From "Roberts Families of Roane County, TN" by Snyder E. Roberts
Robert Samuel Roberts was born 1789 at the mouth of George's Creek and Saluda River in what is now Pickens County, between the cities of Easley and Greenville, SC. The state and date of his birth are verified by the 1850 Roane County census. He bore the given name of his maternal grandfather, Robert Samuel Brashears. He was a boy of 5 years of age when his parents moved to Roane County, TN. He received a good education, considering the time and place.
He married July 1813, Margaret Gardner, at the home of her father, James Gardner. The ceremony was performed by Chaplain Wesley Walker, a Minister of the Gospel. The births of their 13 children occurred with 2-year regularity in spite of the handicap of his being away to fight in a war between the birth of the first and second one.
Robert Samuel volunteered for military service in the War of 1812. He enrolled in Capt. John McKamey's Company, Nov. 13 1814, at Washington, Rhea County, TN. He served as a Sergeant in the 5th TN Militia, and was honorably discharged at Kingston, TN May 15, 1815. Quoting from his pension application, "That he did receive an honorable discharge, but sold it." The quoted statement had no explanation of why it was sold, or to whom it was sold. From affidavits submitted with his widow's application for pension, it is known that Robert Samuel's brother, John C. Roberts, and neighbor Absolum Adkisson, served with him during the War.
It is not known where Robert S.'s young wife and child made their home while he was in military service. She may have stayed in the home of her mother-in-law, or possibly with her father, James Gardner, who was a carpenter. Judging from her stern and sturdy looks, Margaret was most capable of taking care of herself. Her stern facial expression is a dominant characteristic that has carried through the genes of descending Roberts families.
Robert S.'s name appears on a petition to the Roane County Court in 1819 which requests that a "jury of view" be appointed to "mark" a road from the hollow above King's Store to Matlock's Mill, passing Smith's old place.
In 1821 Robert Samuel is listed on the Militia Rolls in Captain Johnson's Company. His brothers, Edward C., and Phillip are listed in this same company.
In the Roane County 1826 tax list, Robert S. is listed as living on Clinch River, but the number of acres of land was not given.
Robert S. Roberts' exact place of residence during this period is not certain. One reference in the old Elias Roberts farm mentions an adjoining line with Robert S. Roberts. The boundary description of the 1830 Roane County School Districts help to locate families in a general area. The 4th School district in capt. Lowers's Company was describred as follows:
"Beginning at the mouth of Brashears' Creek running up Clinch River to the mouth of Poplar Cree, up said Creek to the mouth of East Fork of said Creek to Alexander Smith, thence with a line directly to the mouth of Crace's Mill Creek, thence down Poplar Creek to the old wagon ford where the Emory Road crosses said creek, thence down Emory Road to Brashear's Creek, thence to the beginning at the mouth of said Creek."
By today's [1969] landmarks this area would extend from Brashear, or Cooper Island, up the Clinch to the mouth of Poplar Creek at the K-25 plant, up Poplar Creek and cross Blair Road to the mouth of East Fork of Poplar Creek, thence a line generally north to the old Emory Road, now Sugar Grove Valley Road, down said Road to Elmer Edward's farm thence down Brashear's Creek to Cooper Island.
Robert S. was listed as the head of one of the 15 families composing this 4th School District. His mother, Rebecca (Brashear) Roberts, was listed as a resident of the 2nd School District which was adjacent to, but on the opposite side of Poplar Creek from the 4th district. From these school-district locations, it would seem that Elias and Rebecca Roberts' old homesite was on the part of their farm south and east of Poplar Creek, and that Robert S. in 1830, was living across Poplar Creek on the north and west side, possibly on part of the old Roberts farm, or he may have been living slightly further north across Black Oak Ridge in Sugar Grove Valley, on or adjacent to the Brashear holdings. At this time he owned an interest in the 500-acre farm, and likely owned unrecorded land obtained from his grandfather Brashears, or at least had some agreement with his grandfather regarding land occupancy and usage. It would take a lawyer to wade through the legal intricacies and maze of deeds, dowries, wills, etc. and account for all the Robert S. Roberts acreage.
The Roane census for 1830 includes the Robert S. family which at that time was composed of himself, his wife, 3 boys and 5 girls. Life evidently settled down through the 30's to the routine of rearing a family. According to his affidavit, he made a trip to Franklin County, TN (or AL) in 1839, where he was with his brother, Edward C., during his last illness. He was back in Roane in time for the 1840 census, which shows his family to include 5 boys and 7 girls (one boy married and left home). The names of these children with birth dates are listed in a bible now in the possession of Miss Blanche Roberts of Harriman. The Bible had belonged to her grandfather, the youngest child of Robert S. Roberts.
Book P. in the County Court Clerk's office lists Robert S. Roberts as constable for the 14th District in 1844.
Deed Book K, page 313 records a deed from Elizabeth Brashears of Decatur County, TN to Robert S. Roberts by which she conveyed her interest in the 500-acre farm once belonging to Elias Roberts, deceased. This deed was dated 11/1/1846. Elizabeth Brashears was Robert Samuel's sister who had married Walter Brashears. She was then a widow in Decatur county, TN.
From 1848 through 1852, Robert S. was involved in the Chancery Court suit of John Roberts vs Elias R. Roberts and Others. Also in 1848, Robert S. was elected to the County Court as a Justice of the Peace from the 14th Civil District. In addition to participating in the functions of the County Court as a whole in administering the County's business, he also tried minor cases, performed marriages, and prepared and issued certain legal papers. The best extant specimen of his handwriting and example of his legal ability is in the form of pension application papers prepared for his aunt, Nancy (Brashears) Roberts in 1848 in which he exhibits good penmanship, common sense, and excellent composition.
The 1850 Roane census shows Robert S., wife, 4 boys, 1 girl, and a grandson composing his family. His age is given as 61 (1789) and his place of birth as South Carolina.
Robert S. received two of the nine shares of the proceeds from the sale of his father's 500-acre farm. He then bought from his first cousin, Joseph Brashears, 130 acres in Sugar Grove Valley which had formerly belonged to Zedekiah Roberts and had been a part of the Carter Barnett grants. This purchase was probably an addition to adjoinging lands already in his possession. This 130-acre conveyance is recorded in Deed Book N., page 167 dated 9/15/1856. It is, also, recorded in Survey Book B, p. 562, and an 18-acre tract is recorded in County Court Book F., p. 67.
The 1860 Roane census shows Robert S. as being born in NC, which is an error. In addition to his wife, he had in his home his son Monroe, daughter Rebecca, brother Phillip, and a grandson, Samuel H.
In 1861, unclear transactions are recorded in County Court Minute Book S, page 68 in which land was divided by which Robert S. Roberts got 77 acres and Samuel Silvey got 25 acres.
Little is known regarding Robert Samuel's and Margaret's life during the Civil War period. It must have been a crucial time. At least five of their sons fought with the Union Army; four of them as officers. All five were wounded to varying degrees of seriousness. One son may have been killed. The parents, of course, remained loyal to the Union. The family would necessarily have had some involvement, because of the military actions at Kingston and boats up and down Clinch River, including a steamboat sent by Gen. Ledbetter from Kingston to Clinton in 1862. No doubt there were troop movements along Emory Road which bisected Robert S.'s farm. This movement would have been mainly between Kingston and Knoxville.
The 1870 Roane census shows Robert S. and Margaret living alone. Again the census statistics do not agree with previous census records. Robert S.'s birth year is given as 1787, and his place of birth as VA which is most certainly an error.
Robert Samuel Roberts died February 13, 1873. He was buried in the Roberts' family graveyard on his farm. His grave is marked with a military tombstone, located in Sugar Grove Valley on the part of the old farm now owned by Mr. William Bender.
In the County Court Minutes, Book H., page 90, dated March 18, 1873, may be found an account of a Commission being appointed to lay off 1 year's support for Margaret, widow of Robert S. Roberts. This support included: 1 horse, 1 cow, 5 sheep, 2 yearlings, poultry on hand, cooking utensils, etc. and $30 in cash.
In the April term of Court 1873, a Commission was appointed to lay off Margaret's dower. In the June term 1873, the widow's dower case of Margaret Roberts vs B. F. Roberts and Others is recorded in Book V, page 329. The Commission reports the following:
"We the undersigned having been approved to lay off and set apart a dower to Margaret Roberts, widow of R. S. Roberts, deceased, the one third part in value of the real estate of which the said R. S. Roberts possessed.
We beg to make the following report after having carefully examined the premises, have decided on the following boundary to wit.....(metes and bounds) giving to the said Margaret the upper end of the farm which in our opinion amounts to one third in value of all the real estate."
Signed: John F. Browder, Ananias McKinney, John Ellis
An accompanying map of the farm showed the part given as Margaret's dower, bisected by Emory Road (now Sugar Grove Valley Road). The number of acres in the tract was not given.
In March of 1873, Margaret employed William C. Griffith of Robertsville, TN as her attorney to present her pension claims. Copies of these pension papers reveal certain facts unobtainable from any other source. Robert Samuel had filed for a pension in April of 1871, and had obtained a certificate for original pension No. 5155. Margaret's pension application papers contain her age, date and place of marriage, by whom married, marriage status, and loyalty during the late rebellion. Supporting affidavits were submitted by Benjamin F. Roberts, William Monroe Roberts, Absolum Adkisson, and John C. Roberts.
Margaret died May 29, 1874, and was buried beside her husband in the Roberts graveyard (now known as Riggs Cemetery).
The settling of the estate of Robert S. and Margaret Roberts in 1875-9 is recorded in various books in the County Court clerk's Office, and in the Register's Office. In the Clerks Office, Books W, X, and AA give most of the details of the case of Benjamin F. Roberts et al vs John J. Roberts et al and Deed book U pages 97, 98o, 99 add some to the legal procedures, and finally "divests the title out of the said heirs of Robert S. Roberts and invests the title in Benjamin F. Roberts."
It seems there was a general agreement among the heirs that the estate was to be sold through the Courts, and that one of the sons, Benjamin F., was to purchase the estate for his minor children with money that the children had inherited from their grandmother Brashears. After proper notices, advertising, etc., the Court did sell to the highest and best bidder which was Benjamin Franklin Roberts.
The Robert S. Roberts' heirs are named 3 times in these records, and although the lists do not agree in every detail, these lists of heirs are most important because it is the only place that several of them can be found. In Book W, page 402, dated Jan. 5, 1876, the heirs are named:
"......Benjamin F. Roberts, Monroe Roberts, James G. Roberts, Edward C. Roberts, John J. Roberts, Jane Rushing and husband Boone Rushing, Houston Roberts, Elizabeth Crow and husband, and Thomas Viles, and two other children of Martha Viles deceased, names unknown, Nathaniel Martin husband and children of Rachel Martin deceased names and number unknown, Andy Roberts and Houston Roberts and their mother and other brothers and sisters names and numbers unknown, Mary E. Dickey and husband W. G. Dickey, Rebecca Burns and husband S. t. Burns, children, grandchildren, and heirs at law of Robert S. Roberts deceased. ..............."
In a supplemental report by the Clerk in Book W, page 579 dated Nov. 8, 1876, the heirs are named:
".....viz: B. F. Roberts, Monroe Roberts, James G. Roberts, E. C. Roberts, John J. Roberts, Boone Parsley and wife Jane, Houston Roberts, Elizabeth Crow and Wesley W. Crow, John Viles, Thomas Viles and two other children names unknown of Martha Viles deceased, Nathaniel Martin and children number and names unknown of Rachel Martin deceased, Andy Roberts, Houston Roberts and their mother and brothers and sisters names and numbers unknown, Mary E. Dickey and W. G. Dickey, Rebecca Burns and Temple Burns, heirs at law of Robert S. Roberts deceased........."
The third listing which is in Deed Book U, pgs 97, 98, 99 dated Oct. 1, 1879, doesn't add anything to the above lists of heirs, except that is lists "Jane Rushing and husband." This leaves some doubt as to Jane's husband's name. In one list it is Boone Rushing, another Boone Parsley, and in the 3rd list it is Rushing.
In conclusion, it may be seen that Robert S. and Margaret Roberts had lived long and useful lives. They lived through an exciting period of local and national history. He came, as a boy, to present-day Roane County during President George Washington's administration. He and his brothers fought in the Indian Wars, and War of 1812 under General Andrew Jackson. They saw their sons go into the terrible Civil War and conduct themselves with honor. No doubt they experienced many readjustments and hardships after the War of Rebellion. Yet, they lived to see Roane County prosper and increase in population to more than 15,000. They must have rejoiced to know their children and grandchildren were on the threshold of a new era.