Author: Jessie Robertson
Author: Jessie Robertson (1847–1888)
Alternate Name(s): Jerrold Orlayt (pseudonym); Alstein (maiden name)
Biography: Jessie Robertson was born about 1847 in Georgetown, Demarrara, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alstein. By 1861, she lived with her mother and maternal grandmother in Scotland. In 1867, she married stationmaster Robert Robertson and the couple had a daughter. The marriage fell apart and they separated around 1873. To support herself, Robertson wrote a novel Cumbe Harley's Ghost (1876) under the pseudonym "Jerrold Orlayt." She then studied to go on stage, though there is no evidence she did. Her poverty led her to crime: in 1883, she was tried for fraud and theft. Over a period of several months, Robertson bought expensive items from Edinburgh merchants under the guise of her relatives. Found guilty, she was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. She likely died in 1888 in Tamworth.
Author Tags:
References: British Census (1861, 1871); Dundee Evening Telegraph (23 June 1883)
Fiction Titles:
- Cumbe Harley's Ghost: A Novel. 1 vol. London: Remington, 1876.