CAPT. RICHARD ROBLEY came to this township, and made a settlement in the spring of 1821. He had come here the year previous and selected his lands.

Richard Robley, one of the early settlers of this county, was born in New Hampshire, on the 12th of May, 1791, and was a son of Matthew and Mary (Scott) Robley, natives of England. The family consisted of seven children - Elizabeth, Mary, Eunice, Angeline, Matthew, Richard and Henry. On the 11th day of August, 1814, Richard was married to Desire Griswold. This marriage was blessed with seven children - Eliza A., married Thomas J. Brown, died Dec. 29, 1834; Henry G., married Caroline Griswold, lives near Carlinville; George B., married Mary Jordan, lives in this county; Charles, whose sketch follows this, lives on the old homestead; Emily, married to Julius Twitchell, dies Sept. 22, 1872; Villroy, married Catharine Spencer, lives in this township; Walter S., died Nov. 6, 1836; Mary, wife of Thaddeus Brace, resides in Carrollton. Mr. Robley came from Vergennes, Vt., to Greene county, Ill., in 1820, when this county was but a wild prairie and selected a location, where he built a log cabin. This was the only move he ever made. In the spring of 1821, he went for his family to St. Louis, having left them in Missouri while he went in search of a good place to settle. He brought them on a flat boat, which he had built for that purpose, landing at the point where the town of Newport is now located. Mr. Robley resided in this township, in which he first located, for more than half a century. He was captain of a militia company during the time of the Black Hawk war. He died on the 3d of January, 1879, at the age of 87 years, having survived his wife over 40 years. She died on the 22d of July, 1836. They are buried in the family burying ground, side by side.