This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Stockton Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1898.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: First, I want to applaud you on your really TERRIFIC new expository thread on Revolutionary War Veteran George ROPER (b abt 1762-65)!! I have been intending to create a new thread on George ROPER for some time and you have done a tremendous job collecting, analyzing and summarizing the primary evidence! I wanted to share several pieces of data with you, as well as suggested avenues for further inquiry and investigation. * GEORGE ROPER's PENSION APPLICATION The original images of the Revolutionary War Pension applications are directly available at Ancestry, and I would encourage you to carefully review EACH PAGE of the original images! You have already noted some rather stark potential errors possibly introduced either by unsupported assertions within the letter of A.D. MILLER dated 27 Aug 1931 which may have resulted in some of the confusion. Without inspection of the original images, it is also hard to know precisely what else may have been erroneously represented or omitted from the abstract and which pieces of information came from the original application, which came from answers to the War Department interrogatories and which came from other much more recent correspondence. For ANY exceptionally important detail, you need to re-verify the data from the original images. Separate from the Abstract of George ROPER's Pension Application [No. S30683] posted at Dave ROPER's site, I would encourage you to review the independent transcription of Will GRAVES amongst the collection of "Southern Campaign American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters": http://www.revwarapps.org/s36261.pdf * * You have stated well and correctly the apparent omission of a mention that George ROPER was from Caswell, NC. This seems NOT to be shown directly from the Pension Application or other primary data you identified, but may possibly be reasonably inferred from some other information. George ROPER's possible Caswell origin will be further discussed in another separate Reply. * * * ADDITIONAL CENSUS DATA I realize that given the information that George ROPER was in Williamson, Tennessee, at the 05 Jul 1824 date of his application, you may not have searched extensively for him elsewhere in the 1820 Census. However, as further shown below, George W. ROPER, of Williamson seems to have already been age 28 in 1820 and was of a sufficient age to have been the subject of most of the early Williamson mentions. I would encourage you to at least take a close look at the Census record of the George ROPER enumerated in Pope County, Illinois in 1820. Not all migrations are strictly linear! See: "United States Census, 1820," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHGQ-SGJ : accessed 16 Apr 2014), George Roper, Monroe, Pope, Illinois; citing "1820 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 74, NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 12, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0506764. * Pope County is one of the most Southerly counties in Illinois separated from Kentucky only by the Ohio River. It is also almost immediately across the River from Paducah, KY, where the Tennessee River joins the Ohio. It is exceptionally easy to get to Pope County, either via the Ohio River from any of the Northerly Ohio counties adjacent to the Ohio River OR by following the Cumberland River West to the Tennessee River and crossing the Ohio to Illinois where the Tennessee River joins the Ohio at Paducah. To the extent that George ROPER was a pioneer in Kentucky, he may have chosen to move with the pioneers to Illinois, too, and then then returned for a while to Tennessee. Perhaps George ROPER's first appearance in Illinois was in 1828, but it couldn't hurt to check the 1820 Census record. * * * GEORGE W. ROPER, OF WILLIAMSON, TN In discussing the various George ROPER, you gloss over George W. ROPER, of Williamson, who is shown to have supported George ROPER's Pension Application. This George W. ROPER is enumerated residing in Williamson County, TN, in the 1830, 1840 and 1850 Census enumerations. George W. ROPER is shown to be age 58 (b abt 1792 - VA) and born in VIRGINIA. See: "United States Census, 1830," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHPT-RXW : accessed 16 Apr 2014), George W Roper, Franklin, Williamson, Tennessee; citing "1830 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 197, NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 182, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0024540. "United States Census, 1840," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHYM-38G : accessed 16 Apr 2014), George W Roper, Not Stated, Williamson, Tennessee; citing "1840 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 138, NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 537, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0024550. "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MC6Q-8KG : accessed 16 Apr 2014), George W Roper, Williamson county, Williamson, Tennessee, United States; citing family 831, NARA microfilm publication M432. * I will furnish a little more on this George W. ROPER in a separate post. * * * GEORGE ROPER's RESIDENCE IN KENTUCKY Your analysis of the Census data to determine that David C. ROPER was born in Kentucky is especially helpful and insightful! I would prefer to see a better primary record reference for George ROPER's asserted militia service from 1793, but do NOT doubt that this record exists and shows the early presence of George ROPER in Kentucky. We probably need to learn a little more about Lt. Col. RUSSELL and his Cavalry Regiment. Appearance of George ROPER on an 1800 Tex List for Warren County is also huge. But this also implies that we need to be looking at the deed records and other court records in Logan and Warren Counties. You will recall my constant mantra that we need to be looking at the ANNUAL TAX LISTS. Your identification that a George ROPER was on the 1800 Tax List for Warren County, Kentucky, makes looking at the ANNUAL LISTS for Warren critical. At least one other researcher (Katherine Moncrief) has reported that George ROPER is shown on the Tax Lists for Warren, KY, for 1799 and 1806. See: "Re: [ROPER] James W. Roper b. 17 Oct. 1800, NC d. 15 Feb. 1881" (Thu, 7 Feb 2008 20:49:17 -0600) [Archives] http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ROPER/2008-02/1202435112 This post had previously escaped my notice, probably because it occurred during the train-up for my overseas deployment to Iraq in 2008. We need to VERIFY the reported Tax List information, obtain the detailed information shown on the lists, look at the Lists BEFORE 1799 and AFTER 1806, as well as for each year from 1799 to 1806. We also need to look at the Warren County LAND RECORDS. This investigation should also include scrutiny for STOCKTON family records and the names of neighbors in Warren County should be noted. Of course, adjacent Logan County is where James ROPER, of Caswell, NC, later settled. * * * ILLINOIS LAND RECORDS More than a decade ago, I posted some finding aids to the Illinois Land records of early ROPER, RAPER and ROSSER pioneers in Illinois. My purpose was to assist others in locating the primary records so that these might be transcribed. "Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales: RAPER / ROPER / ROSSER -- By NAME" (11 Aug 2002 7:03PM GMT) http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/525/mb.ashx "Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales: RAPER / ROPER / ROSSER -- By COUNTY" (11 Aug 2002 7:06PM GMT) http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/526/mb.ashx "Illinois Public Domain Land Tract Sales: RAPER / ROPER / ROSSER -- By DATE" (11 Aug 2002 7:10PM GMT) http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/527/mb.ashx * As far as I can tell, NO ONE has yet looked at a single primary record as to the early Illinois land grants. I think that you will find some of these land grants will help inform your understanding of the early settlement of Illinois. Separately, one looks in County Grantor-Grantee indices in EACH COUNTY to find land transfers to other than the original patentee. This needs to be done for EACH COUNTY in Illinois where ROPERs were known to be resident. While there are a handful of deed abstracts and deed transcriptions posted on Dave's various pages, these posts reflect the rather myopic view that one learns of land transfers through published abstracts of deeds. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH AND PROBABLY LESS THAN 5% OF ALL LAND RECORDS HAVE EVER BEEN ABSTRACTED. This passive approach to genealogy of waiting for someone else to look up and post records, together with the publication of so many fabricated "facts" and fraudulent lineages, have kept ROPER family history in the doldrums for more than a decade! To advance the family history, some one needs to examine the Grantor-Grantee Indices for those counties where the ROPER family has been known to reside. These places include Logan and Simpson Counties, in Kentucky, and now, as you show, in Warren County, Kentucky, as well. * * * According to the Illinois Society of the DAR, Revolutionary War Veteran George ROPER is shown to be buried in the Walnut Hill Cemetery, Walnut Hill. However, I have yet to see a photograph of a burial marker for George ROPER's grave. I am going to refrain from re-posting the widely published date of George ROPER's purported death since I have never actually seen a primary record supporting that date. IF THE DATE IS SHOWN ON A GRAVE MARKER, SOMEONE NEEDS TO PHOTOGRAPH THE GRAVE MARKER. * * * * * GEORGE W. ROPER (b abt 1777, d - 08 Sep 1866 Saline, IL) In discussing this George W. ROPER, I first want to CORRECT numerous of my early posts about this particular ROPER ancestor. In posts beginning more than a decade ago, I identified this George W. ROPER as "George Washington ROPER", mostly based upon an improper false reliance on the verity of Dave ROPER's ROPER Family History GEDCOM files, which I have since learned are untrustworthy and unreliable. I am aware of NO PRIMARY RECORD which establishes or distinguishes this George ROPER's middle name as "Washington". It appears that someone UNACQUAINTED with this family, UNFAMILIAR with the primary evidence and the basic rudiments of honest genealogy, and UNFAMILIAR with history simply GUESSED or ASSUMED that the middle name was "Washington". As far as I know, there is NO SUPPORTING EVIDENCE that this was George ROPER's middle name. Members of this George ROPER's family seem to believe that his name was George William ROPER. I do NOT know the basis of this belief either. I apologize to ALL for re-publishing the unsourced assertion that this George W. ROPER was a George Washington ROPER. * According to researcher Frances Roper GOLIGHTLY, George W. ROPER and his wife Rachel are buried at the Old Ebenezer Cemetery in Saline County, IL. She reports that the grave markers say: "Rachel wife of G.W. Roper died Sept 8, 1866 Aged 83 years" "G.W. Roper died Sept 8, 1866 Aged 89 years" See: "Re: Date of Birth of George Washington ROPER -- An Afterthought" (August 11, 2002 at 08:50:48) http://genforum.genealogy.com/roper/messages/1151.html I have not yet seen photographs of these ROPER graves. I post this information because Frances has given us the specific information she says appears on the grave markers and I understand that Frances has photos, though I haven't seen them. Note that George and Rachel are shown to have died on the SAME DAY. I understand from Frances that this information is CORRECT. * * * I would expressly encourage you to review my old post about George W. ROPER: "Parents of George Washington ROPER -- Is the Lineage Correct?" (August 11, 2002 at 15:04:02) http://genforum.genealogy.com/roper/messages/1153.html In fact, I would encourage you to review each of the posts within this old Genealogy.com ROPER Message Board Thread in which the George ROPERs of Illinois were discussed: "Roper's of IL" (July 21, 2002 at 11:38:48) http://genforum.genealogy.com/roper/messages/1128.html 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>