ThePortForum.com

I have a query about some Robertsons. Can anyone advise on the relationship between George Robertson (late of Croft, author of Port), Alistair Robertson (at TFP) and the Robertson Brothers (shippers, sometime owners of the 'Rebello Valente' brand)?

Many thanks.

Does the tumbleweed blowing through this thread indicate that the forum's collective answer, as with the example where Mayson talks about asking a farmer what varieties are in his vineyard, is 'não sei'?

The firm of Robertson Brothers harks back to the mid-19th century. The family started out working in various firms in London and Oporto and two brothers (John and James) ended up as joint owners of Robertson Brothers in 1855. The firm subsequently acquired Rebelo Valente in 1881.

I don't think Alastair is related to the old Robertson family of Port shipping fame. Alistair is the nephew of Dick Yeatman's widow, Beryl. I cannot be certain but I don't think his family had been involved in the Port trade prior to Beryl asking him to manage the company when Dick died.

According to Oporto, Older and Newer (Gerald Cobb - 1966), George (Chico) Roberston, who joined Croft in 1935, was the grandson of James (Jock) M. Roberston who worked for Smith Woodhouse and was the brother-in-law of Charles Sellers, author of Oporto, Old and New (1899). Neither Sellers or Cobb mention a connection between the Robertsons of Smith Woodhouse/Croft and the Robertsons of Robertson Brothers. This suggests to me that there is no trade-linked family connection as both books make extensive attempts to explain the family connections across the various firms.

Thank you DRT. As I suspected, a number of completely unrelated Robertsons have sprouted over time in the Douro schist. Scots, eh? Irrepressible.