This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Keith Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1927.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: In 1850, there is a Meredith ROPER enumerated in the 1850 Census residing in Lumpkin, Georgia, together with wife Lucinda, who is shown to be age 50 and born in South Carolina [Census date 24 Dec 1850]. The two eldest children still residing within this household in 1850 Sarah, age 22, and Matilda, age 19, are each shown to have been born in South Carolina, and the younger children beginning with William, age 14, are shown to be born in Georgia. This is consistent with this Meredith ROPER residing in South Carolina at the date of the 1830 Census and then migrating to South Carolina between 1831 and 1836. See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/M4L3-YG7 : accessed 12 Jun 2014), Meredith Roper, Barett, Lumpkin, Georgia, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication M432. Note the precise conformance of the 1850 Census data to the 1830 Census return where Meredith is shown to be age 30 to 39 (b abt 1791-1800): Meredith ROPER: 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Pendleton, SC 1830] Pickens County deed records show the conveyance of land on Weavers Creek to Duke W. GLENN by a deed dated 14 Dec 1836 (recorded 10 Mar 1841). * * * Meredith ROPER is enumerated in the 1860 Census residing in Dawson County, Georgia, at age 59, with wife Lucinda, age 59, and daughters Susan, 22, and Carolina, age 17 [Census date 07 Jul 1860]. Meredith is again shown to be born in South Carolina. See: "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/M464-LRX : accessed 12 Jun 2014), Merideth Roper, Barretts Dist, Dawson, Georgia, United States; citing "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," Fold3.com; p. 75, household ID 511, NARA microfilm publication M653; FHL microfilm 803119. Some secondary sources assert that this Meredith ROPER died in 1849, however this is inconsistent with the 1850 Census data for Lumpkin, Georgia, and the 1860 Census for Dawson County, GA. Those ROPER family history fictionalists that contend that Meredith ROPER died in 1849, but was thereafter posthumously enumerated in the 1850 Census, with his corpse subsequently posthumously transported to Dawson, Georgia, to inflate the Census counts there in the 1860 Census, should come forward with the primary evidence which they contend supports this fantastic theory! I believe that the rumors of Meredith's death in 1849 have been grossly exaggerated and that he might have instead only had a chest cold or a headache that year! The extant Census data from 1850 and 1860 supports an ascription of Meredith ROPER's year of birth as about 1800-1. The mention of a son under age 10 in the 1800 Census supports a more precise 1800 year of birth. Thus the 1850 and 1860 Census data for Meredith ROPER is rather precisely consistent with our conclusion from the 1800, 1810 and 1820 Census that the eldest son was born in 1800. It should also be noted that the naming of the eldest son Meredith is highly suggestive that Benjamin ROPER's father was the Meredith ROPER found in Rutherford, NC, in 1790, and in Pendleton, SC, in 1800. * * It should probably also be noted that additional information about Meredith ROPER and his farm appears in the U.S. 1860 Census of Agriculture for Barretts, Dawson County, Georgia. * * * Secondary sources have identified Meredith ROPER's wife as Lucinda KEITH. While I am not aware of the authority supporting this ascription, it certainly seems plausible given the proximity of the KEITH family and intermarriage of Meredith ROPER's sister to a KEITH. Someone with knowledge of the basis for this ascription ought to post that information so that this can be proven with verifiable evidence. * * * This is post is NOT intended as a complete or thorough exposition of Meredith ROPER, but rather is intended to better establish Meredith ROPER's year of birth, to conclusively ascribe this Meredith ROPER as Benjamin ROPER's son and to help to further firm up the details as to Benjamin ROPER's early life. Implicitly, the conclusive ascription that Meredith ROPER was Benjamin ROPER's first born son, born in 1800, also allows us to clear away the detritus of false or fraudulent ascriptions of other ROPERs to Benjamin ROPER's family. These false ascriptions will be discussed in another forthcoming post. 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>