My Genealogy Hound

T. J. Roberts, among the most prominent farmers and stock raisers of this county, was born in North Carolina, in 1825, and is the son of Thomas and Eliza (Worlick) Roberts, natives of the State of North Carolina. Thomas Roberts was a farmer, school teacher and surveyor, and resided in the county of his birth until his death. The Great- grandfather Worlick served in the Revolutionary War, together with four brothers. They were all killed, the grandfather meeting his death at the hands of Tories and Indians while at home. The three brothers are mentioned in United States histories, as men deserving of emulation. Thomas Roberts and wife were the parents of twelve children, nine living till maturity, and four still surviving: Rufus A. (in Dallas County, Tex.), Lucinda M. (wife of Henry Schank, in Cleveland County, N. C.), Cynthia E. (wife of Mr. Griffen, in Ada), and Thomas J. Thomas Roberts died in 1842, at the age of forty-two years. He was born August 16, 1800, married August 16, 1821, and died August 16. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and took quite an active part in the interest of his country as a member of the Whig party. Mrs. Roberts, who was a member of the Baptist Church, died August 16, 1844, at the age of thirty-nine or forty. When the mother died Thomas was only seventeen years of age, but he was compelled to shift for himself. He began by learning the tanner’s trade, while his oldest brother was a saddler, the next a tanner, and the two younger practitioners of medicine. In 1846 the young man moved to Tennessee, and settled in Greene County, buying a tanyard one and one-half miles from Bulls Gap. There he lived for seven years, moving to this county in 1853. Buying a tanyard, he remained here for seven years, removing thence to White River, Independence County, in 1860, settling on White River, close to Col. Morgan Magness, his third cousin. He remained in that place and Batesville for two years, when, in 1862, he moved near Little Rock. Here, twelve miles north of the city, on the old Howell tanyard, he ran a tanyard for one year. He then returned to his old homestead in this county, and resumed his old business, which he continued until 1875 or 1876. He also made saddles for some time after the war. In 1840 he was married to Mrs. Mary L. Dickson, nee Houser. Eight children were born to them: Elizabeth (wife of T. J. Highland, who lives in Hot Spring County), Cordelia (wife of William Williams, who lives in this county), Mary L. (at home), John T. (deceased), William S. (lives in this county), Rufus P. (deceased, family resides in Mississippi), Morgan L. (at home), and Faithie A. (wife of P. J. Bradfield.) Mrs. Roberts was the mother of one child by her first husband, J. F. Dickson, Nancy J. (widow of J. Williams.) Mr. Dickson died August 16, 1845. Mr. Roberts was postmaster at Blocher, in 1881, and has served his township (Marble) fourteen years as justice of the peace. He and his wife are both members of the Baptist Church, and he is a believer in the principles of Democracy. Both the grandparents of Mrs. Roberts served in the Revolutionary War, being at the battle of King’s Mountain. Grandfather Houser lived within two and one-half miles of the battlefield, and her father bought the land on which the battle was fought. The paternal grandmother lived to be one hundred and five years old. Her old home still stands, being made of stone. The maternal grandfather, Benjamin Jones, was all through the war, and was some eighty years old when he died, his wife Faithie, living to be eighty or eighty-five years old. T. J. Roberts owns 180 acres of land, with fifty acres under cultivation. As a resort for travelers and tourists Mr. Robert’s place has no superior in the State. He has a splendid residence, and fine springs of running waters. He was a pioneer in this section of the country.