Christened 20 October 1758, Logierait
Died ABT 1820
OPR 2674, Logierait, baptism
Fr James Gallus Robertson OSB
sent with his brother Charles to be educated by the Jesuits at Dinant in the Netherlands. James, aged 14, continued his studies at the old Scots monastery of St James', Ratisbon, in Bavaria. After six years he was professed as a Benedictine monk, taking the name Gallus, and ordained in 1782. He came back to Strichen as chaplain and missioner to Buchan, but left after three years .
Moving to Edinburgh after Buchan he published a Roman Liturgy, an edition of Austin's Devotions, and the first Catholic version of the New Testament to be printed in Scotland. While serving Munches in Galloway Fr Robertson pressed for the introduction of hymn-singing but Bishop Hay, fearing renewed persecution, refused to allow such a novelty.
The wandering monk's employment as a government agent was described in Narrative of a Secret Mission to the Danish Islands in 1808, by Rev. Jas. Robertson. The Spanish General Romana was detained there by Napoleon's troops, but Fr Gallus made contact by posing as a German cigar merchant, and guerrilla support was obtained for Wellington in the Peninsular War. In his latter years at Ratisbon, Charles Fraser's 'somewhat eccentric' uncle became interested in the education of the deaf and dumb, and opened the first blind asylum in Bavaria
Robertson served his monastery and England on several occasions in matters of political import. It is said of him that, when Napoleon decreed the secularisation of monasteries in 1803, Robertson wrote a petition, which he personally presented to Napoleon at Paris, and thus gained a postponement of the measure for the benefit of his Order.
The second affair in which Robertson was implicated is as well attested as it is strange. There was at that time a Spanish general, called the Marquis of Romańa, a fearless man, whose intense love of liberty had lost him the favour of Napoleon, then about to conquer Spain. In order to get rid of the patriot and his troops, he sent him to the Danish island of Funen, in the far north of Europe, ostensibly with the purpose of co-operating with Bernadotte. Here the proud Marquis wasted away his days in hateful inactivity. To rescue him from this ignominious position, England accepted the services of Robertson, whose fitness for a mission of daring and secrecy had strongly impressed itself on the Duke of Richmond, then on a visit to the Scottish monastery at Ratisbon. He had proposed the name of the humble prior to the Duke of Wellington, and after an interview in London, when Robertson's reward was fixed and also the promise given to provide for his mother and two sisters in Scotland in case of failure, the bold messenger started on his journey (1808). His message to the general was that. English ships were ready to carry him and his troops to any port he wished, and that, if an insurrection against the usurper should take place in Spain, England would be ready to throw in her lot with that country. After many adventures Robertson left Heligoland, then English, and landed in Germany on board a smuggling vessel. A revenue cutter, the captain of which had been bribed, next brought him to Bremen, a city then in the hands of the French. Here he succeeded in procuring a passport under the name of an acquaintance of his, a German, who had died lately. On he went on his journey, heeding no warnings, by way of Lubeck to Kiel. Having laid in a stock of cigars and chocolate, he resolved to continue his expedition as a commercial traveller. At last Fünen was reached. But now the difficulty was to approach the Marquis so as not to rouse suspicion. After some futile attempts he in the end succeeded in obtaining an audience for the purpose of effecting a sale of his wares. Having given an account of himself by producing his papers, he was told by the Marquis, after some hesitation, that he accepted the English proposals. Robertson's mission was effected, and Romafia, making use of the opportunity of a grand parade of troops, which had been ordered by Bernadotte, and at which he himself intended to be present, collected as many soldiers as possible at Nyborg, his headquarters; and when the Commander-in-Chief arrived there, already some 10,000 men had embarked on English ships, which had been lying ready opposite the little town. They sailed first to England, thence to Spain, where Romafla's assistance was highly welcome. As to Robertson, he reached the coast of Germany and London after many escapes and on all sorts of round-about ways cleverly contrived. He had been closely but ineffectually pursued by the French
Rev James " Gallus " Robertson
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