He resided in the village for the greater part of his life before moving down the valley to a farm called Cae Fadog.

In 1960, a private bill sponsored by Liverpool City Council was brought before Parliament to develop a water reservoir in the Tryweryn Valley.

They became angry and protested, and Roberts was chosen as the executive of the Capel Celyn Defence Committee, with Elizabeth Jones as the secretary.

[3] The story of Capel Celyn was widely reported in the press, but ultimately the cause was lost and construction began on the dam.

Like many others from Capel Celyn, Roberts moved to Bala, where he died on 11 October 1965, aged 73, shortly before the official opening of the reservoir.