses."

Marriage Record, Registres photographiés au greffe des Trois-Rivières, Protestant, 1768-1800.

Marie McPherson in Quebec, Canada, Vital and Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1621-1968

Careful researchers will note that the marriage record states that Mary McPherson married Alexander Robinson and not Alexander Robertson. While this discrepancy might stop some, a determined researcher can resolve it by turning to the notarial records held by BAnQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec). This public institution preserves Quebec's documentary heritage, with collections dating back to the early 17th century. Their notarial records, often reaching back to the mid-1600s, are particularly valuable for filling gaps in personal history. For those of you reading this who are also digging into your own family roots, BAnQ is an essential resource; it allows you to cross-reference marriage contracts and land sales to clarify name variations and uncover the truth through primary evidence.

You can access the official website for the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) here.

To access notarial records, you can begin your search through the BAnQ Archives portal. Unlike parish registers, notarial records are not typically indexed by the names of the individuals involved; they are filed under the name of the notary who drafted them. This means that to find a specific document, you must first identify which notary practiced in the area at the time of your ancestor's transaction and then search through that notary’s "greffe" (collection of minutes).

If you are researching early records, you may also find the Parchemin database helpful, as it provides a digitized index of hundreds of thousands of notarial deeds from 1647 to 1819. However, if you need to order a physical or digital copy of a document directly from their archives in Montreal, you can contact the reference services at archives.montreal@banq.qc.ca. When reaching out, be sure to provide as much detail as possible—such as the notary's name, the date of the act, and the parties involved—to help the archivists locate the specific file.

On Ancestry, you may find a list of notarial records, including 13 entries for an Alexander Robertson, with most documented by the notary John Gerbrand Beek. While these records can typically be obtained for a small fee through BAnQ, my breakthrough in linking Alexander Robinson to Alexander Robertson came from examining the notarial records of Mary Robertson. Since it was quite common for a woman to use her maiden name after being widowed, many relevant documents were filed under Mary McPherson and Alexander's brother, James Robertson. To secure the specific evidence I needed, I requested record #2967; after contacting the Montreal archives and paying a significant fee for the collection, I finally obtained the proof required to confirm the connection.

ancestry.ca Notarial Records

BanQ Public Records

BanQ Public Records

Transcription:

Be it Remembered that on this Thirteenth day of May in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety eight Before Louis Chaboillez and John G. Delisle both of the City of Montreal in the Province of lower Canada Notaries Public Personally appeared Mary McPherson widow and relict of the late Alexander Robertson Merchant in his lifetime of the City of Montreal Merchant of the one part, and James Robertson tutor to Elizabeth Robertson and Catharine Ann Robertson Minor Children of the said Mary McPherson by her Marriage with the said Alexander Robertson of the other part.

Which said parties did declare that on the 29th day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two, the said Alexander Robertson then alive and the said Mary McPherson were joined together in the holy bands of Matrimony at the town of Three Rivers in the said Province of lower Canada, without entering into any Contract of Marriage which might derogate from the established rules of law regulating the status of persons joined in Marriage in this Province, in Consequence of which the said Alex. Robertson and Mary McPherson became communions. That on the thirteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety six, the said Alexander Robertson being then at the Moment of departing for England did Make his last Will and Testament, therein among other dispositions in the said Will specified Comprehending the bulk of his property of which he might die possessed he did give and bequeath to the said Mary McPherson his widow the further sum of 1,000 pounds Halifax currency to be laid out by his executors in such manner as she might have the interest thereof during her natural life and to be disposed of by will as she might think proper and that on the 16th day of December last the said Alexander Robertson then on a voyage to England was unfortunately drowned on the coast of Cornwall in that part of Great Britain called England.

Robinson was Robertson

This notarial document serves as the vital link confirming that Mary McPherson and Alexander Robertson were married on September 29, 1792, in the town of Trois-Rivières, which perfectly aligns with the marriage record I previously examined. Interestingly, this crucial proof was discovered alongside the baptismal record of her brother, Robert, in the same town church. At the time of Mary’s marriage in 1792, Trois-Rivières was a modest settlement with a population of approximately 600 people. By documenting their union and the subsequent tragic drowning of Alexander on the coast of Cornwall, this record provides the definitive evidence needed to correct the historical spelling of "Robinson" to "Robertson," finally allowing me to trace Alexander's lineage through the Red Book of Scotland by Gordon MacGregor.

Alexander Robertson

Alexander was born on March 4, 1760, in Over Bohespick, a small cluster of houses near Blair Atholl, Perthshire, Scotland, that today remains only as ruins. He was born to Thomas Robertson and Katherine Robertson of Auchleeks, as documented on page 522 of the Red Book of Scotland by Gordon MacGregor. While I do not currently intend to trace the lineage of Katherine—spelled "Katharine" in the records—this line connects to Donald Robertson of Woodshiel, a Culloden veteran and officer in Lord Ogilvy’s regiment. This individual represents the intersection between the Robertson and McPherson families: Donald Robertson and Mary’s grandfather, Donald Cameron, both served as officers in the French service, and in 1752, they were selected by Prince Charles to kidnap the King of England.

Scotlands People, retrieved 8 July 2026

Borenich.co.uk

You will notice on page 525, the children of Thomas Robertson was provided:

Neil Robertson, b. on 4 November 1751 and settled in Montreal
Alexander Robertson, b. on 4 March 1760 d. en route to England.
James Robertson, b. on 1 March 1763 and dip at Montreal.
Patrick Robertson, b. on 5 August 1770 and settled in Montreal.
Margaret Robertson, b. on 23 February 1754.
Ann Robertson, b. on 14 December 1756.
Beatrice Robertson, b. on 2 June 1765.
Marjory Robertson, b. 28 October 1767.
Margaret Robertson, bap. at Blair Atholl on 31 Jay 1722.
A daughter, who is said to have m. Donald Robertson, second son of Duncan Robertson, 1st of Drumachuine, and had issue.

The most significant detail preserved in this notarial document is the account of Alexander's tragic end: "on the 16th day of December last the said Alexander Robertson then on a voyage to England was unfortunately drowned on the coast of Cornwall in that part of Great Britain called England." This contemporary legal testimony perfectly corroborates the entry on page 525 of Gordon MacGregor's Red Book of Scotland, which records that Alexander Robertson, born on March 4, 1760, "d. en route to England."

The document also recorded the daughters of Alexander Robertson: Elizabeth Robertson and Catharine Ann Robertson. Lady Elizabeth married Sir James Stuart, the latter dying 18 January 1814, in Montreal.

Catharine Ann Robertson Burial Record

On 14 March 1818, Elizabeth married Sir James Stuart, in Montreal, with issue: Sir Charles James Stuart, Mary Catherine Stuart, Sir Edward Andrew Stuart, and Sir James Stuart, Rev. and Bart. She died on 23 August 1849, in Quebec.

Robertson & Stuart Marriage Records

Mary, the wife of Alexander, died on 12 April 1846. According to her obituary, she passed away at the home of her son-in-law, Sir James Stuart, who was present for her interment. Further inquiry into the notarial records of Mary will reveal more intimate details into her private life. Thus, the mystery of Mary marrying a Robertson has been solved.

Lady Stuart Burial Record

Obituary

Mary Robertson Burial Record

The Robertson of Auchleeks Lineage

The Robertsons of Auchleeks descend from the Chiefs of Clan Robertson (Clan Donnachaidh) as a cadet branch of the main chiefly line. Specifically, the lineage of Auchleeks originated with James Robertson, the fourth and youngest son of Alexander Robertson, the 5th Chief of Clan Donnachaidh.

Establishing themselves in the 16th century (circa 1530s), this family became one of the prominent landed houses in Perthshire. While they functioned as an independent unit with their own lands and estate, their foundation remains rooted in the chiefly line of Struan, and they continued to play a significant role within the broader social and historical framework of Clan Donnachaidh for centuries.

Further Reading: The Rev.d John Stuart, D.D., U.E.L., of Kingston, U.C. and his family : a genealogical study