Taylor & Ashdown Family Genealogy
- William Roberts (1755c - 1820)

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Extract from 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road Book 3' - The Early Days of the Ezzy Family

A Story of an Early Pioneer Family, Researched and written by present-day members of the Family, themselves.

These pages are dedicated to the memory of my cousin the late Grace Douglass

The following article was compiled by Grace Douglass & researched with Laurel Legge and published in 'Along the Windsor Richmond Road' 1985 (ISBN 0 9589831 0 0 and ISBN 0 9589831 3 5) and is subject to copyright. Written permission is held from the late author Grace Douglass for the writer to publish contents via the Internet. However, although this book is in the public domain, it still remains copyrighted material and may not be copied for any reason without permission. I do not have the right to give permission to others to reprint the book. I was only given permission to put it on line. All copyrights stay with Grace Douglass & Laurel Legge and whoever they appointed, for control of the book. Under no circumstances may it be reprinted for profit.
Extractions of parts of the information for personal use with references to the book as the source is encouraged.

It should be noted that since the book was published over twenty years ago, that a lot of the material in the books have been superseeded by later research, some of which can be seen at my Rootsweb database at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy

William Roberts (1755c - 1820) on pages 64 to 65

Descendants of William Roberts can quite truthfully claim to be members of the Family of a First Fleeter. William came to the Colony as a convict on the "Scarborough"Williiam had been tried and convicted at the Bodmin Assizes held on 14th August 1786. The crime of which he was convicted was that of stealing 5 & 1/2 pounds of yarn valued at 9/- (90 cents) the property of William Moffett. His sentence was for a term of 7 years.

On the 11th August 1793, William was married to Kezia Brown (also spelt Kezzia and Kezziah) (also spelt Browne), and the witnesses were Thomas Allan and John King. The record of this marriage is contained in St. Phillip's Register.

Kezia was a convict who had arrived on the "Neptune" in 1790. She had been convicted at Gloucester on 9th October 1789 and was sentenced to 7 years transportation.

William and Kezia had a Family of ten children -- William 4/9/1791, Mary 15/6/1793, Sarah 15/7/1795, James 28/7/1798, John 1801c, Robert 2/3/1803, Maria - October 1805, Harriet 1807c, Ann 22/12/1809, and Edward 3/4/1813.

Williaim passed away when the Colony was still very much in its infancy. However, because he was an early arrival and had married and settled down to raise a Family soon after, he did live to see several of his children married and also welcomed into the World several of his grandchildren.

At some stage before his death William Had become the owner of "Hobby Farm" adjoinng the Grant of William Ezzy in the Hawkesbury. The farm was a Grant that had been made to Thomas Hobby on 20/6/1800.

William Roberts passed away on 14/2/1820 and was buried in St.Matthew's Churchyard at Windsor. William left behind him, what must have been one of the very earliest Wills that have survied in the Colonoy. It is phrased in a quaint manner, completely simple and justly fair. William must have been very ill at the time of his death according to the phrasing of this Will made only one week previously. I quote in part --
"In the Name of God amen I William Roberts settler of Mulgrave Place being very sick and weak in body though of sound mind and memory calling unto mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament that is to say first of all and principally I commend my Soul into the hands of Almighty God who gave it and my body I recommend to the earth to be buried in decent Christian burial at the discretion of my executors nothing doubting but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the Almighty power of God and as touching my Wordly estates wherewith it has pleased Almighty God to bless me with in this Life.....(transcribing to be continued)

Simple, explicit and informative, so read the Will of William Roberts of Mulgrave Place.

In the 1828 Census we find Kezia Roberts listed as a householder at Cornwallis. She had a total of 150 acres 100 of which were cleared and 50 of them under cultivation. She was the owner of fifty head of cattle and had in her employ a convict James Magrath who had recently arrived in the Colony.

Kezia Roberts passed away many years after her husband as she lived for 34 more years and passed away 22/6/1854. She died at Richmond and is said to have been 83 years of age. Kezia was buried with her husband in St. Matthew's Churchyard in the Family Vault.

The Roberts Family Vault in St. Matthew's Churchyard was the final resting place for many members of William and Kezia's Family also. Those buried there include William (d.1863), who set aside an amount in his Will for the maintenance and upkeep of the Family Vault.

Refer William ROBERTS and Kezia BROWN at my Rootsweb database for further information.

My complete Rootsweb database can be seen at Amanda Taylor's Genealogy

Surname List of my Direct Ancestors Individual Name Index

Prepared by:
Amanda Taylor
P.O. Box 5042
Wheeler Heights NSW 2097 Australia