This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Harris Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1898.4/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: I also wanted to share a quick note about the George ROPER -- Agnes HARRIS marriage. There is an extant marriage record showing the marriage of George ROPER to Agnes HARRIS on 13 Aug 1806 in Davidson County, TN. See: "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-12587-67736-0?cc=1619127 : accessed 16 Apr 2014), 004486009 > image 241 of 300. For indications that this is a Davidson Marriage Book, seem Images 299, 297 and 2. [Curiously, the Images in this file seem to have been microfilmed in the book from back to front.] * * * Seemingly, without any thought or analysis, careless or dishonest researchers seem to have ascribed this marriage to Revolutionary War Veteran George ROPER. Perhaps there is some primary evidence in support of this ascription, but I seriously doubt it. The mention that the wife of George ROPER, of Roper's Knob, was an Agnes ROPER, within the article "", seems to be more suggestive that the indicated marriage was to the George W. ROPER later found at Roper's Knob. What are the odds that two different contemporaneous George ROPERs in Tennessee had wives named "Agnes"? There is at least one problem with such an ascription, though, and this is the fact that George ROPER, of Williamson County, in 1850, is shown to be age 58 (b abt 1792) and born in Virginia. See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MC6Q-8KG : accessed 17 Apr 2014), George W Roper, Williamson county, Williamson, Tennessee, United States; citing family 831, NARA microfilm publication M432. If George W. ROPER's age in the 1850 Census record is actually correct and he is the George ROPER shown in the Davidson County marriage record from 1806, then he would have married at about age fourteen. This seems to me to be a bit on the young side to marry, even in those times. However, my records show that the 1850 Census record is NOT consistent with the data from 1830: George W. ROPER: 0 - 2 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 7 [Williamson, TN 1830] This record shows George W. ROPER to be age 40 to 49 and born about 1781-1790. I do NOT seem to have the 1840 Census data for George W. ROPER amongst my notes. If the 1840 data is consistent with the 1830 data and inconsistent with the 1850 data, showing George W. ROPER to be a little older, I am inclined to believe that the Agnes HARRIS who married George ROPER married the George W. ROPER, later found resident in Williamson County at ROPER's Knob. The resolution of this record may actually be rather important in respect of some other aspects of Tennessee ROPER genealogy. The 1806 marriage puts this George W. ROPER in Tennessee at a very early date and well before his first appearance in neighboring Williamson County. This George W. ROPER's indicated Virginia birth is also interesting. Given the wealth of abundant primary data which remains unexamined in Tennessee, it is such a tragedy that dishonest researchers have made the various false ascriptions without making any effort whatsoever to examine the records which would give the correct answer! If you have the 1840 data for George W. ROPER, I would be very interested in learning of what the household age counts actually show. Also, some more trustworthy secondary sources assert that this George W. ROPER died in Todd County, Kentucky, in 1858. The primary evidence in support of this assertion is unknown to me, but an examination of land records and probate records in Todd County, KY, would seem to be indicated. 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>