The Hattie (Lee) and William H. Roberts Family

Hattie Lee

was born in 1874 to James Monroe and Emily (Byrd) Lee. Hattie's parents were working, likely as sharecroppers, on the Helm Farm when Hattie was born. When Mr. Helm died, his son, Gustav, distributed about 3-4 acres to each family working on the land. Hattie and her family began a new, independent life on this land in the Reservation community.

Hattie married William H. Roberts (1872-1944) on October 4, 1894 in Williamsburg, VA. William was the son of William Roberts (1838-) and Elizabeth "Betsey" Banks (1839-) and the brother of Justice John A. "Tack" Roberts (1859-1932).

Together, Hattie and William had seven children: Mattie Lee, Norman H., Robert Dewey, Elmore, William B., Sarah Emma, and William.

In 1917, a year before the U.S. government would announce they were taking the land in the Reservation community, the family experienced tragedy. Tubercolosis swept through the household. On February 27 of that year, Hattie died of tubercolosis at just 43 years old. Eight months later on October 21, tubercolosis also took her daughter Mattie's life. Born in 1895, Mattie was just 23 years old. Four days after Mattie's death, on October 25, Hattie's father, James Monroe Lee passed away due to paralysis, perhaps a complication of tubercolosis. Father, daughter, and granddaughter were all buried in the Cheesecake Cemetery that year.

Hattie (Lee) Roberts, death certificate
Courtesy: Yvonne Johnson
Source: Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Mattie Roberts, death certificate
Courtesy: Yvonne Johnson
Source: Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

James Monroe Lee's Death Certificate
Courtesy: The Lee family
Source: Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Hattie and William Roberts' Children

Norman H. Roberts (1896-1971)

 was born on August 10, 1896 to Hattie and William Roberts. Norman was in his early 20s when his family was forced to move out of the Reservation community. Norman appears to have set out on his own and was living in Newport News and working at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company when he registered for the World War I draft.


Norman later lived in Hampton, VA. In the 1940s, he was self-employed as an oysterman, carrying on a family tradition that began in the Reservation community.


Norman married Sarah Faucet in 1950 in Philadelphia, PA. 


Norman died in 1971 in New Rochelle, NY.

Norman H. Roberts, WWI draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005.

Norman H. Roberts, WWII draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-47 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005. 

Norman H. Roberts, obituary
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Daily Press

Robert Dewey Roberts (1899-1976)

was born on January 2, 1899 to Hattie and William Roberts. He was in his early 20s when his family was uprooted by the U.S. government. Robert was working for the DuPont Engineering Company in Penniman, York County when he registered for the World War II draft at 19 years old.


Robert moved at some point to New Rochelle, NY where he married Maggie Lena Nunnally (1906-) on April 23, 1931. The couple had two children.


In the 1940s, Robert was working at the New Rochelle Hospital.


He passed away in 1976.

Robert Roberts with his daughter Inez and wife Lena
Courtesy: The Lee Family

Robert Dewey Roberts, WWI draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005.

Robert Dewey Roberts, WWII draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-47 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005. 

Elmore Roberts (1899-1941)

was born on December 5, 1899 to Hattie and William Roberts. Elmore was working as a laborer at the DuPont Engineering Company in Penniman with his brother, Robert, when he registered for the World War I draft in 1918. He was about 19 years old when his family was displaced from the Reservation. 


Elmore never married. He was living in Philadelphia, PA and working as a laborer when he died of tubercolosis, like his mother Hattie and sister Mattie had over 20 years earlier. He was just 39 years old.

Elmore Roberts, WWI draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005.

Elmore Roberts, death certificate
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

William Benjamin "Willie" Roberts (1902-1976)


was born on February 18, 1902 to Hattie and William Roberts. 


William married a woman named Sarah, according to 1930 census records. He later appears to have married a woman named Elizabeth, according to his death certificate. 


Like his brother, Elmore, he moved to Philadelphia, PA. He was working for the United States government when he registered for the World War II draft.


William passed away in 1976.

William Benjamin Roberts, WWII draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-47 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005. 

Sarah Emma "Tack" Roberts (1909-1995)

was born on January 21, 1912 to Hattie and William Roberts. She was five years old when her mother died, and a few years later her family was displaced from the Reservation community. Her family then moved to Hampton where she grew up.


Sarah married Martin Harvey Thomas (1900-1955) on October 15, 1933 in Elizabeth City County, VA. Martin was born in Chatham, Kent, Ontario, Canada to George and Fannie Loga Thomas, both from Baton Rouge, LA. Martin lived in Chicago, IL and Detroit, MI before coming to Virginia. Martin passed away in 1955.

Sarah R.T. White
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Daily Press

Martin Thomas, WWI draft registration card
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2005.

Martin H. Thomas, headstone, Hampton University Cemetery
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Findagrave.com

Following Martin's death, Sarah married Harry Burgess White (1916-2004) on October 10, 1957 in Hampton, VA. 


Sarah had eight children: Thornley L. Roberts (1930-2017), David A. Roberts, Harry O'Neil White, Angela W. Peoples, Reneld E. Brown, Shirley L. Chesseman, William O'Dell White, and Master Sgt. Michael E. White. 


Sarah was an active member of Grafton Baptist Church, where she participated in multiple committees. She was an advocate for the rights of senior citizens and served as president of the Idle-A-While Club for 18 years.


Sarah Emma "Tack" Roberts passed away on October 3, 1995.

Sarah Roberts's marriage certificate to Harry B. White
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Ancestry.com, U.S. Virginia, Marriage Certificates, 1936-1988

Thornley Roberts
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Legacy.com

Sarah R.T. White, obituary
Courtesy: Bernie Vaughan
Source: Daily Press

William Roberts (1910-)

was born in 1910 to Hattie and William Roberts. He was a child when his mother died and then his family was force to move from the Reservation community.

Sources: