William Joseph Robertson was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, United States. He was the son of John and Sarah (Brand) Robertson. His father, an emigrant from Glasgow, Scotland, had settled in Albemarle County in 1791 and had opened there a school for boys which he subsequently removed to Culpeper County. He died in 1818, but his son was given the best education then available in the Virginia piedmont.
At the age of nine the boy was sent to the school of John Lewis of Llangollen in Spotsylvania County and in 1834 he entered the academic schools of the University of Virginia. During the course of his third session there, he left the University, taught school for two years, and then returned for the study of law. He was graduated from the law school in 1842 and began practice at Louisa Court House, but in a short time he moved to Charlottesville where he resided for the remainder of his life.
In 1852 he was elected attorney for the commonwealth for the county of Albemarle. It was while he held this office that he conducted the prosecution of John Singleton Mosby, then a student at the University, in such a way as to secure both Mosby's conviction and his respect and lifelong friendship. From 1853 to 1859 he served on the board of visitors of the University. He also served as the attorney of the University and in 1854 finally forced the administrator of President Madison's estate to surrender books bequeathed to its library. In 1859 he was elected by popular vote to the bench of the supreme court of appeals of Virginia. In 1865 Virginia became Military District No. 1, and the judges of its supreme court were removed by order of the major-general commanding. During the six years, 1859-65, that Robertson was on the bench there was not a great deal of litigation before the court and Robertson himself delivered the opinion of the court in only twelve cases. He had had an average of six months for the preparation of each opinion. It was as a practising attorney rather than as a judge that he made his mark. When the courts were reopened after the war he began anew the practice of law. His professional reputation and income grew steadily. He became the great "corporation lawyer" of post-bellum Virginia, and for his time and section a rich man. He was made general counsel of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company and also of the Norfolk & Western Railroad. The Samuel Miller Will Case (27 Grattan, 110) and that of Gilbert vs. Railroad Company (33 Grattan, 586) were two of his conspicuous successes in the Virginia courts. The Arlington cases (United States vs. Lee and Kaufman vs. Lee, 106 U. S. , 196) were perhaps his greatest victories before the United States Supreme Court. In July 1888 he was elected the first president of the Virginia State Bar Association. He died in Charlottesville, May 27, 1898.
He was made general counsel of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company and also of the Norfolk & Western Railroad. The Samuel Miller Will Case (27 Grattan, 110) and that of Gilbert vs. Railroad Company (33 Grattan, 586) were two of his conspicuous successes in the Virginia courts. The Arlington cases (United States vs. Lee and Kaufman vs. Lee, 106 U. S. , 196) were perhaps his greatest victories before the United States Supreme Court.
Attorney for the commonwealth for the county of Albemarle,
His professional reputation and income grew steadily. He became the great "corporation lawyer" of post-bellum Virginia, and for his time and section a rich man.
He was twice married: first, on August 16, 1842, to Hannah, daughter of Gen. William F. Gordon of Albemarle, who died in 1861, and on July 16, 1863, to Alice, daughter of Gen. Edward Watts and widow of Dr. G. W. Morris of South Carolina. He had nine children by his first marriage and five by his second marriage.
