John Roberts was born about 1559 at Woolstone, Gloucestershire, England. Both he and his brother Edward were apparently of age 21 when their father John wrote his will at Woolstone in 1580, as the other children's bequests were to be paid at age 21 (for males) and age 18 (for females).
[John Roberts will, Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory Court original wills, 1581: 56, FHL microfilm 91381]
The will of his maternal uncle William Clevely written in 1572 at Sandhurst, Gloucestershire, called the elder John Roberts his brother-in-law and also mentioned John's wife Elizabeth. There followed bequests to children of John where
Edward Roberts was called the eldest son of John
John Roberts was called the second son of John
Richard Roberts was called the third son of John
Margaret Roberts was called a daughter of John
Johan Roberts was called the second daughter of John
Anne was called a daughter of John
[William Clevely will, Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory Court original wills, 1572: 219, FHL microfilm 91379]
The elder John Roberts' additional children named in his own will of 1580 of Elizabeth, George, and Mary were all born after their uncle William Clevely wrote his 1572 will. Only scattered years of birth are available for Woolstone during that time period, and George was baptized on 11 April 1574.
In 1608 a report was returned of men able to serve in His Majesty's Service. Fourteen men were listed at "Woolson" [Woolstone], four of these being Roberts. They were classified as age about 20, age about 40, or age between 50 and
threescore, and listed as to their abilities. John Roberts was in the "age about 40" category, a husbandman, of the tallest stature fit to be a pykeman, and was then a trained soldier. Also listed were [his brother]
Edward Roberts age about 40, John Roberts "sonne of the said Edward" age about 20, and Richard Roberts age about 20.
[John Smith, compiler, The Names and Surnames of all the Able and Sufficient Men in Body fit for His Majesty's Service in the Wars, within the County of Gloucester, (Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publising Limited, 1980), p. 100, <https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/530852-redirection>.
John died in 1615 at Woolstone, when on 29 November 1615 his widow Margaret was made his administratrix.
[Wills and administrations at the District Probate Registry, Gloucester, 1615-1625 Act Book: 20, FHL microfilm 91501]
In 1608 a report was returned of men able to serve in His Majesty's Service.
Fourteen men were listed at "Woolson" [Woolstone], four of these being ROBERTS.
They were classified as age about 20, age about 40, or age between 50 and
threescore, and listed as to their abilities. John ROBERTS was in the
"age about 40" category, a husbandman, of the tallest stature fit to be a
pykeman, and was then a trained soldier. Also listed were [his brother]
Edward ROBERTS age about 40, John ROBERTS "sonne of the said Edward" age
about 20, and Richard ROBERTS age about 20.9
John ROBERTS and Margaret had children:
1. (Thomas ROBERTS)? b. ca. 1598/9;23 d. between 27 Sep. 1673,24 and 30 June 1674,25
Dover,24 New Hampshire
2. Nicholas ROBERTS8 bap. Jan. 16008
3. George ROBERTS8,10 bap. 15 Jan. 1600 (1601);8 m.1. -?- -?-;12 m.2.(lic. date)
on 9 Sep. 1634 as a resident of St. Sepulchre, draper, widower, to
Anne READE, daughter of George READE, Innkeeper of St. Andrews in
Holborn, Middlesex;12 bur. 29 Mar. 1654 St. Andrew Holborn, Middlesex,
Eng.13
1. Thomas Roberts will, Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory
Court original wills, 1557: 425, FHL microfilm 0,091,374.
2. Estimate from number of children in 1557 will of Thomas Roberts.
3. Edmund Manning will, Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory
Court original wills, 1557: 71, FHL microfilm 0,091,374.
4. William Roberts will, Church of England Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory
Court original wills, 1561: 138, FHL microfilm 0,091,376.
5. John Roberts will, Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory
Court original wills, 1581: 56, FHL microfilm 0,091,381.
6. Edward Roberts will, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1617, 44 Weldon,
FHL microfilm 0,92069.
7. Wills and administrations at the District Probate Registry, Gloucester,
1615-1625 Act Book, p. 20, FHL microfilm 91501.
8. Church of England, Parish of Woolstone, Bishop's Transcripts.
Note: many years missing.
9. John Smith, compiler, The Names and Surnames of all the Able and Sufficient
Men in Body fit for His Majesty's Service in the Wars, within the County
of Gloucester, (Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publising Limited, 1980), p. 100.
10. Percival Boyd, Pedigrees With Index of London Citizens about 1600-
1800, file 38715, FHL microfilm 0,094,608.
11. Percival Boyd, Roll of The Drapers' Company of London, (Croydon:
J. A. Gordon at the Adress Press, 1934), 155.
12. Marriage license allegations in the Register of the Bishop of London, 16, p. 81,
FHL DGS 8436907.
13. St. Andrews, Holborn, Middlesex, parish register, FHL microfilm 0,374,392.
14. George Roberts will, Prerogative Court of Canterbury, 1654, 26 Alchin,
FHL microfilm 0,092,197.
15. Church of England, St. Bartholomew the Great parish register, FHL
microfilm 0,374,430.
16. Church of England, St. Andrew, Holborn parish register, FHL microfilm
0,374,349.
17. Church of England, St. Andrew, Holborn parish register, FHL microfilm
0,374,391.
18. The Rev. William H. Hunt, The Registers of St. Paul's Church, Covent
Garden, London, (London: The Harleian Society, 1907) Vol 3 (marriages), p. 33.
19. George J. Armytage, F.S.A, Allegations for Marriage Licenses issued
by the Vicar-General of the Archbishop of Canterbury 1660-1668,
(London: The Harleian Society, 1892), p. 45.
20. 1654-1673 Parish of St. James, Clerkenwell, Marriage section.
21. Charles Co., MD land records E:112.
22. Edward Roberts will, Maryland wills, 5:321-322 [image 323 of 394]
23. E-mail 30 April 2008, Craig Roberts, citing
Guildhall Library London, Aldermanbury, London. EC2V 7HH, Tel: +44 (0) 20 7332 1863
"In the Guildhall Library there are several documents regarding the Fishmongers
of London. Four of the documents detail Thomas Roberts and his status in the guild.
I viewed each of these on a trip made in 2002. They are listed as follows…
1) Fishmongers Company Register of Freedom
Admission and Apprentice Bindings. Library Reference No: MS 5576 1.
On page 7 of the book in the year 1615: “Thomas Roberts, son of John Roberts
of Woolston in the county of Wooster, yeoman put apprentice to William Adys
for eight years from”.
2) Entry of Freeman and Apprentices Between 1614 & 1650
On page 56 it is recorded that Thomas Roberts was granted his freeman on
April 29, 1623. Stated as follows… “Thomas Roberts, my apprentice, William Adys…
presented and admitted… to Fishmongers Guild, admitted and sworn on 29 April 1623”.
3) Fishmongers London Freeman Livery and Court of Assistance 1592 to 1752.
Library Reference No: MS 5587 1
Dated August 10, 1621 on page 45, Freeman 1621 it states…
“Edward Hilton nuper apprentice Marie Hilton (widow) clemun cleaning admission
etc per service admitted and sworn”.
4) Thomas Roberts appears on the 1641 Fishmongers Tax Roll list of London. The entry
is marked “In New England”."
Note: A researcher which Roberts hired found no Roberts at the Worcestershire,
Staffordshire, Northamptonshire and Shropshire towns named Woolstone (and variant
thereof) and concluded that he was likely from Woolstone, Gloucester, which is very
near the Worcester border. Note that this is a different town from Wollaston [sometimes
spelled Woolaston] also in Gloucester. As Thomas was bound two years earlier than
George, he is assumed to be about two years older.
24. "Probate Records Rock. Co. Book B 1655 to 1698," pages 118-119, FHL microfilm
0,015,458.
25. Albert Stillman Batchellor, Editor, Probate Records of the Province of New
Hampshire Vol. 1, 1635-1717, State Papers Series Vol. 31, (Bowie, MD: Heritage
Books, Inc., 1989 reprint of Concord, N.H.: Rumford Printing Co., 1907), pages
145-146.
26. William Clevely will, Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory
Court original wills, 1572: 219, FHL microfilm 0,091,379.
Note: John Roberts was called his brother in law. See also the will of her father (#27) written
before she was married.
27. Nicholas Clevely will, Church of England, Diocese of Gloucester, Consistory
Court original wills, 1550: 45, FHL microfilm 0,091,372.
28. Edward, John, Richard, Margaret, Jone, and Anne are named in the 1572 will of William
Clevely (#26), the other three children of John not yet born. Edward and John are
both apparently at least age 21 when their father's will (#5) was written.
