Terrell-Hancock-Calhoun County GaArchives Biographies.....Roberts, John Burch unknown - living in 1913
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 1, 2004, 8:52 pm

Author: William Harden
   JOHN BURCH ROBERTS. A well-known and prosperous agriculturist of Terrell
county, John Burch Roberts, living near Dawson, is distinguished both for his
own life and works, and for the honored ancestry from which he is descended, the
name of Roberts having been prominent in Georgia for upwards of a century.

   His grandfather, Reverend Burch M. Roberts, was a Baptist preacher, holding
pastorates in various places in Georgia, and meeting with a due meed of success
in his ministerial labors. He married Harriet Hardwick, who also belonged to a
well-known family of this state.

   Honorable Joseph W. Roberts, father of John B. Roberts, was born, it is
thought, in Hancock county, Georgia, where his father was then settled as a
minister. Taking advantage of every offered opportunity for increasing his
knowledge, he acquired a substantial education while young, but instead of
entering upon a professional career chose the independent occupation of a
farmer. He purchased land in Calhoun county when all of that section of Georgia
was in its pristine wildness, being but sparsely populated, and far from any
railroad. With the assistance of slaves he cleared and improved a good farm,
upon which he lived until 1866. Locating then in Terrell county, he purchased a
farm situated one and one-fourth miles west of the Court House, and was there
engaged in agricultural pursuits a number of years. When ready to relinquish the
management of his estate, he moved to Dawson, where he continued his residence
until his death, at the good old age of seventy-eight years. He was long
prominent and influential in public affairs, from 1861 to 1865, during the
entire time that Georgia was one of the Confederate States, representing Calhoun
county in the state legislature. He also served as judge of the inferior court,
and at the time of his death was judge of the court of ordinary of Terrell
county, a position which he had held for eighteen years. He married Mary J.
Colley, daughter of John Colley, a Calhoun county farmer. She died at the age of
sixty-four years, leaving six children, namely: John Burch, James W., Louisa,
George M., Mary Ella and Charles.

   Educated in the rural schools, and brought up on the home farm, John Burch
Roberts acquired while young a valuable knowledge and experience in the art of
agriculture, and naturally selected farming as his life occupation. At the time
of his marriage he bought land lying ten miles east of Dawson, and managed it
successfully for two years. The ensuing three yeares he was employed in
mercantile pursuits, after which he returned to the soil, taking up farming near
the old parental homestead, which has since come into his possession, and which
he now occupies. It is a well improved estate, with substantial buildings, and
under his wise management yields a good annual income.

   Mr. Roberts married, November 17, 1870, Catherine Simpson, who was born in
that part of Lee county now included within the boundaries of Terrell county.
Her father, John James Simpson, was born in North Carolina, and when a small
child was left fatherless. His widowed mother subsequently married Daniel
Kennedy, and they came with their family to Georgia, locating in that section of
Lee county that now forms a part of Terrell county. John James Simpson was a
young man when he settled in Georgia, and he subsequently married Mary Elizabeth
Blanchard, who was born in North Carolina, and came with her mother and her
step-father, a Mr. Bradley, to Georgia. The Kennedy and Bradley families left
North Carolina about the same time, the Bradleys being bound for Mississippi.
While jorneying overland the two families met, and the Kennedys persuaded the
Bradleys to locate in Lee county, Georgia, their point of destination. Four
years later the two families became more closely united, John James Simpson,
stepson of Daniel Kennedy, marrying Miss Blanchard, stepdaughter of Mr. Bradley.
She died thirteen months after their marriage, leaving an infant daughter,
Catherine, now the wife of Mr. Roberts. Mr. Simpson afterwards married for his
second wife Florence Smith, daughter of Griffin Smith, a pioneer of South
Georgia, and she is now living in South Georgia, and is the mother of four
children, as follows: William, George, Edward and John. Mr. Simpson took an
active interest in public affairs, and during the trying times of the Civil war
served for four years as sheriff of Terrell county.

   Ten children have blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Roberts, namely:
Beulah, Blanchard, William, John James, Burch, Mary, George, Oscar, Alice and
Cortez. All are still living, several being married, and having families of
their own. Beulah, wife of Charles Wilkinson, has five children. Blanchard, wife
of Sidney J. Cook, has three children, Ruth, Blanchard and Sidney. William
married Sarah Brown, and has three children. Euzella, Catherine and Marion. John
J., married Roxie Beckham, and they have three children, Pauline, Catherine and
John. Burch married Willie Joiner, and they have one son, Burch. George married
Bertha Haiston. Oscar married Nellie Kitchen. And Alice is the wife of Foy
Haines. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Fraternally Mr. Roberts belongs to the Royal Arcanum.


Additional Comments:
From:

A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA
BY
WILLIAM HARDEN

VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
1913

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