Ruth Morely Gaither (Beard) - Parentage

The problem is compounded by there being more than one John Gaither, and considerable uncertainty as to which John married whom and had which children.

Various wills and other documents indicate that Obedience Robins' niece Ruth (daughter of his older brother Edward) married *a* Beard from Maryland, name usually given as Richard (but some sources say William).
http://espl-genealogy.org/MilesFiles/site/p625.htm#i62422
http://espl-genealogy.org/MilesFiles/site/p625.htm#i62423

There is also that "other" Robins family further up the Eastern Shore, in Maryland, who may or may not have something to do with this.

I wouldn't lean too heavily on that "and her sons" comment - it was applied to all three daughters (Rachel, Ruth and Rebecca - represented on Geni as "Rebeckah"), but only Rachel is cited by married name, and she hadn't had any sons yet (she seems to have had only daughters despite five(!) marriages). Poppa Richard may simply have been assuming there would eventually be sons.

While we're at this, can someone explain how "Nicholson" became distorted into "Nichlisson"?

Also while we're at it, I suspect that Edward Robins has gotten messed up with the "other" Robins family - he has rather more children than one might expect, and several of them are "twinned" (Ruth and Rachel, Rebecca and Christian)

The Miles Files only record two daughters, Ruth, who married a Beard, and Elizabeth, who married Col. William Burgess. No (surviving) sons. No (surviving) other children.

Current findings from the Society of John Gaither Descendants are that Ruth Gaither Hardisty *was* born a Beard after all: http://johngaither.org/rachel-beard-gaither/#more-5937

I find the information from The Society of John Gaither Descendants very convincing and have adjusted my FT to reflect this information. Thanks for suggesting it, Maven.