George Roberts Sr (abt. 1745 - bef. 1809)

Born about 1745 in North Carolina

Descendants

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Biography

It is believed that George Roberts was born about 1745, and died sometime between 1805 and 1809. ^[1]

Head rights on the Bogue Chitto River North of Franklinton • James Gwin • Isaac and William Roberts • Jacob Alford • Elisha Roberts • Woody Jones • Tom Bickham • Edmund Hunt • Jonathan Magee • William Carter.^[2]

The children of George Roberts Sr. as named in the will of 19 November 1805 and apparently in the order of their birth were:

1. Anned Roberts Lee
2. George Roberts,(land grant in wife's name in St Tammany)
3. John Roberts
4. William Roberts (land grant in St Tammany)
5. Elisha Roberts (land grant in St Tammany)
6. Samuel Roberts
7. Milla (Amelia) Roberts Shim (Chisum?)
8. Isaac Roberts (land grant in St Tammany)
9. Thomas Roberts
10. Abasolom Roberts
11. James Roberts

American State Papers Public Lands Vol. III, page 72

Abstract containing a list of the actual settlers on land in that part of Louisiana which lies east of the Mississippi River and Island of New Orleans and west of the Pearl River, who bore no claims thereto derived from the French, British, or Spanish governments. Parish of St. Tammany

Thomas Roberts Dec. 1810 (1) Thomas Roberts was the eldest son of George Roberts, Junior, deceased, and of his wife Susanna Roberts. Thomas Roberts was born ca. 1792 and would have been age 18 in 1810 and therefore able to settle land in his own name.

Susannah Roberts Oct. 1807 (2) Susannah Roberts was the widow of George Roberts, Junior, deceased, and mother of the above Thomas Roberts.

Elisha Roberts Sep. 1810 (3) Elisha Roberts was a brother of the above George Roberts, Junior, deceased

Isaac Roberts May 1809 (4) Isaac Roberts was another brother of the above George Roberts, deceased

Wm. Roberts Dec. 1809 (5)Wm. Roberts was a brother of George, Elisha, and Isaac Roberts.

St. Helena Parish, Louisiana Successions, Drawer R-4

Will of George Roberts, Senior

In the name of God a men I George Roberts of Hawkins county State of Tennice Being in perfect health and memory at present thanks be to god for it calling unto mind and mortality of my Body and knowing that it is appointed once for man to die do make and ordain this my last will and testament that is to say principally and first of all I give and recommend my soul into the hand of the almighty god and give it and my Body I recommend to the earth to be Buried in a decent christian manner at the discretion of my Executors hoping at the general resurection I shall receive the same again By the almighty power of ---------p And as touching such worldy estate where with it hath pleased God to blefs me with I give devise and dispose of the same in the following manner and form- first I give to my dearly Beloved wife Rhoda Roberts the land and plantation where I now live with all the moveables there to and stock of horse s cattle hogs and sheep during her widowhood and if she should mary then let her be put to her thirds and if the children Should mary then I give them some things to Begin to keep house with and keep accopmt of such things

my daughter Anned Lee I give to her one dollar

my son George Roberts I give him also one dollar

my son John Roberts I give him likewise one dollar

my son William Roberts I give him one dollar

my son Elisha Roberts I give him one dollar

my son Samuel Roberts I give him one dollar

my daughter Milla Schim one dollar

I give to my son Isaac Roberts one hundred and twenty five acres of land it being the place where he now lives and the rest of the land to be devided between Thomas Roberts and Absolom Roberts and James Roberts an Equal division Between them three so the same and Equal division of the whole at their mothers death and as for my negro woman lettis and her child Catherine to Belong to my wife as long as she lives and at her death Both to be free If my wife should dy before the child is twenty seven years of age she may give it to one of the children to have tel she is of that age and to be free. I have not left the other children one dollar for anything I have against them I have given to them their part Before ratifying and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament in witness whereof I set my hand and seal this nineteenth day of november in the year of our lord one thousand Eight hundred and five. Samuel Smith George Roberts (Seal) Wm. Paine

On back  :: Estate of George Roberts Last Will of George Roberts Bogue Chitto Will of George Roberts

The following document was folded within the will:

Whereas William Roberts left a will in the Hands of the Comandant that George Roberts Snr. made in his lifetime, we have By our Consent agreed to Recawl the sd. will Back in to our pofeesion as we have Come on the termes, and agreed to Settle in Regard to the Estate amongst our Selves. Given under our hand this 29th day of Septembr 1809 Thomas Roberts James Roberts Isaac Roberts her Milla Chisum mark

"This compilation will refute many of the assertions found in a book by Emily Griffin Roberts of Terrell, Texas - "Ancestral Study of Four Families, Roberts, Griffin, Cartwright & Simpson". (1937) Mrs. Roberts believed that one, William Roberts was the father of the brothers who settled in Spanish West Florida before 1810 which is incorrect as George Roberts Sr. who made his will in 1805, was their father. Her list of brothers and sisters is also found to be incorrect. The above will had not been discovered at the time she made these assertions."^[3]

Research Notes

There seems to be few records about the early life of George Roberts. He was most likely born about 1745 in North Caroina. Also, it's possible that he married at least three times with his last wife being Rhoda Payne whom he married in 1778 in Hawkins County, Tn.. He had 11 children with 7 of these children with Rohda, which includes Absalom Roberts. He died in 1809 in Washington Parish, Louisiana as that's the date his will was probated. His actual grave site is unknown.

An undocumented jpg on FamilySearch^[4] contains the following text . . . "There is a question as to whom the wife of George Roberts could have been. It is possible that he married two if not three times. It would seem that the older children were not close to the younger which indicates separate mothers. George possibly fathered his eldest son George and daughter Anned (which might be a 'nickname' for Susannah), by one woman, John, William, Elisha, and Samuel by another. However, the names of these women can not be ascertained. . . . It is to be remembered that when the older George Roberts wrote his Last Will & Testament in 1805, he had a wife named Rhoda. She must have been the mother of his younger children incljuding Amelia, Isaac, Thomas, Absalom and James. . . . "

Sources

1. ↑ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lawashin/history.html#Headrighters
2. ↑ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~lawashin/history.html#Headrighters
3. ↑ "Descendants of George Payne" Joepayne PDF. Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.
4. ↑ "George Roberts II." #LQRY-LJP. Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.

• Succession records of St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, 1804-1854
• "George Roberts II." #GMFB-J2Q. Accessed 12 Jun. 2022.
• St Helena Parish, Louisiana, Successions Drawer D-4