This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: batchelorw Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1876/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Tennessee Roper can first be seen in the 1820 Maury County, TN census, residing near David Y. Roper: David Y. Roper 2-0-0-0-1-0 2-0-0-1-0-0 No slaves Page 2 Tennessee Roper 0-0-0-1-0-0 1-0-1-0-0-0 One slave Page 2 David is 26-45, with a presumed wife 16-26, and they have two males <10 and two females <10. Tennessee is 16-26, and his presumed wife is 16-18. They have one female <10. Tennessee Roper is found on the same census page as David Y. Roper and, thus, is probably related to David Y. Roper, either as a brother or as a cousin, but not as a son, since David's presumed wife of 16-26 would be too young to be the mother. The Ricketts Roper Bible can be found on Ancestry.com when searching for information on Tennessee Roper and his wife Martha Harper. The actual images of the Bible show the lineage of Tennessee Roper, giving both Births and Marriages. From what I gather from secondary sources, the bible was published in 1864 and is now in the possession of C. Albert Ricketts, Jr., a descendant of a Samuel S. Ricketts, who married Mary Roper, daughter of Tennessee Roper and Martha Harper. A copy appears to be located in the Tennessee State Archives MS Div. AC, No. 70-24, page 1, births. This is my transcription of the birth page from the bible as posted on the Internet: "Births Tennessee Roper was born July 2nd 1798 Martha Harper was born Sept 12th 1798 Mary Roper was born March 4th 1820 Sarah Roper was born April 14th1821 John Roper was born April 5th 1823 Kisiah Roper was born April 5th 1823 Selina Roper was born April 5th 1825 Ephram H. Roper was born Nov 22nd 1827 William Roper was born August 19th1830" On the same page of Births, in a column to the right, we find the following births: "Tennessee Roper Jun was Born Nov 22nd 1832 Martha L Roper was Born July 22nd 1835 Nancy E. Roper was Born Dec 10th 1839 Mary Jane Walker was Born March 19th 1827" All of the entries above appear to be in the same handwriting and possibly listed in the bible at the same time. The old script "f" appears for all double "ss". There is an added entry at the end in handwriting that is not as elegant as all the other entries and which reads (from what I can make out) "Mary Jane Walker Born March 19 1827." I specifically noted that there are two separate columns, one headed with Tennessee Roper, b. 1798, and the other headed Tennessee Roper, b. 1832. This indicates to me that one column is listing the wife and children of Tennessee Roper, Sr. and the other is listing the children of Tennessee Roper, Jr. This is my transcription of the "Marriages" page of the Ricketts Family Bible "Marriages Tennessee Roper and Martha Harper was married April 8th 1819 A. J. Langham and Sarah Roper was married Oct 19th 1836 Saml S. Rickets and Mary Roper was married Nov 4th 1840 Saml S. Rickets and Mary J. Walker was married Dec (?) 24th 1851" All of the above marriage information appears to have been in the same elegant handwriting as the Births information and to have been entered at the same time. There is additional information written in what appears to be a different handwriting, with blue ink instead of black ink, which is the following: "Wm L. Ricketts and Nancy Ladora Montague was married. Tennie R. Ricketts and Isabella Tennon was married. Aug. John A. Pitts and Melissa Ellen Ricketts. was married Nov 5th 1872 John J. Williams and Mary Elizabeth Ricketts was married January 13th 1874" There is a separate hand written record that can be found on Ancestry.com under the heading of Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002, which shows the marriage of Tennessee Roper to Martha Harper on April 6, 1819, by George Johnston J.P, and which is two days off the Bible entry. As can be seen above in the Bible "Marriages" records, a Wm. L Ricketts married a Nancy Ladora Montague. Three separate Montague families, Thomas Montague, Abraham Montague, and Mary Mauntague, can be seen on the same pages with William Roper in the 1820 Maury, TN census. Tennessee Roper, b. 1819 can also be found in the 1830 Maury, TN census, on the same page as David Y. Roper, five households away. The only Ropers shown in Maury, TN in 1830 are Tennessee Roper and David Y. Roper: Tennessee Roper 2-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 1-3-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 5 slaves Tennessee is shown 20-30, and his wife is shown 20-30. There are two males <5, one female <5, and two females 5-10. David Y. Roper 0-1-1-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 2-0-1-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 20 slaves David is shown as 40-50, with his presumed wife also 40-50. There is one male 5-9, one male 10-15, one male 15-20, two female <5, one female 10-15, and one female 20-30. Both David Y. Roper and Tennessee Roper appear is the 1836 Maury, TN tax list. No other Ropers are shown. What is interesting about this record is that Tennessee Roper is shown with 6 slaves valued at 3300, while David Y. Roper is shown with only 2 slaves valued at 1600. Tennessee Roper next appears in Wayne County, TN in the 1840 census. Wayne County is one county over from Maury County, and toward the southwest of Tennessee: Tennessee Roper 1-0-2-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 2-0-1-3-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 No slaves Tennessee Roper is now 40-50, and his wife is 30-40. Secondary sources show Tennessee Roper dying on October 29, 1843, and his wife Martha Harper dying on October 8, 1843. I can find no primary source for this. Also, if secondary sources are to be trusted, it appears that almost none of the children of Tennessee Roper survived, with the exception of Sarah and Mary. (There was a widespread flu epidemic in the United States in 1843 which killed many people.) Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: batchelorw Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1875/mb.ashx Message Board Post: At the suggestion of William Alexander Roper, Jr., I will be posting collected information on various individual Roper family members, e.g. Charles J. Roper, Philip Lawson Roper, etc. That information is already posted, but scattered, and sometimes hard to access. Although this is not discussion of an individual Roper, since I have been working on it the last few days, I thought I would go ahead and post it. This is the information I have been collecting on evidence of a relationship between David Roper of Caswell, NC, William Roper of Caswell, NC, Tennessee Roper of TN, David Y Roper of TN, and Wiley Blunt Roper. That a William Roper was one of the sons of David Roper of Caswell County, NC, who married a Sarah, appears to be without question. The L. David Roper database has this entry: Caswell Co. Deeds: H:85. 25 Sep 1792. 50 acres. William Roper of Caswell Co. "for Love Goodwill & Effection that I bear unto David Roper & Sarah Roper my father & mother" Land in Caswell on Rattlesnake Creek; land where on said David Roper now lives; "beg. Edmund Alleys SW corner runing E. 61 poles thence S. with Edward Swans line to my corner thence W. with Hubberts line to Rattle Snake Creek then down the creek to white oak Saplin neare the upper part or fence of my plantation thence meare a NE Course to the first Station". "During their natural life" Test: Edmd. Alley, James Yates William X Roper After this transfer of property, William Roper disappears from the records of Caswell County, NC. Where did he go? Although the evidence is scant because of a lack of historical records, circumstantial evidence suggests he moved to Tennessee. In looking at the L. David Roper database for Roper Families in Tennessee, there appear to be only three William Ropers in Tennessee between 1800 and 1820. One William Roper had marital problems with his wife Polly, who was not faithful. He moved to Summer, TN in 1806. This is not the William Roper I will be concerned with. Another William Roper married an Elizabeth Brown on June 26, 1816 in Knox, TN. I am not concerned with this William Roper either. The William Roper that I will be concerned with will first show up in Davidson County, TN and then probably move to Maury, TN. Davidson County, TN was first formed in 1783. Williamson County was then formed out of the southern portions of Davidson County in 1799, Maury County was carved out of the south end of Williamson in 1807, and Giles County would be carved out of the southern end of Maury in 1809. William Roper first shows up residing in Davidson County, TN, while purchasing property on Flat Creek in Maury County, TN: "County Records: First Deed Book-Maury Co. 1807-18. p.62: 4 Dec 1809 Perry Coper (Cooper or Roper) of Maury Co., TN conveys 200 acres on Flat Creek to Wm. Roper of Davidson Co., TN " (L. David Roper database). A William Roper is still seen in the 1811 tax list of Davidson County, TN. Then on September 10, 1817, a William Roper conveyed property in Maury County, TN: "Maury Co., TN Cancery Court Records 1810-1890, V. I: p. 178: Joseph Hackney, Dec. 1824. Hackney guardian of David Loving, Malinda Loving, Henry Loving...Deed of Conveyance: William Roper to William Loving 10 Sep 1817, 48 acres, on east fork of Big Tombigby Creek- mistake in boundaries." (L. David Roper database). A William Roper then appears in the 1820 Maury, TN census as follows: William Roper 0-0-0-0-0-1 0-0-0-0-1-0 Page 11 William is 45 , and there is one female 26-45. (Slaves not listed?) There are only two other Ropers in Maury, TN in 1820: David Y. Roper 2-0-0-0-1-0 2-0-0-1-0-0 No slaves Page 2 Tennessee Roper 0-0-0-1-0-0 1-0-1-0-0-0 One slave Page 2 David is 26-45, with a presumed wife 16-26, and they have two males <10 and two females <10. Tennessee is 16-26, and his presumed wife is 16-18. They have one female <10. (There is an earlier record for David Y. Roper. He is listed as David Y. Roper, a soldier in the War of 1812, in the company of 2 Reg't (Cocker's) W. Tennessee Militia, inducted as a Corporal and discharged as Corporal.) What connections can we make between Tennessee Roper, David Y. Roper, and the William Roper of Caswell, NC? I'll discuss Tennessee Roper first. The name Tennessee Roper may indicate that he was born in TN. Since Tennessee Roper's date of birth will be later shown to be July 2, 1798, his parents may have been in Tennessee by that date. Tennessee Roper is found on the same census page as David Y. Roper and, thus, is probably related to David Y. Roper, either as a brother or as a cousin, but not as a son, since David's presumed wife of 16-26 would be too young to be the mother. The Ricketts Roper Bible can be found on Ancestry.com when searching for information on Tennessee Roper and his wife Martha Harper. The actual images of the Bible show the lineage of Tennessee Roper, giving both Births and Marriages. From what I gather from secondary sources, the bible was published in 1864 and is now in the possession of C. Albert Ricketts, Jr., a descendant of a Samuel S. Ricketts, who married Mary Roper, daughter of Tennessee Roper and Martha Harper. A copy appears to be located in the Tennessee State Archives MS Div. AC, No. 70-24, page 1, births. This is my transcription of the birth page from the bible as posted on the Internet: "Births Tennessee Roper was born July 2nd 1798 Martha Harper was born Sept 12th 1798 Mary Roper was born March 4th 1820 Sarah Roper was born April 14th1821 John Roper was born April 5th 1823 Kisiah Roper was born April 5th 1823 Selina Roper was born April 5th 1825 Ephram H. Roper was born Nov 22nd 1827 William Roper was born August 19th1830" On the same page of Births, in a column to the right, we find the following births: "Tennessee Roper Jun was Born Nov 22nd 1832 Martha L Roper was Born July 22nd 1835 Nancy E. Roper was Born Dec 10th 1839 Mary Jane Walker was Born March 19th 1827" All of the entries above appear to be in the same handwriting and possibly listed in the bible at the same time. The old script "f" appears for all double "ss". There is an added entry at the end in handwriting that is not as elegant as all the other entries and which reads (from what I can make out) "Mary Jane Walker Born March 19 1827." I specifically noted that there are two separate columns, one headed with Tennessee Roper, b. 1798, and the other headed Tennessee Roper, b. 1832. This indicates to me that one column is listing the wife and children of Tennessee Roper, Sr. and the other is listing the children of Tennessee Roper, Jr. "Marriages Tennessee Roper and Martha Harper was married April 8th 1819 A. J. Langham and Sarah Roper was married Oct 19th 1836 Saml S. Rickets and Mary Roper was married Nov 4th 1840 Saml S. Rickets and Mary J. Walker was married Dec (?) 24th 1851" All of the above marriage information appears to have been in the same elegant handwriting as the Births information and to have been entered at the same time. There is additional information written in what appears to be a different handwriting, with blue ink instead of black ink. That information is this: "Wm L. Ricketts and Nancy Ladora Montague was married. Tennie R. Ricketts and Isabella Tennon was married. Aug. John A. Pitts and Melissa Ellen Ricketts. was married Nov 5th 1872 John J. Williams and Mary Elizabeth Ricketts was married January 13th 1874" There is a separate hand written record that can be found on Ancestry.com under the heading of Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002, which shows the marriage of Tennessee Roper to Martha Harper on April 6, 1819, by George Johnston J.P, and which is two days off the Bible entry. Among the names listed as children of Tennessee Roper, b. 1798, is Kesiah Roper. William Roper of Caswell, NC married Keziah Yates on August 31, 1781. Their bondsman was John Yeats. It would be natural, if not expected, for Tennessee Roper to name a child after one or both of his parents. David Y. Roper, the probable brother, will also name a child Kizzie. Tennessee Roper, b. 1819 will name one son William, similar to the name of his father. As can be seen above in the Bible "Marriages" records, a Wm. L Ricketts married a Nancy Ladora Montague. Three separate Montague families, Thomas Montague, Abraham Montague, and Mary Mauntague, can be seen on the same pages with William Roper in the 1820 Maury, TN census. Tennessee Roper, b. 1819 can also be found in the 1830 Maury, TN census, on the same page as David Y. Roper, five households away. William Roper is not in the 1830 census. In fact, the only Ropers shown in Maury, TN in 1830 are Tennessee Roper and David Y. Roper: Tennessee Roper 2-0-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 1-3-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 5 slaves Tennessee is shown 20-30, and his wife is shown 20-30. There are two males <5, one female <5, and two females 5-10. David Y. Roper 0-1-1-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 2-0-1-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 20 slaves David is shown as 40-50, with his presumed wife also 40-50. There is one male 5-9, one male 10-15, one male 15-20, two female <5, one female 10-15, and one female 20-30. Both David Y. Roper and Tennessee Roper appear is the 1836 Maury, TN tax list. No other Ropers are shown. What is interesting about this record is that Tennessee Roper is shown with 6 slaves valued at 3300, while David Y. Roper is shown with only 2 slaves valued at 1600. One wonders if the 20 slaves entry for David Y. Roper in the 1830 census was in error, or if David was hiding some of his slaves in 1836. Tennessee Roper next appears in Wayne County, TN in the 1840 census. Wayne County is one county over from Maury County, and toward the southwest of Tennessee: Tennessee Roper 1-0-2-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 2-0-1-3-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0 No slaves Tennessee Roper is now 40-50, and his wife is 30-40. Secondary sources show Tennessee Roper dying on October 29, 1843, and his wife Martha Harper dying on October 8, 1843. I can find no primary source for this. Also, if secondary sources are to be trusted, it appears that almost none of the children of Tennessee Roper survived, with the exception of Sarah and Mary. (There was a widespread flu epidemic in the United States in 1843 which killed many people. You will notice in this article that many of the Ropers died in 1843). Now let's return to David Y. Roper, who appears as the only Roper in the 1840 Giles County, Tennessee census. Giles County was carved out of Maury County in 1809, and is just to the south of Maury County, TN: David Y. Roper 1-0-0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0-0 0-0-1-0-1-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0 David Y. Roper is shown as age 40-49. I think this is an error made by the census taker. He should be shown as 50-60, since he was listed as 40-50 in the 1830 census. His wife is shown as 50-60. There is one male <5, one male 15-19, one female 10-14, and one female 20-29. David Y. Roper disappears after 1840, presumably dead. His wife Dionysia A. Roper will appear in the 1850 Giles County, TN census on page 6 on Ancestry.com in the household of James C. Roper. James C. Roper 27 Born Tenn Sarah Roper 23 Born Tenn Dionecia Roper 2 Born Tenn Louis V Roper 11/12 Born Tenn Dionicia Roper 66 Born SCar Andrew M 12 Born Tenn There is a headstone found on Ancestry.com for a person named Dinny that says "In Memory of Dinney Daughter of D. Y. & D. A. Roper Born June 12, 1825 Died March 20th 1838." Who erected this headstone and when it was erected is not known to me. Secondary sources state that David Y. Roper was married to Dionysia Abernathy. I can find no primary source for the surname Abernathy. David Y. Roper was surrounded by three Abernathy family members in the 1840 census in Giles, TN. There is another headstone erected in the memory of David Y. Roper, which reads: "In Memory of DAVID Y. ROPER Died September 1 1843 in the 65th year of his age". Again, I do not know who erected this headstone or when it was erected. The headstone itself looks identical to the one erected for Dinney Roper in 1838. I do question validity of the statement on the headstone that David Y. Roper was in the "65th year of his age", as this is not consistent with the 1830 Maury County census, wherein David's age is listed as 40-50 (The Ancestry.com printout says 40-49, but the image has categories for 40-50, 50-60, etc.) If it were true, David Y. Roper would probably not be the son of William Roper and Keziah Yates, who married on August 31, 1781 in Caswell, NC. Another son attributed to David Y. Roper and Dionysia by secondary sources is Wiley Blunt Roper, who first appears in the 1850 Giles County, TN census on page 8 of the Ancestry.com images. James C. Roper is on page 6. Wiley B. Roper 30 Born Tenn Minerva Roper 26 Born Tenn Dewit Roper 4 Born Tenn Margaret L Roper 3 Born Tenn David R Roper 1 Born Tenn Jane Sims 25 Born Tenn Here are the reasons I believe that Wiley B. Roper and James C. Roper are brothers. Wiley B. Roper, age 30, and James C. Roper, age 27, are close in age. They are also only two pages apart in the 1850 census. Their ages are consistent with the male children in the 1830 census and the one male child in the 1840 census of David Y Roper. Other than William Roper, the only Ropers in Maury Tennessee in 1820 and 1830 are David Y. Roper and Tennessee Roper. The children of Tennessee Roper are listed in the Ricketts Bible, and neither Wiley nor James C Roper is listed as one of his children. There is only one Roper in Giles, TN in 1840 and that is David Y. Roper. Wiley B. Roper had a son named William Fry Roper. A recent post on William Fry Roper of Green County, MO has statements by William Fry Roper that his mother was Minerva (Fry) Roper, and that his father Wiley Blunt Roper and his mother came from Tennessee to Greene County. William Fry, age 49, is on page 2 of the 1850 Giles! County, TN census. There is a John Fry also shown in the 1850 Giles, TN census, who has a "Mary Abbeonatty", age 14, in the household. If Wiley Blunt Roper is the brother of James C. Roper, then he is probably the son of David Y. Roper. One final connection that can be made between William Roper and Keziah Yates and David Y. Roper, is the middle initial Y. William Alexander Roper, Jr. has pointed out that there is no existing record showing the middle initial to be the name Yates, which is true. He also suggests that the Y could represent a number of other names beginning with the letter Y. However, the following are my reasons to believe that the Y stands for Yates. William Roper married a Kiziah Yates. Jemima Roper, who many consider to be the daughter of David Roper and Sarah, married a John Yates. My ancestor, John Roper of Halifax, VA, son of David and Sarah of Caswell, bought his land in Caswell from John Yates. William Roper and Kiziah Yates would normally name the first born male child after the grandfather, David Roper of Caswell, NC. This is the naming pattern that was followed in the majority of cases in Virginia and the Backcountry. It would also be natural to honor the grandfather on the mother's side, which in this case would be to include Yates. The Yates family has many connections with the Roper family, starting from Capt. William Roper transported a William Yates. There really aren't that many choices for what the Y can stand for. By far, the three most common surnames of persons in Britain today that start with a Y are Young (abt. 132,000), Yates (abt. 29,000), and York (abt. 3100), or their variants Younge, Yeats, Yorke, etc. Other less common names are like Yardley, Yarwood, and Yeoman. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: batchelorw Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1874/mb.ashx Message Board Post: William Alexander Roper, Jr. recently sent me a copy of this article on William Fry Roper, which appears to be a first person account of William Fry Roper's history. In that article, William Fry Roper states that he was born in Greene County, MO, and that his parents were Wylie B. and Minerva (Fry) Roper. He further states that migrated from middle Tennessee to Greene County. So far, this is in agreement with most secondary sources. "Jonathan Fairbanks and Clyde Edwin Tuck Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri Early and Recent History and Genealogical Records of Many of the Representative Citizens ________________________________________ WILLIAM FRY ROPER. One expression of the discontent of the people of the twentieth century is the back-to-the-farm movement. While the wages of workmen have increased and the hours of labor have decreased, the desire for the better things of life and the luxuries have grown proportionately. That which satisfied the laboring man of forty years ago would be regarded with disdain by the workers of today. The increased cost of living in the city undoubtedly has much to do with the discontent of the people, and the imperfect marketing system which, raises the cost to the consumer and minimizes the profits of the producer, is another fertile source of discontent. Whether conditions will adjust themselves under the present economic arrangement and our imperfect system of distribution is a question. It will require more than an ordinary prophet to rise in his place and foretell what the answer will be to the rising tide of discontent of the people of the cities. Having spent his lif! e close to Nature, engaged in peaceful agricultural pursuits and dealing honestly with his fellow men, thereby keeping his conscience clear, William Fry Roper, a well-known citizen of Republic township, Greene county, has never been seized with the spirit of discontent that is so apparent over the land; in other words, he has had the tact to live his life along well-regulated and proper channels. Mr. Roper was born in Greene county, Missouri, February 17, 1853. He is a son of Wylie B. and Minerva (Fry) Roper. The father of our subject emigrated from middle Tennessee to Greene county, this state, in 1851, and rented land nine miles northeast of Springfield, but in a short time settled north of Nichols, on a tract of about two hundred acres. He was a native of Tennessee, as was also his wife, and there they grew to maturity and received limited educations and were married. Our subject was then about one year old, and it was on this place that he spent his boyhood, and attended subscription school at old Antioch. His parents rented their farm and moved to Springfield, where Wylie Roper was selling goods when the. Civil war began. Later the elder Roper moved with his family to Texas and bought a large farm, of which he placed two hundred acres under cultivation. To Wylie Roper and wife ten children were born, namely: DeWitt C. is the eldest; Maggie L., is the wife of Fra! nk White and they live near Nichols, in Greene county; Russell, deceased; John W. lives in California; William F., subject of this sketch; George lives in Lawrence county, Missouri; Wylie B. lives in Oregon; Mrs. Lulu Martin lives in Springfield; Mary and Myrtie, the two youngest, both died in infancy. William F. Roper was married August 2, 1877, to Minerva Sparkman, a daughter of W. D. and Jane (Rainey) Sparkman, both natives of Tennessee, where they grew up, were educated and married, and from that state immigrated to Greene county, Missouri, in 1854. Their family consisted of eight children, named as follows: Dr. Allen G.; Orren lives near Bois D'Arc, Greene county; Jefferson lives in California; Lizzie is deceased; Minerva, who married Mr. Roper of this sketch; James lives in Seattle, Washington; John lives in Republic township, this county; Alice, who married J. M. Short, is deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Roper nine children have been born, namely: Ada is the wife of Edward Roop, of Independence, Missouri; James lives in Seattle, Washington; Ollie is engaged in the furniture and carpet business in Republic, and, being an ardent lover of horses, owns and trades in them. Alice is the wife of Oscar Roop, of Republic; Janie is the wife of George Burris, of Seattle, Washington; Charlie lives in Republic; Bruce lives in St. Louis; Leon lives in Republic; Thomas also resides in Republic. Mr. Roper owns fifty-nine acres of valuable land on the outskirts of the city of Republic, which land he keeps rented, and he lives quietly in his attractive home here, having been retired from the active duties of life during the past two years. Politically he is a Democrat. He is a member of the Christian church, to which his wife and children also belong. [1513-1514]"a The death certificate of William Fry Roper can be found on the Internet. He died on January 1, 1926, in Greene County, MO, widower of "Manerva Jane Sparkman", according to the information provided to the authorities by presumably next of kin. The father's name is listed as Wiley Blunt Roper, born Tennessee. The maiden name and birth place of his mother is unknown. Secondary sources show William Fry Roper's mother to be Minerva Fry, born on April 28, 1822, in Campbellsville, Giles, TN; died December 7, 1887, Springfiled, Greene, MO. "Manerva Roper" first appears in the 1850, District 14, Giles, TN, census, age 26, born abt. 1824, TN, married to Wiley B. Roper, age 30, .Their children are listed as Dewit Roper, age 4; Margaret L. Roper, age 3; and David R. Roper. A Jane Sims, age 25, born in TN, is also listed in the household. "Manerva Roper" next appears in the 1860 Campbell, Greene, MO census, age 38, but Wiley Roper is not in the census. The children are listed as follows: Davitt, age 14; Margaret, age 13; Russel, age 11; John, age 9; William, age 7; George, age 5; and Wiley, age 2. Minerva Roper next appears in the 1870 Osage, Benton, AR census, age 55, with her husband Wiley Roper, age 55. These ages do not match up with the earlier census records, but they are obviously the same people. The children listed are John, age 18; William, age 16; George, age 14; Wiley, age 12; Lula, age 10; Mary, age 7; and Myrtie, age 2. There is also a Redon Stephens, age 22 listed in the household, who "labors on farm", from North Carolina. Minerva Roper next appears in the 1880 Harrison, Chautauqua, Kansas census as age 57, born TN abt. 1823. Her husband is Wiley B. Roper, b. TN, age 65, whose parents were both born in North Carolina. George, Wiley B., Lula, Myrtle, John W., and Margaret are still living in the household. There is also a grandson Claudie Roper, age 1, living in the household. Finally, a Margaret White, age 22, listed as a daughter, is residing with two grandchildren, Bruce White, age 5, and Gracie White, age 3. Secondary sources show a John Fry, aka Johann Rowan Frey, b. Jan. 11, 1779, Rowan, NC, d. May 10, 1854, Giles, TN, and a Margaret Evans, as the parents of Minerva Fry Roper. A John Fry is shown in the 1850, District 15, Giles, TN census as age 71, b. abt. 1779, NC. His wife is shown as Margaret Fry, age 72, b. NC. A Sarah McQuigg, age 9, and Jesse McQuigg, age 6, are residing in the household. Additionally, there is a Manerva Jane Cumpton, age 13, and "Mary Abbeonatty", age 14, b. abt. 1836, TN. "Mary Abbeonatty" looks more like Mary Abbernathy to me. David Y. Roper is shown by secondary sources as being married to Dionysia Abernathy. Secondary sources even state that David Y. Roper and Dionysia Abernathy were married on October 27, 1809, in Robertson, TN, although I cannot find the record of this. David Y. Roper can be seen in the 1840 Giles, TN census on page 133 of the Ancestry.com records. On the same page 133, the name John Abernathy appears. He is age 40-50, his presumed wife is 30-40, and there are, among others, five children <5 years old. On the previous page 131 of full names, there is a M. P. Abernathy listed, and on the next preceding page 129 of full names, there is a R. G. Abernathy. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: batchelorw Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1692.7.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Bill, Of course it is all garbage. I had a monumental task starting out on researching the Roper family, being new at it, and made countless errors. I wish I could go back and erase tons of wrong assumptions and sloppy genealogy. But, alas, it is all in print. That is why I continually give thanks to you for educating me and setting me on the right course, for your postings, and for the work that L David Roper has put into this project. Nevertheless, I will continue to put new theories and ideas forward, hopefully better supported,until I get the correct ones. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1692.7/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: In this older thread, you had asserted: > "Shadrack Roper b. abt 1744, d. 1784 Powhatan, Virginia, has a son named William Roper, > aka William P. Roper b. abt 1775 Virginia. William Roper had a brother named Jesse Roper. > This William Roper moved to Rowan County, NC and married Sarah Standridge, b. 1775 in > Rowan, NC. The marriage occurred in 1793. Sarah Standridge had a brother, Alexander > Standridge, who traded with the Indians. > William Roper and Sarah Standridge then had two sons named Thomas Raper b. abt 1793 > and Jesse Raper b. abt 1797, both born in NC. They move to Jessamine, Ky. Sarah > Standridge dies shortly after the birth of Jesse. William Roper, now using the name William > P. Roper, marries Peggy Forsee in 1801 in Powhatan, Virginia. She dies within a few years. > William Roper then marries Polly Metcalfe in 1804. William P. Roper then becomes an > attorney in Kentucky in 1804." I believe that I had intended to post correcting information within this thread after you first posted this. I am UNSURE where you got much of this information, but almost ALL of it is complete garbage. I have addressed Judge William P. ROPER in my recent post: "Judge William P. ROPER (b 1776-80 - VA, d 18 Aug 1833 - Fleming, KY)" (20 Mar 2014 8:10AM) http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.roper/1873/mb.ashx I will briefly summarize points responsive to the erroneous information in this post. It is TRUE that Shadrach ROPER had a son named William P. ROPER who was a minor at his father's death. We have narrowed William P. ROPER's age range to 1776-80 using the extant Census data, but he is probably at the young end of that age range (b abt 1778-80) based upon the known date of birth of his younger brother Jesse ROPER (b 26 Aug 1781 - Powhatan, VA, d 03 Sep 1861 - Howard, MO). There is NO EVIDENCE that this William ROPER ever moved to Rowan County, NC, and married at age 13 to 15. This seems fanciful. It seems plausible that William P. ROPER might have moved to Jessamine County, Kentucky, at an early date, possibly even before he married Peggy FORSEE, but it is more likely that William studied in Virginia before migrating to Kentucky. William P. ROPER was first elected to the state legislature in 1805 in Fleming county, KY. I believe that the William ROPER enumerated in Jessamine County, KY, in the 1810 Census probably IS WIlliam P. ROPER, who is NOT shown in the legislature between 1806 and 1811. He may have been clerking for a judge or practicing law during this interval. Jesse ROPER is in Jessamine County in the 1810 Census. William P. ROPER returned to Fleming, Kentucky, where he seems to have lived for the balance of his life, serving numerous terms in the legislature -- both House and Senate -- and also serving as a Circuit Court Judge. I believe that any connection to the STANDRIDGE family is fanciful. * On the other hand, I believe that there MIGHT be some connection between the Tennessee and Kentucky ROPERs of interest to you and the family of Shadrach ROPER. Both William P. ROPER's family and Jesse ROPER's family are reasonably well documented. Samuel ROPER's family is NOT. Samuel ROPER seems to be possibly much older and possibly a half brother. Finding this Samuel ROPER in the records is an interesting challenge. I DO think that we should look for him and seek to elaborate his genealogy. It would be unsurprising if this Samuel ROPER had a son named William or Jesse. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Forsee, Metcalfe, Metcalf, Price, Weisiger Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/81.126.129.134/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I just created a new thread which discusses William P. ROPER, Jesse ROPER's (b 26 Aug 1781 - Powhatan, VA, d 03 Sep 1861 - Howard, MO) older brother: "Judge William P. ROPER (b 1776-80 - VA, d 18 Aug 1833 - Fleming, KY)" (20 Mar 2014 8:10AM) http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.roper/1873/mb.ashx I thought you might find this information of interest! Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Forsee, Metcalfe, Metcalf, Price, Weisiger Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/808.7/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I posted a brief genealogical sketch regarding Shadrach ROPER's son Judge William P. ROPER (b 1776-80 - VA, d 18 Aug 1833 - Fleming, KY) in a new thread: "Judge William P. ROPER (b 1776-80 - VA, d 18 Aug 1833 - Fleming, KY)" http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.roper/1873/mb.ashx Many researchers continue to post fraudulent lineages purporting to connect Shadrach ROPER to various New Kent ROPERs, republishing completely discredited information. Most researchers have also invented another father for William P. ROPER to avoid recognizing William's correct genealogical information, since this also eviscerates the published fraudulent lineages involving Shadrach ROPER. I have summarized the truthful genealogical information about this important ROPER ancestor. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Forsee, Metcalfe, Metcalf, Price, Weisiger Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1873/mb.ashx Message Board Post: It is rather remarkable that after all these years of ROPER genealogy, no one seems to have taken an interest in Judge William P. ROPER (b 1776-80 - VA, d 18 Aug 1833 - Fleming, KY), son of Shadrach ROPER (d aft 17 Sep 1784 - Powhatan, VA). Judge William P. ROPER was perhaps the most prominent of ancient Kentucky ROPER ancestors. There almost seems to be more misinformation than information about William P. ROPER. Although he is a son expressly named within the Will of Shadrach ROPER,those who have created fictional facts and a fictional lineage for Shadrach ROPER have distorted his family information so much that this fraud also colors the historical record as to Shadrach ROPER's several children who are given fantastic and specious dates of birth in suport of the fraudulent lineage of their father. The first mention of William P. ROPER is within Shadrach ROPER's Will dated 17 Sep 1784 and proved 16 Dec 1784. William is shown to be one of Shadrach's three minor children. William had an older brother Samuel ROPER, who seems not to have been a minor, and who may have been a half brother, given the gap in the children's ages. See: "Will of Shadrach ROPER (d aft 17 Sep 1784 - Powhatan, VA)" (5 Mar 2006 7:12PM GMT) http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.roper/808/mb.ashx "Shadrach ROPER -- A Reassessment and Some New Ways of Looking at the Data" (12 Sep 2010 7:10PM) http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.roper/808.1/mb.ashx * William P. ROPER is next mentioned within the Powhatan marriage records, marrying Peggy FORSEE on 16 Dec 1801 in Powhatan, VA. See: "Virginia, Marriages, 1785-1940," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XRWF-F8Q : accessed 20 Mar 2014), William Roper and Peggy Forsee, 16 Dec 1801; citing Powhatan, Virginia, reference ; FHL microfilm 33067. * * * THE CENSUS DATA It should be noted that William P. ROPER was almsot surely already in Kentucky by 1805 when he is electd to the Kentucky State House, as further related below. However, William's absence from the legislature between 1805 and 1811 introduces at least the bare possibility that he might have resided somewhere else during this interval. The two best candidates in Kentucky seem to be these two Williams: William ROPER [Jessamine, KY 1810] William RAPIER [Nelson, KY 1810] See: "United States Census, 1810," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XH2P-7XV : accessed 20 Mar 2014), William Roper, Not Stated, Jessamine, Kentucky; citing "1810 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 56, line 2230, NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 7, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0181352. "United States Census, 1810," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XH29-QCP : accessed 20 Mar 2014), William Rapier, Bardstown, Nelson, Kentucky; citing "1810 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 29, line 156, NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 8, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0181353. * The Jessamine William ROPER record seems MOST LIKELY, particularly given the proximty there of William ROPER's younger brother Jesse ROPER (b 26 Aug 1781 - Powhatan, VA, d 03 Sep 1861 - Howard, MO). See: "United States Census, 1810," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XH2P-7FQ : accessed 20 Mar 2014), Jesse Roper, Not Stated, Jessamine, Kentucky; citing "1810 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 56, line 2260, NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 7, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0181352. * These records would seem also to be bare possibilities, if William returned to Virginia, perhaps at the death of his mother. Wm. ROPER [Henrico, VA 1810] William ROPER [New Kent, VA 1810] Henrico is near to Powhatan. * There are these additional William ROPER households shown in other places in the United States the 1810 Census: Wm. ROPER [Robeson, NC 1810] William ROPER [Charleston, SC 1810] William ROPER [Kershaw, SC 1810] William ROPER [Kershaw, SC 1810] * I have NOT yet looked closely at these Census records. No one seems to have ever bothered to look for the early Fleming deed or tax records which might show William's date of arrival. I strongly suspect that the Jessamine, KY, 1810 record is the correct one. But anyone interested in this ROEPR ancestor really ought to get a close look at the Fleming and Jessamine deed and tax records before ascribing this record to William P. ROPER. * In 1820, William P. ROPER is enumerated within the U.S. Census in Fleming. He is shown to be age 26 to 44 (b abt 1776-94). See: "United States Census, 1820," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VJ1F-YNG : accessed 20 Mar 2014), Wm P Roper, Not Stated, Fleming, Kentucky; citing "1820 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 81, NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 21, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm . * In 1830, William P. ROPER is enumerated (as "W.P. ROPER") in the Census for the last time before his death. He is shown to be age 50 to 59 (b abt 1771-80). See: "United States Census, 1830," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHPB-JV4 : accessed 20 Mar 2014), W P Roper, Eastern Division, Fleming, Kentucky; citing "1830 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 37, NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 36, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0007815. * * >From the extant Census information, we can infer that William P. ROPER was born between 1776-80 and probably towards the upper end of that range 1778-80. This is consistent with William being a minor at his father's death in 1784. This is also very precisely consistent with the KNOWN date of birth of William P. ROPER's younger brother Jesse ROPER (b 26 Aug 1781 - Powhatan, VA, d 03 Sep 1861 - Howard, MO). * * * WILLIAM P. ROPER's MARRIAGES Judge ROPER married four times. His first marriage, as mentioned above, was to Peggy FORSEE in Powhattan. His subsequent marriages were to: (i) Peggy FORSEE on 16 Dec 1801 in Powhatan, VA (ii) Mary METCALFE on 17 Oct 1804 in Fleming Co., KY (iii) Elizabeth PRICE on 08 Aug 1809 in Fleming Co., KY* (iv) Lucy Price WEISIGER on 01 Jun 1824 in Franklin Co., KY See: "Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FWBL-74D : accessed 20 Mar 2014), William P. Roper and Polly Metcalfe, 17 Oct 1804; citing Fleming, Kentucky, reference p82 l10; FHL microfilm 344015. "Kentucky Marriages, 1785-1979," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FW5C-8Y2 : accessed 20 Mar 2014), William P. Roper and Lucy P. Weisiger, 01 Jun 1824; citing Franklin County, Kentucky, reference p 76; FHL microfilm 266192. * I am aware of NO SUPPORT for this asserted marriage, but the information is sufficiently specific that is seems plausible. * * * JUDGE WILLIAM P. ROPER's PUBLIC LIFE Judge William P. ROPER is hardly an obscure figure. He served in the Kentucky legislature (House) representing Fleming County in 1805, 1811, 1814, 1816, 1817, and 1819. He also served in the Kentucky State Senate in 1818 and from 1827 until his death in 1833. He was serving in the State Senate at the time of Henry CLAY's second election to the United States Senate by a vote of the Kentucky legislature (well before direct election of Senators). See: Historical Sketches of Kentucky: History of Kentucky, Vol. 2, by Lewis Collins, Richard H. Collin (Covington,KY: Collins & Co., 1882), pp. 230-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=gZFQAQAAIAAJ&dq="William P. Roper" Fleming&pg=PA230#v=onepage&q&f=false Of course, there are numerous mentions of William P. ROPER in the Kentucky Senate Journal. This online Senate Journal is exemplary: http://books.google.com/books?id=BXFaAAAAYAAJ&dq="William P. Roper" Fleming&pg=PR2#v=onepage&q=ROPER&f=false There seems to be some extant correspondence between William P. ROPER and Henry CLAY amongst the Henry CLAY papers, but I haven't seen this. Concurrent with his terms in the Senate, William P. ROPER also served as a Judge of the Circuit Court. * * * WILLIAM P. ROPER's MILITARY SERVICE William P. ROPER is most like the otherwise UNNAMED Major ROPER shown to have served in Johnson's Reg't, Mounted, Kentucky Volunteers during the War of 1812 / Creek War. See my post: "ROPER Veterans of the War of 1812 / Creek War" (18 Mar 2014 12:57AM) http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.roper/1870/mb.ashx * * * Judge ROPER is shown to have died on 18 Aug 1833 during a cholera epidemic. See: "Observer and Reporter," newspaper of Lexington, KY, 21 Aug 1833. * I have never seen a posted abstract of William P. ROPER's probate information. No one seems to be much interested in William, possibly because CORRECTING his information rather conclusively demonstrates the FRAUD associated with various other lineages which have been crafted by altering Shadrach ROPER's genealogical information. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/81.126.129.133.142.143.149.392/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Because so many people continue to republish erroneous and misleading information about the family of Shadrach ROPER, I want to expressly address some of the information shown in this post. You said: > Shadrack (Shedrach) was listed as being born 1719 in Powhatan VA He was married in > Powhatan in 1744 and his children were listed as Samuel b 1745; William 1747; Jessie 1749; > Mary Ann 1751; Susannah 1753; Keziah 1755; Elizabeth 1757 and Joseph 1758, all born > Powhatan VA. There is NO EVIDENCE that Shadrach ROPER was either born in 1719 OR that he was born in Powhatan. Powhatan County was created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly in May 1777. These are simply INVENTED facts used to create false connections for a fraudulent lineage and should be removed from any honest genealogy.. There is also NO EVIDENCE that Shadrach ROPER was married in Powhattan OR that he married in 1744. IF he was married, in 1744, which is exceptionally UNLIKELY, because this probably would have been BEFORE HE WAS BORN it wouldn't have been in Powhatan County for the aforementioned reason that Powhatan County didn't exist yet. Shadrach ROPER's youngest children are SHOWN to be MINORS at the date of his Will. I believe that it is UNLIKELY that ANY of Shadrach's children were born BEFORE Shadrach ROPER. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Cannon, Smith, McCool, McCule, McCord, McCale, Bailey Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1758.5/mb.ashx Message Board Post: A very brief sketch about Rebecca Cannon ROPER (b 06 Jan 1795, d 04 Dec 1846) by Jean RAYL appears within the Spring 2008 edition of The Union Campground Newsletter, a publication of the Union Campground Cemetery Association: "A MOMENT IN HISTORY Rebecca Roper Her tombstone leans heavily to one side. The years have taken a toll ... after all, it has guarded her resting place since 1846. The grave has caved, leaving a depression surrounded by remnants of a stone box burial. Read the words inscribed on her stone: Sacred to the Memory of Rebecca Roper B: 6 Jan 1795 S: 4 Dec 1846 Rebecca was the wife of David Roper, a gentleman who came to Greene County, MO. Ca 1821 (Holcombe's History of Greene County, p. 143. "Opening the Ozarks: First Families in Southwest Missouri 1835-39" says he was married to Rebecca Cannon on 10 Sep 1813 in Blount Co., Tennessee. His name appears on the 1833 Greene County Tax List. He obtained his parcel of land by the Pre- emption Act of 1834. Children of David and Rebecca (Cannon) Roper: 1. Elizabeth Roper b: 2 Sep 1818 in TN 2. William Roper b: 1820 in TN 3. ?Ann Eliza Roper b: ca 1822 in TN 4. ?Jane Roper b: ca 1824 in Tn In the 1840 Census of Greene Co. MO, Rebecca is listed as white female, as 40-50 years. The above scant details are all we know about her life. But, as we walk through the oldest section of Union Campground Cemetery, we observe her tombstone and pay tribute to her life. Submitted by Jean Rayl." See: http://www.unioncampgroundcemetery.org/updates11162010/Ucamp No 27, Vol 15, Issue 1, No 28, Spg 2008 .pdf * * * The cited reference "Opening the Ozarks: First Families in Southwest Missouri, 1835-1839 (Volume 3)" by Marsha Hoffman Rising (2005) should probably be directly investigated. Significantly, this sketch expressly mentions a date and place of marriage, Blount County, TN, which was rather precisely where we find David ROPER in the 1814 Militia Rolls! By fixing the marriage in Blount, TN, this also seems to be the place to look for Rebecca CANNON's family in 1813. * * * The following Cannon marriages from Blount, TN, may further inform our inquiry into Rebecca CANNON's family: Ellender CANNON m Nichola McCORD/McCOOL on 17 Sep 1817 Margaret CANON m Benjamin McCULE/McCALE on 09 Mar 1824 Naoma CANNON m John BAILEY on 07 Dec 1824 John R. CANNON m Patience L. SMITH on 11 Oct 1825 * There is a John CANNON and a Jeremiah CANNON are enumerated within Blount County in the 1830 Census. The 1820 Census returns for Blount and other East Tennessee Counties were LOST. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Bicknell Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1857.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: Had you noticed that Philip Lawson ROPER is enumerated immediately adjacent to a Linsey BICKNELL, age 25, in the 1850 Census enumeration for Blount County, AL? See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11757-100508-73?cc=1401638&wc=MF2P-G5C:1031324201,1031495701,1031535401 : accessed 19 Mar 2014), Alabama > Blount > Blout county > image 116 of 176; citing NARA microfilm publication M432. * The family of James BICKNESS, age 49 born in Virginia, is enumerated on the immediately following page, together with wife Frances, age 44, born Tennessee, and five children, all born in Alabama. This seems to put James BICKNESS in Alabama by 1835. See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11757-96347-86?cc=1401638&wc=MF2P-G5C:1031324201,1031495701,1031535401 : accessed 19 Mar 2014), Alabama > Blount > Blout county > image 117 of 176; citing NARA microfilm publication M432. * * * The adjacency of Philip Lawson ROPER to a BICKNELL seems to me to be unlikely to be a coincidence. This seems to me to at least vindicate carefully examining the relationships in the North Carolina ROPER family, but also serves a reminder about retracing and reviewing the primary evidence in respect of new facts to any extent that you hadn't already noticed this connection. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1692.4.2.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: You stated above: "Consider again the census records for the 1810 Pulaski, KY census: David Roper 0-0-1-2-1 0-1-1-0-1-2 (2 slaves) Pulaski, KY p. 21 David Roper 0-0-2-0-1 0-1-1-1-0-2 (2 slaves) Pulaski, KY p. 22" In another post, I discussed the slaves counts of the David ROPERs in the 1810 Census. After some study, I came to the conclusion that the indication within the slave column of one of these records was probably a stray mark and not a number. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Clark, Gilmore Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1851.1.1.2.1.1.2.1.1.1.4.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The marriage record of Milford GILMORE to Sarah CLARK on 26 Oct 1827 in Pulaski, KY, apparently identifies the bride's mother as Sarah ROPER. This would seem to be the Sarah Clark ROPER who married James ROPER. Perhaps the GILMORE connection can afford another means of obtaining a better understanding of Sarah CLARK. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Cowan, Tomlinson Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1872/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Some years ago, in a previous thread on Illinois ROPER marriages, I noted these two marriages in Pope County, Illinois of a Samuel ROPER: ROPER, SAMUEL -- COWAN, MARY JANE: POPE COUNTY; 5/30/1826; 00A/0028; 00000061 ROPER, SAMUEL -- TOMLINSON, JANE: POPE COUNTY; 11/24/1835; OOA/0206; 00000000 See my prior post: "Illinois Statewide ROPER Marriages from 1763-1900 BY COUNTY" (Wed, 20 Apr 2005 19:38:56 -0600) * * * There is a Samuel ROPER enumerated in the 1840 Census residing in Pope County, IL. See: "United States Census, 1840," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHBD-J7Z : accessed 19 Mar 2014), Saml Roper, Not Stated, Pope, Illinois; citing "1840 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 166, NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 68, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0007645. * * * In 1850, there is a Jane ROPER (sometimes indexed as RAPER), age 45 (b abt 1805), shown to be residing in Pope County, IL, with these children: James ROPER, age 15, born IL Samuel ROPER, age 10, born IL John B. ROPER, age 9, born IL Elizabeth ROPER, age 7, born KY Jane is shown to be born in Ohio and to own real estate worth $3,000. The Census images are ambiguous. Half of the entries seem to say ROPER, the other half RAPER. This seems characteristic of a droopy "o". See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M8P1-7RX : accessed 19 Mar 2014), Jane Raper, Pope county, Pope, Illinois, United States; citing family 64, NARA microfilm publication M432. * * * Jane ROPER is again enumerated in Golconda, Pope, Illinois, at age 56 with James, Samuel and Elizabeth still residing in the household. See: "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXHD-3V5 : accessed 19 Mar 2014), Jane Roper, Golconda, Pope, Illinois, United States; citing "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," Fold3.com; p. 7, household ID 50, NARA microfilm publication M653; FHL microfilm 803220. * * * Is anyone familiar with Samuel ROPER and his Pope County ROPER family? Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Wight, Wright Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1871/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Within Deed Book 2 of the Richmond Hustings Court, there appears to be a deed of emancipation of a slave named Peter ROPER, formerly owned by Jesse ROPER, by Hezekiah L. WIGHT or WRIGHT: This deed is abstracted at the Free African Americans site: "pp.523-4, Hezekiah L. Wight, for 45 pounds paid by my negro man slave Peter sometimes called Peter Roper about 25 years of age, purchased by me of Jesse Roper...do emancipate him. 16 January 1799. proved 11 February 1799." http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/virginiafreeafter1782.htm It seems that Mr. WIGHT allowed Peter to work, probably on the side, and earn money to emancipate himself. Even so, given that slaves routinely sold for hundreds of dollars, the amount Peter paid seems to be some token amount, though probably exceptionally difficult and time consuming for Peter to earn and save, a fraction of what he might sell for on the open market. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Gates, Jackson, Lewis Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/500.4/mb.ashx Message Board Post: While looking for something else, I stumbled across the post at the Tennessee GenWeb site by Jonathan K.T. Smith from 1995 showing interments at the Riverside Cemetery, including the family monument of Benjamin Franklin GATES. It is clear from your post above that the grave markers at the Riverside Cemetery were already known to you more than a decade ago. Even so, I thought it might be helpful to others researching this line to have the precise information abstracted by Mr. Smith, together with the additional notes shown, the reliability of which is unknown to me: "LOT 234, GATES No individual tombstones on this lot. One large tombstone in mid-lot, inscribed on south side: BENJAMIN FRANKLIN GATES. On north side inscribed these names: west half: BENJAMIN F. GATES, 1817-1898 ELIZABETH J. ROPER, Wife of B. F. GATES, 1823-1858 MILDRED A. ROPER (Aunt Millie), 1828-1889 ELIZABETH R. GATES, 1852-1873 MARY C. GATES, 1854-1873 ELIZABETH T. COCKE, 1830-1885 ROBERT GATES, 1840-1915 CALEDONIA JANE JESTER, wife of Robert Gates, 1850-1928 east half: CALLIE P. GATES, 1867-1869 EDGAR A. GATES, 1873-1873 SALLIE A. GATES, 1870-1879 JAMES GATES, 1862-1884 NORMAN GATES, 1875-1903 NARCISA NEWSUM, wife of B. F. GATES 1831-1892 WILLIAM C. ESTES, 1874-1874 EMMA H. GATES, 1901-1902 Madison County marriage records show that B. F. Gates was married to Mrs. Narcissa M. Stone, May 4, 1859. Robert Gates' death certificate, Madison Co. gives his dates: May 5, 1841-October 4, 1915." See: http://www.tngenweb.org/records/madison/cemeteries/riverside/mrc7-08.htm * The posted notes cite a biographical sketch of the son Robert GATES appearing within THE NATIONAL CYCLOPAEDIA OF AMERICAN BIOGRAPY, vol. 8 (New York, 1898), page 237: "GATES, Robert, soldier, editor and promoter, was born in Henry county, Tenn., May 8, 1841. son of B. F. and Elizabeth (Jackson) Gates, both natives of Virginia. In 1854 his father moved to Jackson, Madison Co., where Robert grew to manhood, and where he made his home until 1889. ... [much more]" Separately, it is stated amongst Smith's posted notes: "In the sketch about Captain Robert Gates, CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY (1899), Reprint, Wilmington, N.C., 1987, vol. 10-Extended, page 496, is mentioned that "His father, B. F. Gates, Was a descendant of Thomas Gates, governor of Virginia, and his mother, Elizabeth Jackson Roper, daughter of Gen. Fielding Lewis."" Clearly the information in these three sources is inconsistent. It seems to me that the information on the family monument is more likely to be reliable than that appearing in the biographical sketches published later, however it is also unclear to me whether the monument was constructed contemporaneous to the earlier deaths or whether it was constructed much later. * Is it possible that the latter ascription got the generations wrong and that Frances JACKSON was a daughter or connected in some way with a Gen. Fielding LEWIS? A cursory review seems to suggest that this is a specious ascription. Col. Fielding LEWIS (07 Jul 1725, d 07 Dec 1781) is shown by LEWIS genealogists to have had a daughter named Frances (b 26 Nov 1748, d abt 1775-81), seemingly a prior generation. Fielding LEWIS, Jr. (b 14 Feb 1751, d 21 Jul 1803) seems to be about the right generation to have been Frances' father OR the father of the Elizabeth LEWIS who married Robert ROPER. See for example: http://www.kenmore.org/genealogy/lewis/lewis_descendants.html However the younger Fielding LEWIS seems to have been a Captain in the Revolution and LEWIS genealogists seem to have identified his children to the exclusion of any construction suggested within CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY (1899). See: http://www.kenmore.org/genealogy/lewis/fielding_children.html (I have NOT verified ANY of this LEWIS family information.) * * * Have you resolved any of the questions about this ROPER family in the decade since your post? Do you have any additional insights to share with us? Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Henderson Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1854.3/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The following death notice for John White ROPER (b 11 Mar 1811, d 16 Apr 1846 - Shelby, AL) was published within the Southwestern Christian Advocate on August 7, 1846: "JOHN W. ROPER son of Joseph and Mary Roper, formerly of Jefferson Co., Tenn.; recently of McMinn Co., Tenn. and for 13 years a resident of Alabama; died Shelby Co., Alabama, April 16, 1846." See: http://www.tngenweb.org/records/davidson/obits/swca/swca-10.htm Thanks to abstractor / compiler Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith! * * * While we had the basic genealogical information from John White ROPER's grave marker, this death notice confirms the relationships and shows the migration of Joseph ROPER from Jefferson County, Tennessee, to McMinn County, and finally to Shelby County, AL, about 1833. The date of birth shown is taken from John White ROPER's grave marker, as discussed in the post above. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Stell Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1762.9/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The following death notice is shown to have appeared within the Nashville Christian Advocate on September 5, 1889: "HAYWOOD ANSLEY ROPER son of David and Sallie Roper born Dinwiddie Co., Va., June 11, 1829; died near Nashville, Tenn., July 26, 1889; obituary submitted by his brother, Joel D. Roper." See: http://www.tngenweb.org/records/davidson/obits/nca/nca87-7.htm Appreciation to abstractor / compiler Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith! Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Stell, Roper, Critchlow Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1762.8/mb.ashx Message Board Post: A death notice for Sarah "Sally" Giles Stell Roper CRITCHLOW (b 03 Aug 1799 - Dinwiddie, VA, d 06 Nov 1883) was published in the December 29, 1883, edition of the Christian Advocate (Methodist), of Nashville, TN. This death notice is abstracted at a page of the Tennessee GenWeb records for Davidson County: "SALLY GILES CRICHLOW born Dinwiddie Co., Virginia, August 3, 1799; daughter of George and Charity Stell; married (1) David Roper (died 1840), 1817; (2) Henry Crichlow, 1837; died November 6, 1883." See: http://www.tngenweb.org/records/davidson/obits/nca/nca8-03.htm Appreciation to abstractor / compiler Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Peay, Downs, Smith, Allen, Jenkins, Cook Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1768.11/mb.ashx Message Board Post: There seems to be still more to the family scandal involving William ROPER and the notorious Polly ROPER at the end of the life of the following generation. In the Tennessee Chancery Case State of Tennessee v. James C. ALLEN, et al, decided at April Term, 1874, the court considered a matter arising from the intestacy of one William P. DOWNS. Within the introductory recitation of the facts of this case, it is explained: "Bill and amended bill filed, under the act of May 26, 1866, ch. 46, to have the estate of one William P. DOWNS declared escheated to the state. The bill is based upon the ground that the deceased was the illegitimate son of one James P. DOWNS by one Polly ROPER, while she lived in lawful wedlock with one William ROPER, and that he died, never having been married, without issue, intestate, and leaving no relatives entitled by law to his estate. The facts to be gathered from the bill are: That William P. DOWNS died about the 12th of July, 1866; that first CARTWRIGHT, and afterwards ROPER, qualified as administrators of his estate; that the children of one SMITH, of the state of Ohio, who claimed to be the heirs and next of kin of DOWNS through the DOWNS, sent out J.C. ALLEN, the husband of one of them named Anna Henrietta, as their agent, who took possession of the property, and received the rents and profits ..." * I will NOT attempt a full transcription here, as the full text of the case is available online through Gaoogle Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=QzEtAQAAMAAJ&lpg=PA43&ots=4MAeTq6w-P&dq="William Roper" Tennessee&pg=PA42#v=onepage&q&f=false * * * While the facts of the case, as presented, seem to contradict my conclusion that the Martha ROPER who died in Phillips, Arkansas, was the former wife of William ROPER and the notorious "Polly" ROPER, given the reports of a subsequent marriage to James P. DOWNS, most of the other facts actually seem reasonably consistent with what I have previously posted. There may still be some valuable genealogical details to be found in the underlying probate filings of this case, including more details as to the family of James P. DOWNS, etc. * * * This seems likely to be the same William P. DOWNS, age 46, enumerated in the 1860 Census residing in Nashville, Davidson County within the household of Fielding COOK. See: "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M8YM-7XG : accessed 18 Mar 2014), William P Downs in household of Fielding P Cook, 4th Ward City Of Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States; citing "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," Fold3.com; p. 114, household ID 712, NARA microfilm publication M653; FHL microfilm 805246. * In 1850, a William DOWNS [no middle initial], age 35, born Tennessee, is enumerated in Nashville, Davidson County, within the household of O. JENKINS, age 56, and Elizabeth JENKINS, age 54. This William DOWNS is shown to own real estate worth $26,000, a quite substantial estate! See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12400-286532-3?cc=1401638 : accessed 18 Mar 2014), Tennessee > Davidson > Nashville > image 36 of 169; citing NARA microfilm publication M432. * * * I stumbled across this case while looking for something else and wanted to push the information out for the consideration and analysis of others interested in this branch of the family. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board. <br>