 Roberts was born into a working-class family in London's East End on 5 June 1895.The family were then living at 44 Blackstone Road in Hackney, and his father was a carpenter; they later moved to 4 Blanchard Road (by October 1898) and 20 London Fields West Side (by April 1911) nearby.From an early age Roberts showed an outstanding talent for drawing, and this was encouraged by his parents and by his school teachers.