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/1897.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The entries in Maury Book "B" are a little sloppy and unprofessional. The Clerk seems only to rarely show the dates of court sessions at which various Wills and probate information were proven. Many of the documents recorded seem to be seriously out of chronological sequence, suggesting that this Book also might have been created from loose sheets of paper rather than contemporanously recorded in a bound volume. In fairness to the Maury Clerk, this Volume includes the period of the War of 1812 / Creek War and there may have been some disruption in the business processes associated with recordkeeping. Book "B" inexplicably begins with the Will of James TURNER dated 05 Apr 1809, which Will was previously presented for probate and recorded in Book "A" at page 29, which prior recording is also expressly noted on Page 1 of Book "B". The second Will, that of John LINDSAY is dated 02 Jan 1810 [Pages 1-2, Images 111-3]. The third Will is that of William BRADSHAW dated 04 Mar 1814 [Pages 3-4, Images 113-4]. The fourth Will is that of James TROUSDALE dated 06 Jun 1816. One is left with some doubt as to precisely WHEN this Will Book first came into use. Compiler Jull K. GARRETT shows this Volume as covering the period 1816 to 1825. My suspicion is that the Original Will Book "A" may have become worn, fragile or damaged in antiquity and that some hand re-transcription of this Will Book and possibly Will Book "B" was made. In VERIFYING the re-transcriptions of some of the Wills in Will Book "A" either some errors or omissions may have been noted and then certain of the information added back in again within Will Book "B". OR Maury had NO BOUND Will Book at all for some extended period and the Bound Volume was created later from loose sheets. This is of no great moment in respect of the brief sole mention of William ROPER in this Volumea but is helpful to appreciate if looking for something in this book. * * * INDEX ENTRIES FOR BOOK "B" There seems to be NO ORIGINAL INDEX for Maury Will Book "B". However, published abstracts can serve as a finding aid for this volume. See: http://genealogytrails.com/tenn/maury/willssettlements.html * * * FINDING AIDS FOR IMAGES WITHIN THE FAMILYSEACH IMAGE FILE Page 1 of Will Book "B" seems to actually begin at Image 111 of 253 of the file designated as "Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B" within the FamilySearch.org collection "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927" for Maury County. "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-195-2080048-1-23?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 111 of 253. * Page 50 of this Volume (Will Book "B") is found at FamilySearch.org Image No. 137 (November Court 1816): "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657592-1-23?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 137 of 253. * Page 100 of this Volume (Will Book "B") is found at FamilySearch.org Image No. 162 (November Court 1816): "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-195-2079908-1-25?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 162 of 253. * Page 150 of this Volume (Will Book "B") is found at FamilySearch.org Image No. 188: "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657421-1-53?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 188 of 253. It is noteworthy that these records continue to seem JUMBLED. For example, a record at page 152 is shown to be dated April 20, 1818, while a record on the very next page purports to be from the November Session 1817. It seems possible that Maury might have been WITHOUT a bound Will Book for a while and that records were kept on loose leaves of paper which were later recorded out of order. * Page 200 of this Volume (Will Book "B") is found at FamilySearch.org Image No. 213: "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657407-1-79?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 213 of 253. Continuing to reflect the chronological jumble of Book "B", Pages 200-1 include items dated 1811 and the items on the following page seem to be from 1814. * Page 250 of this Volume (Will Book "B") is found at FamilySearch.org Image No. 238: "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657440-1-56?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 238 of 253. The chronological jumble of records continues at Page 250 with that page containing both a document dated March 1815 and another dated November 1820. It is perhaps noteworthy that a number of the entries seem to contain an indication "Exhibited in court Term 182_" with NO PRECISE month or year given. The Clerk may have copied the information into Volume "B" intending to consult the Court minutes or some other document showing WHEN the document was proven, but never did so. * This file ends at Page 281 [Image 253]. "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657360-1-77?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 253 of 253. This last page includes three recorded documents dated 10 May 1816, 21 Jan 1818 and 08 Dec 1821, but the term of the Court is LEFT BLANK "Term 18__". * * * SINGLE ROPER MENTION IN THIS VOLUME There is only a single ROPER mention within this Volume, within the Inventory Sale presentation for the Estate of Tyre FOLLING, Deceased. Tyre DOLLING's Inventory Sale is recorded in Will Book "B" at pages 254-6. Based upon the Inventory Sales, including tanning tools and an exceptional amount of leather, Tyre DOLLING seems to have been a tanner. "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657289-1-31?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 240 of 253. William ROPER's $5.00 purchase of leather is shown on Page 256 at Image 241: "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657271-1-77?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 241 of 253. Given the large list of purchasers of Tyre DOLLING's leather inventory, the purchase by William ROPER is probably incidental and reflects only his presence in the community and possilbe proximity to Tyre DOLLING rather than some familial relationship. Neither the date for the sale nor even the date this Estate Sale information was presented to the Court is explicitly shown, however the Inventory of Tyre DOLLING is shown to have been exhibited at the June Court 1821. This Inventory is records on the preceeding pages 250-1: "Tennessee, Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1940-657474-1-80?cc=1909088&wc=M6QW-PPD:179637301,180236801 : accessed 15 Apr 2014), Maury > Wills, 1809-1821, Vol. B > image 239 of 253. It seems most likely that the Inventory Sales information was presented at the same Court session. * * * * * PUBLISHED ABSTRACT OF THIS PROBATE MENTION The abstract compiled by Jill K. Garrett and Marise P. Lightfoot (March 1964) shows this entry within Maury Book "B": "p. 254 Sale of Tyre Dolling, _____ term 182__. Buying: John D. Davidson, Walter McConnell, Andrew Neely, Pleasant Scribner, James McCaferty, Widdow Dollins, Joseph Hackney, Nicholas McMillan, Howard Cannon, William McConnell, David Eddlemon, William Esom, James Thomas, George W. Johnston, Mrs. Bill, George White, James Stone, Drury Paget, David W. McRea, Phillip Hollinger, George Haaze, William Curry, Edward Cole, Joel Coffee, William Combs, James Smith, John Edlemon, Wright Trigg (or Grigg), Abner Johnston, James Neeley, Robert Wortham, Ambrose Harvell, Aron Wilcoxen, Polly Perry (or Berry, or Terry), Travis Hamrick, Merideth Webb, William Patterson, John Cannon, William Sands, Thomas Carden, Moses May, Evender Kenedy, Benjamin White, John Wasson, James Lynch, Jeremiah Thomason, Bailey Brooks, Thomas Osburne, Elisha Merryman, Peter R. Voorhies, William Vorrhies, John Clanton, Agnes Black, Joseph Perkins, Reese Porter and Caleb Thomas, Ephriam Abernatha, WILLIAM ROPER, Will! iam Fene, Simeon Peery, William Rodgers, Thomas Due, Edmond Gwin, Allen Jones, Hugh Terrance." See: http://genealogytrails.com/tenn/maury/willssettlements.html As previously mentioned, MOST of the purchasers shown were buying leather rather than household items. * * * This is a very LONG post in respect of the single mention of purchase of leather by William ROPER. However, the more important salient detail is that there were abundant, if jumbled records, and NO ROPER Probates during the period covered by this Volume. Many DISHONEST ROPER researchers have invented various ancestors and then conveniently killed off others in support of fanciful or fraudulent ascriptions. But these deceitful family historians can never seem to explain why there is NO RECORD of the deaths or probate associated with the ancestors they invent or kill off so cavalierly. 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>