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/1898.5/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: I wanted to share one other quick thought with you about the length of acquaintance of George ROPER (b abt 1762-5) and George W. ROPER. I want to initially caution that I haven't gone back to VERIFY the text of the Pension Application against the original images, so I may be reading something into the transcription that is UNSUPPORTED by the actual deposition and sworn testimony before the Court. Dave ROPER's posted abstract includes this brief discussion about supporting testimony by George W. ROPER: "On this 22nd day of Decr. AD 1824 persons appeared before me Jeffr C Stewart a Justice of the Peace in and for the said Court George W. Roper & Laughson ?????? and ???????? that they have been well acquainted with the circumstances of George roper ??? for fourteen years and that at the time embraced by the statement in the above aforesaid wit as to the property of said George roper and said statement of property is just and true. Sampson Powell. Sworn to and subscribed before me on the day and date above written. Goe. W. X Roper (his mark)" First, it is interesting to wonder whether one of the witnesses was a LAWSON ("Laughson"). But George W. ROPER and the otherwise unidentified LAWSON or LAUGHSON are said to have known Revolutionary War Veteran George ROPER (b abt 1762-5) for FOURTEEN (14) YEARS. Perhaps this length of acquaintance was ONLY intended to apply to LAWSON, but accepting at face value that George W. ROPER has only known the Revolutionary War Veteran for fourteen years would seem to preclude the possibility that George W. ROPER, of Williamson, is the War Veteran's SON. While it is certainly POSSIBLE that George ROPER (b abt 1762-5) is only DISTANTLY RELATED, that the younger George W. ROPER is making a supporting deposition in his favor seems more consistent with a CLOSER relationship. It seems to me that the most logical conclusion -- NOT an ascription, but rather simply analysis for discussion, further inquiry and research -- is that George W. ROPER is a younger nephew, cousin or even grandson. * Note that from your post, you seem to have shown that the Revolutionary War Veteran George ROPER (b abt 1762-5) was already present in Kentucky where he served in the militia by 1793. By contrast, George W. ROPER seems to have been born in Virginia, possibly in 1792, but also perhaps more likely earlier, between 1781 to 1790. Accepting the latter range, George W. ROPER (b abt 1781-90) seems to be TOO OLD to be a grandson of the War Veteran. One of the interesting facts is that George ROPER's (b abt 1762-5) early migration to Kentucky might have created sufficient distance that he might not have met one or more of his nephews until they were adults. * While we do NOT have great clarity as to ALL of the male ROPERs who might have emerged from Halifax, VA, and Caswell, NC, and this cannot be known until the Tax Lists for EVERY YEAR are examined, we DO have reason to suspect that Caswell might have produced John ROPER (b bef 1756), David ROPER (b Oct 1755 - Orange, NC), William ROPER (b bef 1759), James ROPER (b abt 1756-60, d 18 Nov 1835 - Simpson, KY), and George ROPER (b abt 1762-5), as well as sons of John ROPER, to include David ROPER and Henry ROPER. WILLIAM ROPER (b bef 1759) UNLIKE David Y. ROPER and Tennessee ROPER, George W. ROPER (b abt 1781-90) actually seems to have been born during an interval that might make it plausible that we could have been a son of William ROPER (b bef 1759), who married Keziah YATES in 1781. There is one problem with such an ascription. George W. ROPER (b abt 1781-90) is shown in the 1850 Census to have been born in Virginia rather than North Carolina. The ONLY Tax record anyone has bothered to look up for Caswell is the 1790 Tax Record putting William ROPER in Caswell, NC, by that date. Similarly, William ROPER (b bef 1759) is shown to have owned land in Caswell and he married Keziah in Caswell. There is NO REASON to suspect that he and Keziah had any children born in Virginia. DAVID ROPER (b Oct 1755 - Orange, NC) We have had a bit of a disagreement about the identity and household size of Revolutionary War Veteran David ROPER (b Oct 1755 - Orange, NC). I believe that he was the David ROPER Jr. shown in Rutherford, that he married late and had a small family. But whether we believe that Rev. David ROPER or David ROPER Jr. was the War Veteran, EACH are shown to have only a single male child in 1790. If George W. ROPER (b abt 1781-90) is a son of David ROPER (b Oct 1755 - Orange, NC), he seems to be the ONLY son born before 1790. But this construction also suffers from the problem that there seems to be NO EVIDENCE that this David ROPER (b Oct 1755 - Orange, NC) lived in Virginia. JAMES ROPER (b abt 1756-60, d 18 Nov 1835 - Simpson, KY) James ROPER (b abt 1756-60, d 18 Nov 1835 - Simpson, KY) is believed to have arrived in Logan County, KY, about 1806. If George W. ROPER was a son of this James ROPER, he might have met the UNCLE for whom he was named for the first time about 1806, about the year he seems to have married Agnes HARRIS, some EIGHTEEN (18) years earlier. The trouble with ascribing George W. ROPER (b abt 1781-90) as a son of James ROPER is that he seems to be TOO OLD to be consistent with the 1800 Census data and a possible prior marriage to the unnamed daughter of William LEA. I think it is most likely that James ROPER had precisely TWO children prior to 1790: William ROPER and Sarah ROPER, William LEA's grandchildren. In my view, George W. ROPER is TOO OLD to be a son of James ROPER (b abt 1756-60, d 18 Nov 1835 - Simpson, KY). JOHN ROPER (b bef 1756) This seems to mostly eliminate ALL of the other candidate EXCEPT FOR John ROPER (b bef 1756), who has been the central focus of your study. This John ROPER may have been the eldest of the group emerging from Halifax, VA / Caswell, VA, IF he is a brother of the others at all. (He very well may be a cousin or related in some other way.) He is thus OLD enough to be George W. ROPER's father. John ROPER (b bef 1756) also seems to have resided in Virginia at the time we believe that George W. ROPER was born. As I understand your current ascriptions, you believe that David ROPER, of Rhea, TN, and Henry ROPER, of Caswell, NC, are sons of John ROPER (b bef 1756). I understand that you also believe that John C. ROPER, of Cumberland, NC, might also be a son, a conclusion of which I am less confident (I suspect that John C. ROPER might be a grandson). If the 1800 Census record I found is that of John ROPER (b bef 1756), then we believe that this John ROPER (b bef 1756) had THREE males age 16 to 25 (b abt 1775-84) residing in his household in 1800. It is my impression that you believe that two of these are David and Henry. John ROPER: 0 - 0 - 3 - 0 - 1 -- 1 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 1 -- 0 - 2 [Caswell, NC 1800] * In 1810, we have this Census data for John ROPER (b bef 1756): John ROPER: 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 -- 1 - 0 - 2 - 0 - 1 -- 0 - ? [Caswell, NC 1810] ALL of the males age 16 to 25 have LEFT the John ROPER (b bef 1756) household. You believe that the remaining male, age 10 to 15 is likely to be John C Roper (b 02 Aug 1796 - VA, 16 Dec 1876 - Dallas, MO). * In 1820, John ROPER (b bef 1756) arrives in Cumberland without ANY males residing in his household, although John ROPER, Jr. [John C. ROPER] is in the adjacent Census record: John Roper, Sr.: 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 -- 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 1 -- 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Cumberland, KY 1820] Finally, I would note that John ROPER (b bef 1756) pulled out of Caswell sometime after about 1810. Perhaps he lingered to marry off his daughters. But it seems quite likely that he might look up brothers James ROPER and George ROPER after arriving in Kentucky. Even if several sons moved to Kentucky in advance of their father, they might not have met their uncle George ROPER right away. But the home of brothers James or George OR the home of son David might be a first place to land upon arrival in Kentucky. This might have precipitated a meeting of War Veteran George ROPER and George W. ROPER. Coincidentally, the period from 1810, when John ROPER (b bef 1756) is LAST enumerated in the Caswell, NC, Census and the date of George ROPER's Pension Application is precisely FOURTEEN YEARS. * What is your view as to the identity of the third young man born abt 1775-84 shown to be residing in John ROPER's household in 1800? * * * While I do NOT believe that the analysis above supports an ascription, it seems to me that the single best candidate to be George W. ROPER's father would be John ROPER (b bef 1756). Otherwise, it seems most likely that he is NOT as closely related to the Caswell ROPERs. I have previously noted both the prior arrival of Benjamin MOORE in Williamson, as well as the subsequent arrival of Sally ROPER, of Dinwiddie. Do you think George W. ROPER is from the Halifax/Caswell ROPER branch or is he from Dinwiddie or another place in Virginia? 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