Biographical Sketch of Charles J. ROBERTS, M.D. (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 678-9. "CHARLES J. ROBERTS, M. D., a descendant of the old pioneer Roberts family of eastern Pennsylvania, and a physician of ten years successful practice, is a son of William and Susanna M. (Havard) Roberts, and was born in Tred- yffrin township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1857. He was reared on the farm, received his education in the common schools and Phil- adelphia high school, and after being engaged for a short time in farming and contracting, resolved upon making medicine his life vocation. He read with Dr. Charles N. Frederick, and then entered the medical department of the university of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated March 15, 1882. After graduation he formed a partnership with Dr. Jacob Rickabaugh, of Tredyffrin township, and they practiced together for four years. He then purchased property at Valley Store, in East Whiteland township, one mile north of Malvern, and has been engaged there ever since in the successful practice of his profession. "Dr. Roberts traces his ancestry on the paternal side to John Roberts, who came from Wales at an early day and settled near Quakertown, in Richland township, Bucks county, where his son, William Roberts, was born and reared. William Roberts came to Schuylkill township, this county, where he settled on Pickering creek, and operated a fulling mill. He owned a farm of two hundred acres, which he tilled until his death, which occurred about the year 1844, when he was in the seventy-fifth year of his age. He was a whig and a Friend, and married Rebecca Pennington, by whom he had six children: Sarah, Maria, Rebecca, Martha, Joseph and John. "Joseph Roberts, the grandfather of Dr. Roberts, was born in 1786, and at twenty-one years of age came to Schuylkill township, where he died on his farm in 1857. He was a whig in politics, and a Friend in religious belief. He married Mary Walker, and their children were: Sarah, William (dead), Lewis, Stephen, Isaac (dead), Rebecca, Anna (dead), and Mary. "The eldest son, William Roberts (father), was born January 3, 1812, and died October 21, 1889. He received his education at Professor Faulk's boarding school, in Montgomery county, and learned civil engineering, but gave most of his time to the management and cultivation of his farm of one hundred and twelve acres of land, in Tredyffrin township, on which his widow and some of his children still reside. He was a republican, had served as supervisor and school director of his township, and married, on February 16, 1841, Susanna Havard, who is a daughter of Benjamin Havard, who was born in 1781, and whose father, David Havard, was a son of John and Sarah (Evans) Havard, who came from Wales to Tredyffrin township, where they purchased a tract of one thousand acres of land from Penn's agent. To William and Susanna M. Roberts were born nine children: Benja- min, who enlisted June 6, 1861, in Co. K, 4th Pennsylvania reserves, and after the war was engaged in farming until his death; Isaac W., who served in an emergency regiment in 1863, and is now dead; Anna Daniel, who has two children - Alan and Burton; Mary E., widow of Isaac Walker, who has one child - Benjamin H., now postmaster, and manager of his mother's store at New Centreville; David H., married Margaret Rodney, and has one child - Norman; William M., married Kate Errett, and lives near Pittsburgh, this State, where he is a contractor on the Pennsylvania railroad; Anna N., now dead; George W., a dealer in builder's supplies at Norristown, Montgomery county; Dr. Charles J., Clarence B.; and Sue R., who married Elliott J. Thomas, of Philadelphia. "On June 23, 1886, Dr. Roberts was united in marriage with Mary, daughter of Dr. Jacob Rickabaugh. To their union have been born two children: Jacob Alan, born June 17, 1887, and died July 16, 1890; and Charles W., born June 29, 1891. "In politics Dr. Charles J. Roberts is a stanch republican, and has been serving for some time as president of the school board of his township. He enjoys a good practice, and aside from his professional duties gives some attention to dealing in coal and wood. He is a member of Washington Camp, No. 548, Patriotic Order Sons of America; DeVault Lodge, No. 486, Order of Tonti; and Thompson Lodge, No. 340, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is a past master."