"A Volume of Memoirs and Genealogy of Representative Citizens of the City of
Seattle and County of King, Washington." New York and Chicago: Lewis Publishing
Co., 1903.  p. 13.
 
ROBERT BROOKE ALBERTSON

     Earnest offort, close application and the exercise of his native talents
have won Robert B. Albertson prestige as a Seattle lawyer, a fact which is
highly complimentary, for no bar has numbered more eminent and prominent men. He
is today a member of the law firm of Lewis Hardin and Albertson, his partners
being Colonel James Hamilton Lewis and Thomas B. Hardin.
     Mr. Albertson was born in Hertford, North Carolina, December 21, 1859. His
ancestors emigrated from Amsterdam more than two hundred years ago and for
several generations the family has been represented in the old North state.
Elias Albertson, the great-grandfather of our subject, was born in that state on
the 24th of September, 1763, and became an influential and leading citizen, who
served as inspector of revenues under the first administration, being appointed
by President George Washington in 1792. His son, Anthony Albertson, the
grandfather of our subject, was also a native of North Carolina and became a
prominent citizen and planter, who died about the beginning of the- Civil war,
in the seventieth year of his age. Jonathan White Albertson, the father of the
subject of this sketch, was born in Perquimans county, North Carolina, September
5, 1826. On the eighth day of January, 1854, he married Miss Catherine
Fauntleroy Pescud, of Petersburg, Virginia. Her maternal grandfather was Peter
Francisco, who won fame in the Revolutionary war. He possessed phenomenal
strength and was an expert swordsman. Enlisting in the Revolutionary war, he
distinguished himself for valor and ability as a fighter, and his efforts proved
greatly detrimental to the enemy. It is known that in a certain charge he
engaged six British soldiers at one time and succeeded in slaying all of them.
He said he could rest better after he had killed a number of the .enemies of his
country. He was such a valiant and brave soldier and accomplished so much for
the colonial cause that the legislature of his state rendered thanks to. him by
resolution. In the early history of the Albertson family all were identified
with the Society of Friends. In ante-bellum days Jonathan W. Albertson opposed
the secession movement urged by the south, but after the war was inaugurated he
endorsed the course of his native section, although he did not enter the army.
In religious faith he became an Episcopalian, although reared as a member of the
Society of Friends. A lawyer of marked ability, he was connected with much of
the important litigation tried in the courts of this district and won eminence
as a member of the bar. He served as prosecuting attorney of his district, was
judge of the Superior court and was United States attorney under President
Hayes. He also was a member of the legislature, and of the constitutional
convention of North Carolina, and he left the impress of his individuality upon
the organic law of his state. Unto the parents of our subject were born six
children, of whom five are yet living. One of the sons is Jonathan W., telegraph
editor of the Post Iritelligencer of Seattle, and Thomas E. is a soldier in the
Philippines. The father of this family died in 1898 at the age of seventy-two
years, but the mother is yet living in North Carolina at the age of seventy-five
years.
     Robert Brooke Albertson was educated in the University of North Carolina,
being graduated in 1881 with the degree of Ph. B. He studied law in the same
university and was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of North Carolina on
the 6th of February, 1883. Since that time he has been admitted to practice in
all of the courts of the United States. In the fall succeeding his admission he
came to Seattle. He had no means, and in order to provide for his support he
accepted employment at piling lumber for the Seattle and Commercial Mill
Company, later spending six months as city editor of the Seattle Morning
Chronicle, and for two years he was a law clerk, first employed in that capacity
in the office of Burke & Raisin, and afterward in the office of Struve, Haines &
McMicken. In 1885 he entered into a law partnership with George Hyde Preston and
later became a member of the firm of Lewis, Hardin. & Albertson. Mr. Albertson
is widely known as a talented and reliable attorney. His practice is extensive
and of an important character. He is remarkable among lawyers for the wide
research and provident care with which he prepares his cases.
     On the 24th of August, 1892, Mr. Albertson was married to Miss Nancy De
Wolfe, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a daughter of Captain F. S. De
Wolfe, who was formerly a mayor of that city and is now a resident of Seattle.
Our subject and his wife hold membership in the Episcopal church and are very
highly esteemed by a host of warm friends. Mr. Albertson is acknowledged to be
one of the most active, influential and prominent members of the Republican
party in the city. He has served with much ability as chairman of the King
county Republican central committee, filling the office until 1889. In that year
he was elected corporation counsel of Seattle, was elected a representative from
the Forty-second district of the state legislature in 1895 and re-elected in
1900. He was nominated by his party while absent at Nome, Alaska, the nomination
being made without his solicitation or knowledge. He was unanimously endorsed by
the King county delegation for speaker of the house, to which position he vas
elected, and in that place of high honor and responsibility he displayed such
executive force and thorough knowledge of parliamentary usage as to win the
commendation not only of his own party, but of the opposition as well. He was
also speaker at the special session held in June, 1901. Mr. Albertson is a
member of the Sons of the American Revolution, having first been identified with
the Maryland chapter and now with the Washington chapter, of which he is the
historian. He belonged to the old hook and ladder company of the city up to the
time when a paid fire company was installed. For five years he was a member of
the Washington state militia and served with ability during the Chinese riots in
1887. He is the present chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias
fraternity, and is one of the honored citizens of the city where he has won
prominence at the bar and as a statesman.


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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in October 2008 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.