This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Yates Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1887.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: I think that you are missing the 1800 Census record for John ROPER, of Caswell County, NC. The 1800 Census Indices for the FamiliySearch.org site show a John RAPIER in Caswell, NC. See: "United States Census, 1800," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHR7-VS4 : accessed 02 Apr 2014), John Rapier, Hillsboro, Caswell, North Carolina; citing "1800 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 112, NARA microfilm publication M32, roll 31, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 337907. There is a name third from the top of the page indicated by the Archives is page 112, which clearly shows a first name John. The last name is illegible, but the "R" is distinguishable and the length of the name is consistent with ROPER. Also, the smudge at the middle of the last name is consistent with a letter "p". I am NOT asserting that the image say "ROPER". But I believe that this is the name that an Indexer for FamilySearch.org made out as "RAPIER," so I do NOT think that I am simply imagining this as a possible ROPER record. Other finding aids for more readily distinguishable names are these names on the SAME page: Nicholas MATLOCK Catharine DOBBINS John DOBBINS ... Robert SANDERS James WILSON Robert WILSON William YATES Alex McCAIN John McCAIN * These names are at the top of the PREVIOUS page: Charles BOLTON Thomas BOLTON James SAMUEL, Senr. * The actual images from the 1800 Census are available at this FREE site: http://historykat.com/US/census/1800/second-census-united-states-north-carolina-1800-caswell-county.html * If this is a record for John ROPER, the counts are a little less challenging: John ROPER: 0 - 0 - 3 - 0 - 1 -- 1 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 1 -- 0 - 2 * Again, IF this is a John ROPER record, I understand this data to show that John ROPER is age 45 or more (b bef 1756) and that there are three males age 16 to 25 in this household (b abt 1775-84). There seems to be a female under age 10, one female age 10 to 15, one female age 16 to 25 and one female age 45 or more. The males in this household seem to be consistent with the year of birth for Henry ROPER (b abt 1781-4), further strengthening your hypothesis that John ROPER is Henry ROPER's father. The appearance of the other children seem to confirm my longstanding suspicion that almost ALL of the children ascribed by others to William ROPER and Keziah YATES are fraudulently ascribed. There was NEVER any evidence that ANY of the children generally ascribed to William ROPER and Keziah YATES were sons or daughters of this couple. If this record is John ROPER's Census record, it affords secondary confirmation for the implicit year of birth which can be garnered from the 1776 Orange County Poll record you cite in support of a year of birth of b bef 1756. Thus we have: b bef 1756 [Orange County Poll of 1776] (implicit based on age of majority) b bef 1756 [1800 Census, calculated Age 45 or more] This seems to me to support a very strong inference that John ROPER was born before 1756! 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>