According to some records, Benjamin Roberts was born approximately 1767. Later census records have his age as being born later, between 1780 and 1785. Sevier County Tennessee genealogical information has Benjamin as being born in Pennsylvania, however, according to the 1880 Sevier County census, his son John Roberts reports that both Benjamin and his wife Barbary were born in North Carolina. Sevier County records of 1850 indicate that a Benjamin Roberts, born 1767, was killed by a fallen tree in 1850. Burial place is listed as unknown. There are no records to confirm that this is our Benjamin, yet it is assumed that it is him because the 1850 census shows his wife as a widow, and he was the only Benjamin Roberts in Sevier County at that time, in fact there were no other Benjamin Roberts near his age in Tennessee in 1850, so it is probably the same person.
Benjamin Roberts married a woman by the name of Barbary. The only thing that I know about her is that she was born in 1785, and on the 1850 Sevier County Tennessee census she is listed as head of the household with no husband, with children Lucinda, 2 yrs., Abednago, age 20; and Joel, who is 30 and listed as insane. Concerning Joel, we know that one of Benjamin and Barbary's grandchildren had Fragile X, it could be that Joel got Fragile X from his mother, explaining the label of insanity. Today we know that Fragile X can cause severe mental retardation, especially in Males. In those days people who suffered from mental handicaps were easily labled as insane. Although there is confirmation that Fragile X is in the Roberts family, I do not know for sure if that was the cause of Joel's illness, it is merely my theory.
On that same census Barbary's name is spelled "Barbrary Robert, " an extra y in the first name and no s on the last. I do not know if the earlier Roberts name was spelled without the s and evolved into the later spelling, or if the census taker made a mistake. The 1850 census is the last one that I found Barbary on so she must have died between 1851 and 1860. I have found several Barbary's on some of the Native American Rolls, but I do not know if that clarifies the name to be one of Cherokee origin.
The migrations of Benjamin and Barbary Roberts: They moved from North Carolina to Cocke County Tennessee sometime before 1820. Two children were born in North Carolina, at least one in Cocke County TN, and the others were born in Sevier County,
TN. By all records available we know that Benjamin was a farmer. Research is on going.
Chidren of Benjamin Roberts and Barbary ?:
1. Anna Roberts B. 1813 in N.C., D. ?
Married Jacob Kear, (Carr, Kerr) who was also born in N.C.
2. Francis Roberts born 1816 in N.C., died ??
Married John Kear, (Carr, Kerr).
3. Female
4. Joel Roberts born 1820
5. Female Roberts
6. John H Roberts born 6/30/1826 Cocke Cty Tennessee, died 22 Jun 1908.
Married Nancy Jane Clabough 14 Dec 1847, dau of William Clbough and Lavina King. Nancy was born 25 Nov 1830 and died 31 Dec 1912.
7. Male Roberts
8. Abednago Roberts born 1830 in Sevier County
