William, the only son of John and Sarah RoBards, was twice married.  His first wife (probably Sallie Hill) had four children, namely, John, William, James and Jane.  His first wife died in September, 1756.

1.  John RoBards, Jr., married Sarah Marshall, July 9, 1772.  They had three sons, William and Marshall, twins, born January 24, 1774, and John, who was born July 21, 1782, and died testate in Mercer county, Kentucky, August, 1845.  He had three sons, Nathaniel Andrew, George Madison and John Henry.  Nothing further is known of this family.  (See his will under Miscellanaeous.)

2.  William RoBards, Jr., married his first wife, Elizabeth P. Cocke, January 3, 1774, in Goochland county, VA. He married his second wife, Eliza

Lewis, September 7, 1781, in Goochland county, Va. See further record of this family.

3.  James RoBards married Mary Massie, 1774.  They had two sons, William and Nathaniel.  Nathaniel married Mary Rodley.  They had two children, one son, Willis L., a lawyer, and one daughter, Eliza, who married James Howell Wilkes and lived in Tennessee.

4.  Jane RoBards married Samuel Mosby in 1773.  Nothing further known of this family.

William RoBards, Sr. second wife was Elizabeth Lewis.  They were married January 5, 1758.  We give a synopsis of their marriage bond issued December 24, 1757:

Dec. 24, 1757.  William RoBards to Elizabeth Lewis.  Security George Payne, clerk Val Wood.  Certificate of consent of Joseph Lewis father of Elizabeth.  Witnesses Wm. Lewis, James Cocke and John Lewis.  (Douglas Register.)

The Children of William and Elizabeth (Lewis) RoBards were christened in St. James Northam Parish, Goochland county, Va.

1.  Lewis RoBards, born December, 1758.  Married Hannah Winn, daughter of James Winn.  See further.

2.  George RoBards, born August 5, 1760, married Elizabeth B. Sampson, 1785, daughter of Charles Sampson.  See Further.

3.  Jesse RoBards, born April 19, 1762, married Frances Perkins, daughter of Joseph Perkins.  See Further.

4.  Sallie RoBards, born January 25, 1765, married Capt. John Jouett.  See further.

5.  Joseph RoBards, born December 10, 1766,

married Nancy Harris.  Lived in Breckenridge county, Kentucky.  See further.

6.  Elizabeth Lewis RoBards, born April 10, 1771, married Capt. William Buckner, Surveyor General of Kentucky, when it was yet a colony.  They were married in Mercer county, Kentucky, and had a son, Gabriel M., and a daughter, Elizabeth L.  She was the grandmother of a distinguished line, including General Simon Boliver Buckner, the Honorable Richard A. Buckner and several decendants who were members of congress.  Nothing further of this family.

7.  Robert RoBards, born December 7, 1773, died unmarried.  See settlement of his estate in Miscellaneous.

William RoBards died testate, December, 1783, in Goochland county, Virginia.  Elizabeth, his wife, died testate, May, 1805, in Mercer county, Kentucky.  Following are certified copies of the wills of William and Elizabeth RoBards.

In the name of God Amen; I William Robards of Goochland county, do make this my last will & testament in manner and form following, viz:

Imprimis.  I desire that my Just Debts Legacys &c. be paid by my executors hereafter named.

Item.  I give to my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards to be at her own disposal a Negro girl called Juday & my Sorrel Mare bought of Mrs. Lucy Wood.

Item.  I lend to my s'd Wife Elizabeth as long as She remains my Widow the eleven following Negros, viz. Bob, Hampton, Patt, Peter, Frank, Anthony, Jane, Sall, Sarah, Sam & Bristol, & at her decease to be subject to the following division Viz Bob, Hampton, Patt, Sall, Frank, Sam & their future

Increase to be divided equally between Lewis, George, Jesie, Sally, Joe, Betty Lewis & Robert Robards, to them and their heirs forever; Peter, Anthony, Jane, Sarah & Bristol with their future Increase to be equally divided between the whole of my children and their heirs forever, saving that the heirs of either of them shall stand as one person, and have one share only but should either of my children by my present wife be so unfortunate as to loose the whole or any part of their Negroes which I shall hereafter give them, I then direct that such loss be made good in quantity out of the children that shall hereafter be born of the wenches lent my wife as above, bu should their be no such Negroes born I desire their loss to be made good out of the s,d lent Negroes and then an equal division to take place in manner and form as above directed.

Item.  I lend to my said wife Elizabeth all my Stock of Horses, Cattle, Sheep & Hogs to be by her given out to her children now living or their survivors in equal proportions as may be most convenient & as their needs may require; I also lend her one Young Sorrel Mare in order to raise colts for my younger children; furthermore I lend unto my s,d wife all my household & kitchen furniture, together with the plantation utencils except such articles as I shall hereafter dispose of by will, and at her decease I give the s'd articles to my son Robert.  I also give my s'd wife one feather bed & furniture to be her own choice.

Item.  I give & bequeath unto my son Lewis Robards two negroes viz. Ned and Tukey, to him and his heirs foreveer, but should the negro Ned be so injured by a sore at present on his hand that he

would chuse another I then give the boy Anthony lent my wife and the s'd Ned to stand in the place of s,d Anthony and be subject to the same division that Anthony now is, in the clause above.  I also give to my s,d son Lewis thirty pounds specie to be paid him in equal proportions by his brothers & sisters, unless it can be raised out of the estate which I choose should be done by the sale of some part of my stock.  I likewise give my s,d son Lewis one feather bed & furniture.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my son George Robards, two negroes viz. George & Aggy to him & his heirs forever.  I also give him one feather bed & furniture and one good saddle.

Item.  I give & bequeath to my son Jesie Robards two negroes viz. Bartlett & Lucy, to him & his heirs forever, with one feather bed & furniture, one good horse, saddle & bridle to be purchased by my executor if necessary.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my daughter Sally Robards three negroes viz. Milly, Molly& Billey, one feather bed & furniture, one saddle & bridle & the colt that came of David Grantums Mare, to her & her heirs forever, if necessary.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my son Joseph Robards two negroes viz. Stephen & Creasy, one feather bed and furniture, one horse, bridle and saddle, to be purchased by my executors if necessary, which I give to him and his heirs forever.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my daughter Betsy Lewis Robards two negroes viz. Dilse & Cynthia, to her and her heirs forever, one feather bed and furniture, one horse, saddle and bridle, to be purchased by my executors, if necessary.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my son Robert Robards two negroes viz. Dick and Celia, one feather bed and furniture, one horse, saddle and bridle, to him and his heirs forever.

Item.  I lend to my son John Robards during his natural life one negro girl named Esther and at his decease I give the s,d negro and her increase to be equally divided amongst the children he shall have by his present wife and their heirs forever; which s,d negro I put in his possession some years ago.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my son James Robards five shilling sterling & no more having heretofore given him his proportion of my estate.

Item.  I give and bequeath to my daughter Jane Mosby one negro woman named Tab, to her and her heirs forever.

Item.  I lend unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards during her natural life, four hundred acres of Land in the county of Lincoln, which said land Capt. Robert Mosby bought for me of Mr. Hubbard Taylor of the county of Caroline, and for paymt. of which I have with s,d Mosby given bond for four negros, & I do hereby direct my executors to comply with s,d purchase and take a deed in the name of my son Robert Robards for s,d land.  Nevertheless my s,d wife is to have, hold, occupy & possess the same undisturbed & without impeachment of waste so long as she shall live only allowing to my s,d son Robert the privilege of settling on part of s,d land if necessity requires.

Item.  I give and devise to my four sons Lewis, George, Jesse and Joseph my Locations of land in that part of Virginia call'd Kentucky, containing

eighteen hundred acres, and when surveyed to be equally divided between them according to quantity and quality, to them and their heirs forever.  And whereas I have a right of one moiety of fourteen hundred acres of land in the afores,d part of the country, purchased by Capt. Robt. Mosby of Henry Garrett and Thomas Johnson of Louisa county, for wch s,d land is now a law suit instituted in the general court.  It is my desire whether the s,d land or moiety to the value thereof be recovered, that the same be equally divided between my afores,d sons Lewis, George, Jesse, and Joseph.

Item.  I give and devise to my seven sons John, William, Lewis,George, Jesse, Joseph & Robert Robards, each their equal proportion of a treasury warrant taken in my name for six thousand acres of land, to them and their heirs forever.

Item.  I give and devise to my five sons Lewis, George, Jesse, Joseph & Robert Robards, an officer's right bought of Lieutenant Joseph Payne for one thousand acres of land to be equally divided according to quantity and quality, to them and their heirs forever.

Item.  I give unto my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards until they are free by their indentures, the service of Chesa and Patty Cousins, two mulattoes.

Item.  The crop of tobacco, wheat, corn, &c. together with the fattening hogs I leave for the use of my family.

Item.  After all my just debts are paid, the expense of moving my family to Kentucky and the necessary comforts of life procured for them, I then desire that all the money on hand collected from bills, bonds, and open accounts, or by any other way or means whatever, be equally divided among my seven

children by my present wife and the three following children by my first wife, viz. John & William Robards & Jane Mosby.

Item.  All the estate left me by the last will & testament of Joseph Lewis, senior, deceased, I give and bequeath to be equally divided between my seven children by my last wife viz. Lewis, George, Jesse, Sally, Joe, Betsey Lewis & Robert Robards and their heirs forever.

Lastly.  I do constitute and appoint my beloved wife Elizabeth Robards my sons William and George Robards with my friend Wm. Lewis, Executors of this my last will & testament.  In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-three.

In the name of God, amen, I Elizabeth Robards of Mercer county, being of sound mind and memory and calling to mind the mortality of my body and that it is ordained for all to die, do make this my last will and testament, revoking all other wills heretofore by me made.

Item.  I give to my son Joseph Robards my negro girl Phillis or my negro woman Judy whichever he may choose at my death, they and their increase to him and his heirs forever.

Item.  I give to my son Joseph Robards my negro girl Frank now in the posession of my son Lewis Robards to him, the said Joseph Robards and his heirs forever.

Item.  I give to my son Joseph Robards my mare and her increases, except I formerly gave to George Jouitt and including one of her colts formerly sold by my son Joseph to him and his heirs forever.

Item.  I give to my son Joseph Robards two feather beds and furniture, his choice out of all my beds and furniture, but he is to have no part of the other beds and furniture after making his choice as just above said.

Item.  I give to my son Jos. Robards a cow I bought of negro Ned and her increase, and a cow I received for the hire of Mary and her increase.  Also one black cow now in my possession and her increase, but is to have 1-10 share of the residue of the cattle.

Item.  I give to my son Joseph Robards half of my sheep and half of my hogs after taking from them his own stock and all the household and kitchen furniture and plantation and farming utensils and the fowls of every kind.

Item.  I give to my son Joseph Robards all the crop of every kind growing or in my possession at my death.

Item.  Geo. Robards having lent me a mare to pay for the building of the house in which I now live, the price of this after deducting from the price

the amount of Thomas Ball account against Archibald Sampson, dec'd, but if the account cannot be obtained from Ball, Joseph Robards is to pay his brother George seventy dollars.

Item.  I give to Mortimer Robards, son of Lewis Robards, a sorrel mare colt which came out of the white stray mare.

Item.  I give to Gabriel M. Bucker, son of Wm. Bucker, the colt the white stray mare shall first have after the date of the will.

Item.  I give to Elizabeth L. Buckner, daughter of Wm. Buckner, the white mare just spoken of.

Item.  The residue of my estate of every sort after paying off the special legacies hereinbefore mentioned, including all now in my possession, in the possession of Rob Mosby, Esq., and in the possession of my brother, Joseph Lewis, I leave to be equally divided among my children or their legal heirs.

Item.  Joseph Robards is to pay all the debts contracted by me from the commencement of the year 1798 to my death for and in consideration of the legacies herein given to him this 25 day of March, 1805. 

I hereby appoint Joseph Robards, Geo. Robards, Lewis Robards and Jesse Robards to this my last will and testament.

Mercer County, Sct, May County Court, 1805.
This last will and testament of Elizabeth Robards, deceased, was exhibited into court and proved by

the oaths of David Mosby and Thomas Wood, two subscribing teste witnesses thereto, and ordered to be recorded.