William Robards Sr. (abt. 1710 - abt. 1783)

Born about 1710 in Virginia

Husband of Sarah (Hill) Robards — married 1748 (to 1756) in Goochland Co, VA

Husband of Elizabeth Pleasant (Lewis) Robards — married 1758 in St. James Northam Par., Goochland Co., VA

Descendants

Died about 1783 at about age 73 in Goochland, Virginia, United States

Biography

William Robards was born about 1710 (guess), possibly in Virginia.

He married Sarah Hill.^[1][2] Possible children:

1. John Robards, b. 5 May 1749
2. William Robards., b. ca. 1751
3. James Robards, b. aft. Dec 1754
4. Jean/Jane Robards, b. ca. 1756; m. 4 March 1773 Samuel Mosby

The Last Will of his father John Robards dated 5 December 1754 in Goochland County, Virginia, mentioned wife Sarah, son William, grandson John Robards, and grandson William Robards.^[1][3]

William died before 15 December 1783 when his last will was proved.

Last Will of William Robards

Last Will of William Robards.^[4]

In the name of God Amen; I William Robards of Goochland county, do make this my last will & testament in manner and form following, viz:

Imprimis. I desire that my Just Debts Legacys & c. be paid by my executors hereafter named.

Item. I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards to be at her own disposal a Negro girl called Juday & my Sorrel Mare bought of Mrs. Lucy Wood.

Item. I lend to my s'd Wife Elizabeth as long as She remains my Widow the eleven following Negros, viz. Bob, Hampton, Patt, Peter, Frank, Anthony, Jane, Sall, Sarah, Sam & Bristol, & at her decease to be subject to the following division Viz Bob, Hampton, Patt, Sall, Frank, Sam & their future Increase to be divided equally between Lewis, George, Jesie, Sally, Joe, Betty Lewis & Robert Robards, to them and their heirs forever; Peter, Anthony, Jane, Sarah & Bristol with their future Increase to be equally divided between the whole of my children and their heirs forever, saving that the heirs of either of them shall stand as one person, and have one share only but should either of my children by my present wife be so unfortunate as to loose the whole or any part of their Negroes which I shall hereafter give them, I then direct that such loss be made good in quantity out of the children that shall hereafter be born of the wenches lent my wife as above, bu should their be no such Negroes born I desire their loss to be made good out of the s,d lent Negroes and then an equal division to take place in manner and form as above directed.

Item. I lend to my said wife Elizabeth all my Stock of Horses, Cattle, Sheep & Hogs to be by her given out to her children now living or their survivors in equal proportions as may be most convenient & as their needs may require; I also lend her one Young Sorrel Mare in order to raise colts for my younger children; furthermore I lend unto my s,d wife all my household & kitchen furniture, together with the plantation utencils except such articles as I shall hereafter dispose of by will, and at her decease I give the s'd articles to my son Robert. I also give my s'd wife one feather bed & furniture to be her own choice.

Item. I give & bequeath unto my son Lewis Robards two negroes viz. Ned and Tukey, to him and his heirs foreveer, but should the negro Ned be so injured by a sore at present on his hand that he would chuse another I then give the boy Anthony lent my wife and the s'd Ned to stand in the place of s,d Anthony and be subject to the same division that Anthony now is, in the clause above. I also give to my s,d son Lewis thirty pounds specie to be paid him in equal proportions by his brothers & sisters, unless it can be raised out of the estate which I choose should be done by the sale of some part of my stock. I likewise give my s,d son Lewis one feather bed & furniture.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son George Robards, two negroes viz. George & Aggy to him & his heirs forever. I also give him one feather bed & furniture and one good saddle.

Item. I give & bequeath to my son Jesie Robards two negroes viz. Bartlett & Lucy, to him & his heirs forever, with one feather bed & furniture, one good horse, saddle & bridle to be purchased by my executor if necessary.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Sally Robards three negroes viz. Milly, Molly& Billey, one feather bed & furniture, one saddle & bridle & the colt that came of David Grantums Mare, to her & her heirs forever, if necessary.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Robards two negroes viz. Stephen & Creasy, one feather bed and furniture, one horse, bridle and saddle, to be purchased by my executors if necessary, which I give to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Betsy Lewis Robards two negroes viz. Dilse & Cynthia, to her and her heirs forever, one feather bed and furniture, one horse, saddle and bridle, to be purchased by my executors, if necessary.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son Robert Robards two negroes viz. Dick and Celia, one feather bed and furniture, one horse, saddle and bridle, to him and his heirs forever.

Item. I lend to my son John Robards during his natural life one negro girl named Esther and at his decease I give the s,d negro and her increase to be equally divided amongst the children he shall have by his present wife and their heirs forever; which s,d negro I put in his possession some years ago.

Item. I give and bequeath to my son James Robards five shilling sterling & no more having heretofore given him his proportion of my estate.

Item. I give and bequeath to my daughter Jane Mosby one negro woman named Tab, to her and her heirs forever.

Item. I lend unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards during her natural life, four hundred acres of Land in the county of Lincoln, which said land Capt. Robert Mosby bought for me of Mr. Hubbard Taylor of the county of Caroline, and for paymt. of which I have with s,d Mosby given bond for four negros, & I do hereby direct my executors to comply with s,d purchase and take a deed in the name of my son Robert Robards for s,d land. Nevertheless my s,d wife is to have, hold, occupy & possess the same undisturbed & without impeachment of waste so long as she shall live only allowing to my s,d son Robert the privilege of settling on part of s,d land if necessity requires.

Item. I give and devise to my four sons Lewis, George, Jesse and Joseph my Locations of land in that part of Virginia call'd Kentucky, containing eighteen hundred acres, and when surveyed to be equally divided between them according to quantity and quality, to them and their heirs forever. And whereas I have a right of one moiety of fourteen hundred acres of land in the aforesed part of the country, purchased by Capt. Robt. Mosby of Henry Garrett and Thomas Johnson of Louisa county, for wch s,d land is now a law suit instituted in the general court. It is my desire whether the s,d land or moiety to the value thereof be recovered, that the same be equally divided between my afores,d sons Lewis, George, Jesse, and Joseph.

Item. I give and devise to my seven sons John, William, Lewis,George, Jesse, Joseph & Robert Robards, each their equal proportion of a treasury warrant taken in my name for six thousand acres of land, to them and their heirs forever.

Item. I give and devise to my five sons Lewis, George, Jesse, Joseph & Robert Robards, an officer's right bought of Lieutenant Joseph Payne for one thousand acres of land to be equally divided according to quantity and quality, to them and their heirs forever.

Item. I give unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards until they are free by their indentures, the service of Chesa and Patty Cousins, two mulattoes.

Item. The crop of tobacco, wheat, corn, &c. together with the fattening hogs I leave for the use of my family.

Item. After all my just debts are paid, the expense of moving my family to Kentucky and the necessary comforts of life procured for them, I then desire that all the money on hand collected from bills, bonds, and open accounts, or by any other way or means whatever, be equally divided among my seven children by my present wife and the three following children by my first wife, viz. John & William Robards & Jane Mosby.

Item. All the estate left me by the last will & testament of Joseph Lewis, senior, deceased, I give and bequeath to be equally divided between my seven children by my last wife viz. Lewis, George, Jesse, Sally, Joe, Betsey Lewis & Robert Robards and their heirs forever.

Lastly. I do constitute and appoint my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards my sons William and George Robards with my friend Wm. Lewis, Executors of this my last will & testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-three.

Signed sealed, published and declared in presence of us.

Geo. Payne

John Lewis

Joseph Lewis, Jr. William Robards, (Seal)

At a court held in Goochland county Dec'r 15th, 1783, this writing was proved by the oaths of Geo. Payne, John Lewis & Jos. Lewis to be the last will and testament of William Robards, dec'd, and was ordered to be recorded. Teste, G. Payne, clerk.

A copy teste, Moses T. Monteiro, clerk.^[2]

Research Notes

Douglas Register

(This would be his 1st wife's funeral -
Sep: 8 1756—Billie Robards wifes fun: Sermon on Ezek: 24.16. —in Gooch: p. 35.
Sept. 8 1756—Billie Roberts wifes fun: Goochland, p. 124.

Will: Roberts & Eliz: Lewis a son named Lewis born dec: 18 1758. Baptized 1759 Jan: 20. p. 54.
William Robarts & Elizabeth Lewis a son George born Aug: 5 1760. Baptized 1760 Aug: 31. p. 58.
William Roberts & Eliz: Lewis a son named Jesse born Ap: 7. 1762. Baptized 1762 May 10. p. 62.
Will: Robards & Eliz: Lewis a Daughter named Sally born Jan: 25 1765. Baptized Mar: 21 1765. p. 70.
William Roberts & Elizabeth Lewis a son Joseph born Dec. 11 1766. Baptized Dec: 14 1766. p. 75.
William Roberts & Eliz: Lewis a Daughter Eliz: Lewis born Ap:-1771. Baptized May 18 1771. p. 89.
Will Robards & Eliz: Lewis a son named Robert born Dec. 7, 1773. Baptized Jan. 4, 1774. p. 95.
Will Robarts & Eliz: Lewis a child Nansie born Sep. 24, 1782. Baptized Feb 28. 1783. p. 108.

Sarah Hill

Coincidentally William and his father John both married women named Sarah Hill and also both William and his son William married women named Elizabeth Lewis. The first case may be a mistake, but the second is documented.

December 24, 1757. William Robards to Elizabeth Lewis; sec., George Payne; witn. Val. Wood; certificate of consent of Joseph Lewis, father of Elizabeth; witn., Wm. Lewis, James Cocke, John Lewis.

THAT his 1st wife is Sarah Hubb/Hill is mighty suspect & probably not correct. His 1st wife is UNKNOWN. They had 4 children - John, William, James & Jean Robards. His mother is said to be Sarah Hill!

2nd Marriage

Then he married Elizabeth Lewis on 24 Dec 1757 in Goochland.

Joseph Lewis consented for his daughter to marry. Sur: George Payne, Wit: William Lewis, James Cocke, John Lewis

William Robards was planning to move his family to Mercer Co., Kentucky when he died. His widow Elizabeth (Lewis) Robards followed his wishes & moved with the family to Mercer Co., Kentucky. Their land was in eastern Mercer, not that far from present day Shakertown.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} John Lewis Robards, Genealogies of Virginia Families from The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, The Robards Family, (Baltimore MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1981), p 128-132. Link
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Diana Gale Matthiesen, Diana, Goddess of the Hunt—for Ancestors!, 2001, "William Robards Sr, Sarah Hill, Elizabeth Lewis"; giving m1 1748, Sarah Hill/Hubb, ch John, William, James, Jean/Jane, "Sources differ regarding Sarah's surname (n.b., either HILL or HUBB could be a mis-reading of the other in an old document)." Link Link
3. ↑ William Armstrong Crozier, editor, The Buckners of Virginia and the Allied Families of Strother and Ashby, (NY: Genealogy Association, 1907), p 295.
4. ↑ Robards, William Last Will, executed in Ohio Co., VA (now WV) on 28 Aug 1783 - digital image viewed on Ancestry.com.

See also:

• Rev. William Douglas, The Douglas Register 1750-1797 (Richmond, Va. 1928, reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Company of Baltimore, Md.). "Being a detailed record of Births, Marriages and Deaths as kept by the Rev. William Douglas from 1750 to 1797." Rev. Douglas left Goochland Co., in 1777 (after a fight with the vestry of the Parish of St. James Northern) and moved to Louisa County, thus the records after 1777 are, for the most part, for folks in Louisa.