William Watson Roberts (1798-1871) was the eldest son of John Roberts and Ann Watson of Nottingham, England. He immigrated to Lowell, Massachusetts in 1828. He married Nancy Hoyt Bean (1806-1903) in 1831 in Lowell, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Obadiah and Nancy Bean of Poplin (Fremont) New Hampshire. They raised nine children. Descendants live in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois and elsewhere.