Roberts (family)

Family

Roberts (family)

Orlando J. Roberts was born in Scotland on July 16, 1859. His wife, Edith, was born June 6, 1868 in Northhamptonshire, England and they married in 1887. Together they had five children, Fredrick (Fred) William James, Edith, Alexander (Alex), Constance (Connie), and Malcolm. Orlando J. Roberts and his family emigrated from Sydenham, England in 1899 along with Orlando's brother Fred Roberts and his family, and they arrived in Edmonton, Alberta at the beginning of September of that year. The two families acquired homesteads in the vicinity of Millet, Alberta with the Orlando J. Roberts family homesteading at NW 10-47-25-W5. They remained there until 1905 when they travelled north by wagon and scow to Fort Chipewyan, Alberta. In 1906, O.J. Roberts was admitted into the Order of Deacons at St. Paul's Church, Fort Chipewyan and in 1909 he was admitted into the Order of Priests at St. Paul's Church. Later that year Edith Roberts married Richard Field, a Royal North West Mounted Police (R.N.W.M.P.) corporal, who had been placed in charge at Fort Chipewyan. Richard Field's family had moved from Cork, Ireland to land east of Gibbons, Alberta. Between 1911 and 1912, the Roberts family, with the exception of Edith and Richard Field, departed Fort Chipewyan due to the Reverend (Rev.) O.J. Roberts' ill health. They settled east of Gibbons at what was then known as Battenburg, Alberta. In 1912, Rev. O.J. Roberts was granted the office of priest in charge of the Battenburg mission and he ministered at the Emmanual Anglican Church in Battenburg, which was moved to Gibbons, Alberta in 1935. The Rev. Roberts served the Gibbons, Bon Accord and Redwater, Alberta districts for roughly 25 years. Fred Roberts worked as the first school teacher for Heathfield School District No. 3154 ca.1916 and then enlisted to serve in WWI where he died overseas in 1918. Alexander also served overseas during WWI, returning home safely, and Malcolm enlisted during WWII and served overseas, returning to Alberta after the Armistice was signed. Rev. O.J. Roberts died in 1938. His wife Edith, along with their son and daughter, Connie and Alex, remained on the family farm until Edith died in 1956. At that time Connie and Alex moved to Gibbons where they lived together until Constance died in 1977. Alexander moved to Edmonton, eventually ending up in the Norwood Extended Care Centre. Malcolm married a woman named Francis and moved to Creston, British Columbia where he died sometime after 1985.