IRELAND
The Roberts family is first found in the town of Stradbally, Queen's County, now know as co. Laois, province of Leinster, Ireland. A memorial deed date 18 May, 1754 tells us that Arthur Roberts [c.1712-1754] was an Inn Holder at Stradbally and the book 'Stradbally County Laois, 2nd edition printed by JPF in 1989 shows that this inn is now know as Tony's Place. Aside from some other buildings in Stradbally, Arthur held 120 acres, known as Rathmore, next to the town. In the memorial it tells of his wife - Elizabeth Godfrey and his siblings - Stephen, James, Francis, Anne and Elizabeth.
It appears that Arthur and Elizabeth had no issue as the memorial only mentions brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces and grandnephew.
According the 'Stradbally book' the inn was passed to Henry Roberts.
At this time in the research we have a problem identifying an Abel Roberts. There is an Abel Roberts who is called a nephew in the deed of 1754. We have strong evidence that he was of this family but no absolute proof. Abel was a locksmith at Stradbally and the following poem suggests that he and Stephen may have been brothers or first cousin. At this web site http://www.setdance.com/journal/miscdanc.html I found the following:
April 1740: ‘The Lord Chancellor Windham of Ireland dismissed George Hartpole of Sherule Esq. his Bill against Hunt Walsh of Ballykillcavan Esq. on ye 27th July 1738 and Mr. Walsh sent his people to my town of Stradbally to buy drink, and drink about a bonefire which they made in ye town but Cos Francis Cosby kicked and put it out, and would not suffer a Bonefire in the town at all, … ye 17th March 1739 the House of Lords affirmed wt ye Lord Chancellor had done the 27th of July 1738 between Hartpole and Walsh and ye news of it came to Mr. Walsh to Ballykillcavan Friday ye 25 April 1740 at 10 o’clock of ye night, and the next day Saturday Mr Walshes servant and people came to Stradbally with Garland, piper and Long Dance, and the townsfolks, particularly Stephen Roberts, and Abel Roberts met ‘em on ye Bridge, bid ‘em go rejoyce on Walshes estate, and not come into Stradbally, and bid ‘em go back. When they refused, but were rushing on, on with the townsfolks brook ye Bagpipes and ye Garland all to pieces, Beat all the Ballykillcavan folks very Heartly, and made ‘em return very shamefully, …’ (pp 435-6).
A memorial deed of lease between Pole Cosby of Stradbally Hall and Abel Roberts where Abel is leasing land from Pole.
The next well known Roberts is Arthur Roberts of Stradbally the son of Stephen Roberts mentioned above. This Arthur was born in 1742 at Stradbally and he married Elizabeth Browne of Portarlington, Queens county in 1775. He was the 'overseerer' to Stradbally Hall and in the 'stone room' of the Hall is a stone which has inscribed "Built by Dudley Lord Sydney, 1772 Arthur Roberts Overseer." Arthur's will of 1825 listed 94 names and was so complicated that it was sent to the Court of Chancery of Ireland and was finally settled in 1846.
A Memorial Deed of 17 June, 1846, Browne Roberts of Ravensborne Park, Kent, England eldest son and heir at law and sole surviving Trustee named in the will of Arthur Roberts formerly of Stradbally, Queen's County, Ireland. This Deed lists the following persons: (all of Stradbally unless noted otherwise)
Bacon, Harriet of Bytown, Canada West | Bacon, John of Bytown, Canada West |
Banks, Trevor Stannus | Barrington, Elizabeth (nee Roberts), formerly Wills |
Biddulph, Francis | Bradford, Margaret |
Brereton, John | Brophy, James (Schoolmaster at Stradbally) |
Brown, Patrick | Byrne, Morgan (late) |
Clegg | Connell, Richard |
Cosby, Philip | Crawford, Thomas Reginald (Solicitor - Dublin) |
Delany, William | Dillon |
Dodd, Michael (Merchant) | Dooling Patrick, Rev. |
Dunne | Ferrelly, Michael |
Fitzgerald, Frances (widow - deceased) | Folds, George (Printer - Dublin) |
Glascock, Walter (Asst. Registrar of Deeds, Dublin) | Greenham, Frances (nee Roberts) and Thomas |
Hart, Patrick (Writing Clerk - Dublin) | Hayes, John (Gent of Balief, Co. Kilkenny) |
Hennessy, John | Hyland |
Jackson, Lucas (Luke) | Johnson, Hunt, Rev, |
Kelly | Laler, John |
Lawlor, Dr. (late) | LODGE: Arthur, Barton, Eliz. Sarah, Frances (dau), Jane (nee Roberts), William, William Jr.; Mitchell, Joseph Theophilus (Merchant - London) |
Moore, Peter | Mulhall, James |
Page | Charles Benjamin (Gent - London) |
Palmer, Humphrey | Peppard, Standish (Gent - co. Dublin) |
Powers, James | ROBERTS: Allan (Lt. Col. Hon. E. India Co. Services), Anne Catherine (Kent, England), Arthur (Testator of 1825), Arthur (Bytown, Canada West), Arthur Jr., Arthur Austin (Delhi - India), Browne (Ravensbourne Park - Kent), Elizabeth (widow of Arthur Jr.), Elizabeth (dau. of Arthur Jr.), Francis (son of Arthur), Francis (son of Arthur Jr.), Francis McNaghton (Kent), Margaret Amelia (Kent), Mathilda, Philip (Bytown, Canada West), Philip Jr. (Bytown, Canada West); Robert (Bank of Ireland, Leinster Rd, Dublin - not shown to be a member of the family, Roberts); Samuel (Bytown, Canada West), Sidney; Thomas |
RYALL: Arthur (Balief - Kilkenny); Brown; Catherine (nee Roberts); Edward; Elizabeth (Balief - Kilkenny); George (Balief - Kilkenny); Sarah (nee Roberts) | SCOTT: Catherine (nee Roberts); Thomas McMillan (Edinburgh) |
Scully | Seymour |
Sketterive, Caulson | Stephenson, John Esq. (Bank of Ireland) |
Smyth, George | Turpin, Thomas (Solicitor, Maryboro, Queen's Co.,) |
WALSH: Sir Edward; Patrick | Wills, Elizabeth (nee Roberts) (see Barrington) |
Young, Elizabeth (nee Roberts, late; Sydenham, Kent) |
The Roberts family spread to India, St. Croix, Canada and married descendants to Australia.
St. Patrick's Church (Church of Ireland) Among those buried on these grounds are: Bridget Roberts, d.1770; Arthur Roberts, d.1826; Sydney Roberts, d.1850; Frank Roberts, d.1851; Samuel Roberts, d.1857; Arthur Ryall, d.1833; Thomas Roberts, d.1810; Jane Roberts (Lodge), d.1856; Elizabeth Runball (Roberts), d.1858; Allen Roberts, d.1825; Henry Roberts, d.1833. Thanks to the book 'Stradbally, County Laois printed by J.P.F. Stradbally, Co. Laois, 2nd Edition, December 1989. |
Roberts's graves at Stradbally, Queen's (Laois), Ireland
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CANADA
The first of the Robertses to arrive in Canada was Philip Roberts and Harriet Colcott who settled at Brockville, Ont. c.1838; at Bytown (Ottawa) 1843; at Prescott, Ont., 1851; and at Cobourg, 1861 all in the Province of Ontario.
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Rev: 2003.11.29