Benjamin Edward Roberts (1877 - 1962)

Born 30 Jun 1877 in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas

Ancestors

Son of Robert Austin Roberts and Mary Ann (Sawyer) Roberts

Husband of Sarah Louise (Bethel) Roberts — married 8 Nov 1900 in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahama Islands

Descendants

Died 18 Jul 1962 at age 85 in Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Peter Roberts [send private message]

Biography

Bennie Roberts is part of a Bahamian family.

Benjamin was born 30 June 1877 in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas to Bob Roberts^[1] and Mary Sawyer.^[2] In about the 1880's his family and paternal grandparents moved to Key West, Florida and joined other Roberts relatives already there. His parents and siblings later moved back to Marsh Harbour. He married Sarah Louise Bethel on November 8th, 1900 in Marsh Harbour.^[3] He was a boat carpenter and built at least one three masted schooner. His family also had a grocery store in Marsh Harbour. He and his brother Willias received a Crown Grant for the northern end of Great Guana Cay, Abaco where they developed a sisal farm.^[4] The mill is now a landmark at the Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club. In 1928, as a result of the devastating 21st October 1926 Havana hurricane, he moved his family via the former mailboat Albertine Adoue to a newly built home in Sears Addition in Nassau. He worked at Symonette's shipyard and later at John S. George hardware. His carpentry tools are on display at the Bahamas Historical Society Museum. He passed away on 18th July 1962 and was buried in Nassau, Bahamas.^[5]

Earlier in his life he had the nickname of "Barrett" to distinguish him from an older Benjamin Edward Roberts who also lived in Marsh Harbour.^[6] Barrett was also the nickname of Bennie's paternal grandfather Thomas W. Roberts.

His 1945 U.S. Coast Guard port identification card listed his occupation as sailor, his height as five foot ten inches, weight as 128 pounds, brown eyes, and brown hair.^[7]

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Sources

1. ↑ Paternal relationship is confirmed by a 37 out of 37 Y-DNA marker match between this Family Tree DNA yDNA test for Peter Roberts and this Family Tree DNA yDNA test of his paternal line cousin Roberts-7266.
2. ↑ Maternal relationship is confirmed by a triangulated group consisting of Peter Roberts GEDmatch T412069, Kris Sjostrom GEDmatch A936004 and Elizabeth Collins GEDmatch T688604 sharing a 10.8 cM segment on chromosome 1 from 163621974 to 173712569.
3. ↑ "Bahamas Civil Registration, 1850-1959," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRS5-94WH?cc=1922411&wc=Q4ZG-BZ9%3A216301301 : 7 October 2014), Marriages 1900-1901 > image 474 of 1032; Registrar General, Nassau.
4. ↑ "Another settlement, called Marsh Harbor, is noteworthy only as being the home of an American, Mr. Benjamin E. Roberts, who owns the largest sisal plantation in the Bahamas, 140 acres, set with 107,000 plants." "The Bahama Group; Sailing about among the Picturesque 'Out Islands'" (News) Fannie B. Ward. The Daily Inter Ocean Sunday, July 14, 1895; p. 38; Issue 112; col A. Benjamin would have been only 18 years old.
5. ↑ Entered by Peter Roberts, Thursday, July 11, 2013.
6. ↑ Peter J. Roberts' Interview with Una Roberts, daughter of the younger Benjamin.
7. ↑ United States Coast Guard Identification Card for Port Everglades, Florida, Serial Number 07294786, Feb 16, 1945.

Bahamas DNA Project, Direct Paternal Line Descendant Charts https://genealogy.hopetownmuseum.com/bahamasdnaproject/bahydna.htm

DNA

Paternal Grandfather of Y-DNA kit 8867

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Peter Roberts for creating Roberts-7102 on 11 Jul 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Peter and others.