This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Rutledge, Loving Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1875.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: You point out: > ""Maury Co. Court Minutes: Will of William Loving, Sr. 3 Feb 1826. Wit: William X > Roper Settlement with William Rutledge, adm. of John Edleman, decd, 22 Feb > 1826 ... T. Roper" > > The above records seem to be two separate entries on two separate dates. The > second entry is a settlement with William Rutledge, which appears to be connected > in some way to a T. Roper (possibly Tennessee Roper). > > I have not seen the original of the Will of William Loving or the original of the > Maury County Court minutes. The transcription states that a William Roper > witnessed the Will." This is interesting information, but I see a different significance. John ROPER, Senr., and John ROPER, Junr., of Cumberland, KY, are enumerated in the 1820 Census immediately adjacent to two RUTLEDGE households, those of Joseph RUTLEDGE and Henry RUTLEDGE. Joseph RUTLEDGE appears to be age 45 of more (b bef 1776) and Henry RUTLEDGE appears to be age 26 to 44 (b abt 1776-94). This seems to me to suggest some close connection between the ROPER and RUTLEDGE families and suggest a possible connection between Tennessee ROPER and the Caswell ROPERs. Realize that this Will also seems to have been dated AFTER the date that a William ROPER died in Nashville, TN. Although you stated in your initial post in this thread that you were disinterested in the William ROPER residing in Sumner, TN, I suspect that the William ROPER found in Maury in 1820 is probably the SAME William ROPER later found in Sumner County, TN. Also, nothing in your post supports a connection with William ROPER and Keziah YATES. For reasons explained in another post, Keziah Yates ROPER was probably already DEAD before Tennessee ROPER was born. * You also point out: > "Tennessee Roper named a child William Roper, b. August 19,1830, according to > the Ricketts Family bible." Yes. And Tennessee also had sons named John ROPER and Ephraim ROPER. YOU have asserted in prior posts that the name of the FIRST SON is suggestive of the identity of the father and argue this strenuously until it comes to ascription of children to William ROPER, who is apparently a special case for which this general rule is to be ignored! The given names of Tennessee's children seems to UNDERMINE rather than to strengthen your argument. It is perhaps noteworthy that the most significant thing about the given names of Tennessee ROPER's sons is that he names the second son with a name previously NEVER used in ANY Southern ROPER family ("Ephraim"), but which is a very COMMON GIVEN NAME in the Massachusetts ROPER family. If we are going to be making ascriptions based upon given names, you should be looking for Tennessee ROPER's ancestors in Sterling or Worcester, Massachusetts! * I would certainly encourage you to look further at the LOVING and RUTLEDGE families, but I suspect that additional facts will further unravel rather than strengthen your argument. Why not let William ROPER and Keziah YATES rest in peace and look for ancestors of the Maury ROPERs amongst those actually married and living at the date of each Maury ROPER's birth? 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>