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/1885/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Most of the information posted below has already been posted at different times on the Roper-L Archives. However, at the suggestion of William Alexander Roper, I have consolidated the known information on Charles J. Roper and am posting it now in order to make that information more easily found. I will do the same for the information collected on whom I presently consider to be the ancestors and siblings of Charles J. Roper. Charles J. Roper states he was born in Kentucky in about 1818 (1850 Cadron, Conway, AR census). Secondary sources say he was born in Pulaski County, Kentucky, but no birth certificate has surfaced and I have found no evidence that Pulaski was the county in which he was born. Philip L. Roper may have been born in Pulaski, KY, and secondary sources may be assuming that Charles J. Roper was born there since they also assumed they were brothers. Secondary sources state that Charles J. Roper's full name was Charles Jackson Roper. I have found no document that shows what the letter "J" stood for. A "Charles Roper" first appears in the 1840 Searcy, AR census. He and his wife are both shown as age 20-30, with no children. They are living next door to Elbridge H. Clayton and his wife, both ages 20-30, with one male <5. "Charles Roper" next shows up in an 1850 census for Cadron, Conway County, Arkansas. In the 1850 Census, his family is shown to include Elizabeth (28), his wife (who was also born in Kentucky or Illinois), and his children George (10), Benjamin (8), Philip (6), Charles (4), Henry (2), and Mary (1), all of whom were born in Arkansas. "Charles J. Roper" purchased from the U.S. Government 72.44 acres in Conway County on July 1, 1857. "C. J. Roper" (43) and his family next appear in the 1860 Census for Big Flat, Searcy, Arkansas, with the following family: Elizabeth (38), George (19), Benjamin (17), Philip (15), Lewis ( (13), Henry (11), William (9), Elizabeth (6), and Clementine (4/12). (Notice that in the 1850 Census, the child age 4 appears as "Charles". In the 1860 Census, he appears as Lewis, age 14. So apparently his name was Charles Lewis, same name as the probable brother of Nancy Lewis.) David Roper and Nancy Lewis of Caswell, NC, who moved to Cumberland, KY by 1810, are the probable parents of Charles J. Roper. There is a connection we can make between Charles J. Roper in these census records and with Cumberland, KY. In the 1850 Cadron Township, Conway County, AR census Charles Roper, age 32, is shown with his family residing 4 households away from a Richard Clayton, age 60, born in Virginia, with a wife named Jane, age 60, born in North Carolina. They have 5 children, all males and all born in Kentucky, who are listed as follows: Benjamin, age 27; James, age 27; William, age 24; Richard, 17, and Samuel, age 2. This appears to be the same Richard Clayton who is shown as residing in Paoli, Cumberland, KY, in 1820, 1830, and 1840 census records shown next. The 1820 Paoli, Cumberland, KY census shows a Richard Clayton, age 26-45, married to a female age 26-45, with one male under 10, and three females under 10. John Roper, Sr., the probable father of David Roper, and his son John Roper, Jr., the probable brother of David Roper, are on the same census page 158. David Roper is on page 160. (A Benjamin Lewis is shown on the page following Richard Clayton). The 1830 South of Cumberland River, Cumberland, KY census shows a Richard Clayton, age 40-49, with his wife being 40-49. They are shown with three male children: one under 5, one 5-10, and one 10-15. There are two females 10-15, and one female 15-20. (A Benjamin Lewis is shown on the same page.) The 1840 Cadron, Conway, AR census shows a Richard Clayton, age 40-49, with his wife also 40-49. These ages would not appear to agree with the 1830 Cumberland, KY census, where Richard and his wife are also shown at 40-49. However, if they were both 40 years old in 1830, they could be both turning 50 in the 1840 Cadron, Conway, AR census. This assumption will be born out when we next see the 1850 Cadron, Conway, AR census. Richard Clayton has four male children, ages 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, and 20-29. Other than his wife, there are no females living in the household. The 1850 Cadron, Conway, AR census shows Richard Clayton on the same page as Charles Roper and four properties away from him. Richard is shown as age 60, born in Virginia. His wife Jane is shown as age 60, born in North Carolina. They have five children, all born in Kentucky: Benjamin, age 27; William, age 24; James, age 27; Richard, age 17; and Samuel, age 2. In the 1810 Cumberland, KY Census, a Henry Clayton, age 45-up, with a wife age 45-up, is shown with three male children ages 11-16 and three male children ages 17-24. Also, a Henry Clayton, age 45-up is shown on the same page as Richard Clayton in the 1820 Paoli, Cumberland, KY census. Charles Roper (indexed as Rosser) is show in the 1840 Searcy, AR census as living next to an Elbridge H. Clayton, age 20-30, with a wife the same age, and one male child under 5. Later census records will record that Elbridge H. Clayton was born in Kentucky. There is also a Beverly W Clayton, age 40-50, shown in the 1840 Searcy, AR census. He also appears as B W Clayton in the 1860 Bear Creek, Searcy, AR census as age 72, born abt. 1788 in Virginia. A Beverly Clayton can be seen marrying "Sally Rion" on June 28, 1814, in Cumberland, KY. His widow Sally, now identified as "Sally Ryan", applied for a veteran's pension as a result of her husband, "Beverly W. Clayton", serving in the War of 1812 in Kentucky. She said Beverly Clayton resided in Conway, AR in 1851. Now let's consider the names of the children of Charles J. Roper, and how that might relate to David Roper and Nancy Lewis: (1) Philip Lawson Roper, b. Sept 11,1844, Cadron, AR This is the same name of Philip Lawson, neighbor of David Roper in KY, and same name as Philip L. Roper, who it is reported by secondary sources as the brother of Charles J. Roper, which turns out not to be the case. They may have been cousins. Philip Lawson may have been the Baptist minister in Cumberland County, KY. There is no extant document which states that Charles J. Roper's son, Philip L. Roper, had a middle name of Lawson. However, Philip L. Roper did name a son Andy Lawson Roper. (2) Charles Lewis Roper, b. 1846 Cadron Creek, AR This is the same name as the probable brother of Nancy Lewis. Charles Lewis, age 26-45, with a wife 26-45, and with one male <10, two males 10-16, and two females <10, is shown residing 8 properties from David Roper in the 1820 Cumberland, KY census. Charles Lewis is listed as resident 900, Philip Lawson is listed as resident 911, and David Roper is listed as resident 892. A John Lewis is listed as resident 667 and a Benjamin Lewis is listed as resident 862. Benjamin Lewis is age 26-45, with a young family, and John Lewis is age 26-45, with a young family. A Charles Lewis, Robert Lewis, and John Lewis can all be found in the 1790 Richmond District, Caswell, NC taxpayer lists, along with William Roper, James Roper, William Yates, and John Yates. A Charles Lewis, Edw C. Lewis, and Jas Lewis can be found in the 1800 Hillsboro, Caswell, NC census. (3) Nancy Mary Roper, b. 1849, AR This is the same name as Nancy Lewis, mother of Charles J. Roper. (4) George Washington Roper, b. abt 1841, AR This is the same name as one of Charles J. Roper's brothers, George W. Roper, who was born in Kentucky in abt. 1809. George W. Roper appears in Marshall County, AL by at least July of 1845, where Philip L. Roper is found residing in the 1840 Marshall County, AL Census, and in the same section where Vinson Oden is living. George W. Roper named a child David and said his parents were born in Virginia. David Roper was born in Virginia. Charles J. Roper and his wife are not seen after the 1860 Searcy, Arkansas census. He enlisted in the Confederate army at age 47 in Marion County, AR on March 16, 1862 as a private. He served in the 45th Regiment Arkansas Militia. He was discharged on June 25, 1862 for being over-age. He also formerly served in the 45th Regiment Arkansas Militia. His son Benjamin Roper also enlisted in Marion County on June 18, 1862 at age 18 and served in Brown's Arkansas Battery. Benjamin did survive the War and shows up in subsequent census records. His son and my ancestor, Philip Lawson Roper, also served in the Confederate army and can be seen in later Arkansas census records. 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>