Judge John Clarke Roberts I was a Methodist minister, the second judge of Hardeman County, and then first judge of Foard County when Hardeman split into two counties.

At the age of 21 he enlisted in the Army of the Confederate States of America, in Co. H. 1st Battalion, 14th Texas Cavalry Regiment, commanded by Brig. General Matthew D. Ector, becoming a 2nd Lieut. a few months later, and served throughout the entire war as an officer.

At the close of the Civil War he returned home, where he served his community in various vocations, farmer, merchant, Deputy Tax Collector of Cooke County. In 1880 he was licensed to preach, by Bishop Geo. F. Pierce, Bishop of the Methodist Church. Shortly after coming to old Margaret, TX, he was licensed as an Attorney and Counsellor at Law, and practiced continually as a lawyer while living in the County.

While living in Margaret, the then county seat of Hardeman County, Judge Roberts was elected as the second County Judge of the County. When Foard County was later organized he retired as County Judge of Hardeman County and was elected as the First County Judge of Foard County, in 1891, and moved to Crowell, where he practiced law. He and his son, Nathan Jackson Roberts established an abstract company which was still in operation in 1969. He was owner and publisher at one time, of the Foard County News, which was edited by his sons, Wm. Harrison Roberts and Van Roberts, during the time of his ownership.

As State Representative he represented Foard and other counties comprising the district, as member of the Legislature.

He was a legislator of the House of Representatives in the Texas State Capitol, and a father of twenty-one children, 11 children by first wife Matilda (Estes) Roberts, and 10 children by second wife Malinda Jane (Standlee) Roberts.

From a newspaper article of the Waco Times-Herald of 1905:

John Clarke Roberts was a member of the Twenty-eighth legislature, and on a day that there was a heated debate over the cattle quarantine bill which was then pending, he got a telegram from his home announcing that he was the father of a fine baby boy, making the twenty-first child. As soon as the facts in the case became known in the house, the debate was brought to a sudden close and Representatives Harris of Galveston and Green of DeWitt counties got the floor and sent up a resolution congratulating Judge Roberts on this great event, and the resolution further provided that the name of this son should be "Sam Lanham," in honor of the governor, and just as the resolution was about to be adopted Representative Middlebrook sent up an amendment to the resolution inserting "Pat Neff" instead of "Sam Lanham." This was in honor of Speaker Neff, who was speaker of the house at the time. The speaker, who was in the chair, declared the resolution out of order and the house appealed from the decision of the chair and he was not sustained and then he put the question and the resolution was carried by a unanimous vote and the lad was christened by the legislature "Pat Neff Roberts.

Judge Roberts said that the little fellow is getting along fine. Continuing, he said that notwithstanding the fact that he had been for Hon. L. S. Sebluter for speaker against Mr. Neff but when the latter became speaker, he liked him very much and now feels proud that he called his last born after the distinguished citizen of McLennan County."

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JCR's father is Stephen Roberts (born August 17, 1801, died February 11, 1889, buried in Southward-Magee Cemetery in Forestburg, Montague County, TX). His mother is Jemima (Harrison) Roberts, (born in 1806, died April 21, 1847, buried near Springfield, Illinois, but the exact burial spot is unknown).

Children of JCR I & Matilda (Estes) Roberts:

Sally Marintha Roberts, b. 8 Mar 1827, d. 13 June 1840
Violet Roberts, b. 7 Apr 1829, d. 2 Mar 1842
Lydia Susan Roberts, b. 30 Nov 1830, d. 9 Feb 1832
David Vanderford Roberts, b. 21 Dec 1831, d. 21 Feb 1832
Creed Fulton Roberts (Rev., Methodist Church), b. 15 Feb 1849, d. 26 Feb 1912
George Roberts, b. 1851
William Rufus King Roberts, b. 16 Feb 1852
Franklin Pierce Roberts, b. 6 Feb 1854, d. May 1885
Stephen Mansfield Roberts, b. 15 Oct 1864, d. 21 Apr 1935
Mary Elizabeth Roberts, 21 Jul 1866
Sarah Louise Roberts, b. 4 Mar 1868/9, d. 06 Sept 1960

Children of JCR I and MALINDA JANE (Standlee) Roberts:

Nathan Jackson 'Jack' Roberts, b. 19 Jan 1881, d. 28 Dec 1966
William 'Will' Harrison Roberts, b. 7 Jan 1883, d. 11 Oct 1924
Monroe Van Roberts, b. 11 Apr 1885, d. 22 Oct 1952
John Clarke Roberts II, b. 17 Mar 1889, d. 2 Apr 1972
Standlee Ditzler Roberts, b. 5 Apr 1891, d. 31 Aug 1978
Benjamin Hill Roberts, b. 4 Jun 1893, d. 27 Apr 1987
Henry Ector Roberts, b. 6 Oct 1895, d. 25 March 1971
Lois Malinda Roberts, b. 23 Mar 1898, d. 4 Apr 1988
Mima Jane Roberts, b. 11 Apr 1900, d. 25 Jun 1972
Pat Neff Roberts, b. 8 Mar 1903, d. 15 Apr 1994