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Women and Independence in Latin America An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence |
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Women and Independence in Latin America An exploration of women's involvement in the Latin American Wars of Independence |
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Gender:Male
Ethnic origen: White
Events:
| 1794 | - | Edinburgh | - | Unknown | - | Born |
| 1815 | - | Asunción | - | Unknown | - | He attended the Méndez tertulias in Asunción. |
| 1816 | - | Corrientes | - | Unknown | - | He went here around 1816 after being expelled from Paraguay. |
| 1816 | - | Paraguay | - | Unknown | - | He travelled through Paraguay. He was expelled by Francia. |
| 1839 | - | London | - | Unknown | - | His Letters on Paraguay: comprising an account of a four years' residence in that Republic, under the Government of the Dictator Francia were published. |
| 1850 | - | London | - | Unknown | - | Died |
Connections:
Foreign travellersTexts:
1839 - A three-volume collection of letters by the Robertson brothers, written in 1816 that they .....
1839 - He describes the honour of obligations of becoming a compadre, the death of a child and it.....
1839 - His comments about Paraguayan society
Biography:
An English businessman who joined his brother John Parish Robertson in Latin America between 1807-1810s. He was in Asunción in 1815 where he attended the Méndez tertulias. When the Mendezes were sent into exile by Francia, Robertson supported them by safe-guarding their assets and ensuring that those who owed them money repaid their debts to him. He accompanied them for their first two days on their boat to exile to ensure they had all they needed. Robertson was himself expelled from Paraguay a few months later and he went to Corrientes. The brothers' Letters on Paraguay were published in 3 volumes in 1839. (Robertson)
William Robertson met Antonio and Encarnación Figueredo around 1815. She cultivated the Robertsons as she had blue eyes and thus "considered she had a better right to the friendship of ´los Ingleses rubios´ than any other person. We were accordingly very intimate with Mr and Mrs Figueredo, having a sort of passive and quiescent intercourse with one, and a more active and lively one with the other."
She asked William Robertson to become godfather to her three-day- old baby as it, too, had fair complexion and blue eyes. Robertson had mixed emotions, it would be "an onerous sought of burthen" but meant Encarnación de Figueredo held him in great esteem. He agreed. Three months later the baby died. Encarnación de Figueredo did not appear to be at all upset, rather she held a vigil that was more of a celebration. She explained to Robertson that her daughter had been converted into an angel, she was sorry Robertson was no longer her compadre, but he would become godfather to her next child. See below for the corresponding extract from his letter. (Robertson, 147-155)
References:
Robertson, John Parish and W. P. (1970) Letters on Paraguay