Joseph Robertson was born in Aberdeen in 1810 and graduated from Marischal College, Aberdeen, MA 1825. He worked in journalism and book publishing for nearly 20 years, before being appointed in 1853, as Curator of the Historical Department in Register House, Edinburgh. He was co-founder of the Spalding Club (est. Aberdeen, 1839), with his friend John Stuart, lawyer and historian (from 1873 Principal Keeper of the Register of Deeds, Edinburgh), and editor of many of its early works, including Collections for a History of the Shires of Aberdeen and Banff (Aberdeen: Spalding Club, 1843) and Fasti Aberdonensis (Aberdeen: Spalding Club, 1854). Other publications include, The book of Bon Accord: A guide to the city of Aberdeen (Aberdeen: Smith, 1939), and A Guide to the Highlands of Deeside (Aberdeen: Davidson, 1831).
For further details see W. Douglas Simpson, The Three Spalding Clubs: A century in retrospect, in Third Spalding Club Miscellany, vol. 2 (Aberdeen: Third Spalding Club, 1940)
From the guide to the Papers of Joseph Robertson, 1833 - 1855, (University of Aberdeen)
