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/1919.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: David Y. Roper is considered to have married Dionysia Abernathy, daughter of David Abernathy, Jr. b. abt. 1759, Dinwiddie, VA. Secondary sources state that they married on October 27, 1809 in Robertson County, NC. I have never seen a marriage record documenting this marriage date and location. David Abernathy, Jr. was the son of David Abernathy, Sr. Secondary sources state that David Abernathy, Sr. was born on May 28, 1726 in Bristol Parish, Prince George, VA, and died on February 19, 1814 in Lincoln County, NC. I have not independently investigated this information and have nothing to offer at present on its accuracy. However, that a David Abernathy was the father of David Abernathy of Giles County, TN appears to be supported by extant records. David Abernathy, Sr. left a will which has been transcribed and can be found on Ancestry.com. I have not seen the original image and cannot vouch for its accuracy of this transcription: "THE WILL OF DAVID ABERNETHY As to such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased Got to bless me, I do give and bequeath in the following manner, viz: The land I live on, negroes, horses, cattle, hogs and sheep, household furniture of every description and all my property I may die possessed of, I allow my beloved wife, Ann to have the rest of and for during her natural life if she should live longer than me. Having heretofore given unto my children, Joseph, Robert, Patsy, David, John D., Turner, William and Moses Abernethy, Nancy Forney, Betsy Perkins, all the property I intend to give them and which I judge to be consistent with my circumstances. And considering my son, Miles, having charge of myself and his mother, in our old age, after my own and my wife's death, I do hereby give and bequeath unto my son , Miles, his heirs and assigns forever, the plantation on which I live, supposed to contain 220 acres or thereabouts, joining lines with Turner A., William A., Richard Rosedale and Peter Forney's land, the following negroes, viz: Tom, Jimmy, Antony, Aleck, Eddie, Wenny, Lizzie, Matt, Olive and Louisa together with their increase, if any; 8 head of horse creatures, all my cattle, sheep and hogs, household furniture and farming utensils and property of every description of which I might die possessed although not mentioned or specified, I do bequeath unto my son Miles, after my wife's, Ann's, decease (if she should live longer than me). The funeral expenses of myself and wife and all my just debts to be paid out of my estate in the first place. Lastly, I do appoint, nominate and constitute my son, Moses, and Peter Forney, son-in-law, executors of this my last will and testament. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this twenty-fourth day of August 1808. (signed) David Abernethy Signed and sealed in the presence of - E. Graham Samuel Saunders John L Graham Filed for probate September 1814". >From this Will, we learn the following: David Abernethy had a son named David. David, along with all other children with the exception of Moses, had already received their bequests prior to the date of this will, 1808. David Abernethy, Sr., since he did not die until 1814, should still appear in the 1810 Lincoln County Census, as he would still be the owner of 220 acres. David Abernathy, Jr. is first seen in a Lincoln County, NC deed in 1785 (Ancestry.com): "6 Granted David Abernathy claiming 114 acres of land in Lincoln County on Hails (Hoils?) Creek joining low land of David Abernathy Sen January 8th 1785 11.14 Sterling" Two David Abernathy can be seen on the same page in the 1790 Lincoln County, NC census. This is the same census that a Thomas Roeper can be seen in residing next to a B. Abernathy. Three David Abernathy can be seen in the 1800 Lincoln County, NC census on Ancestry.com, one on page 27 and the other two on page 37. The one David Abernathy of page 27 has a confusing image: 1-0-0-1-?****0-0-1-0-0 This appears to be one male 26-44, one female 16-25, and one male child <10. However, there is a mark in the area where I have shown a question mark, which looks like a "1", but is slanted the wrong way. Ancestry.com is showing the interpretation as I am showing it. The two David Abernathy on page 37 are more likely the David Abernathy, Sr. and David Abernathy, Jr., although they are merely labeled David Abernathy: David Abernathy 0-0-0-0-1****0-0-0-0-1 (both 45 ) David Abernathy 4-1-0-1-0****1-1-0-1-0 The second of these two David Abernathy shows David as 26-44, his presumed wife as 26-44, four male children <10, one male 10-15, one female <10, and one female 10-15. The one female 10-15 could be Dionysia, although it is off one to two years based on other records. According to the 1850 Giles County, TN census, she was born in about 1784. However, her headstone shows she was 70 in 1853 when she died, which would make her born in 1783. These two David Roper on page 37 are nine houses apart. In between the two, we find Wm. Abernathy, Sterling Abernathy, Battee Abernathy, Sarah Abernathy, Robert Abernathy, Jonas Abernathy, and Turner Abernathy. There are also two more John Abernathy listed on the page. The 1810 Lincoln County, NC census shows only one David Abernathy: 0-0-1-1-1****1-0-1-0-1 This David Abernathy is 45 , with a wife 45 . There is a male 26-44, and a male 16-25. There is a female <10 and a female 16-25. This does not appear to be David Abernathy, Jr., if we have identified him correctly in the 1800 census. He had four male children <10 in 1800, and he only had one between 10-25 in 1810. Of course, it is possible that three of his male children could have died. On the same page, we again find William Abernathy, Turner Abernathy, and Moses Abernathy all residing together in a row with David Abernathy. Since Moses is now taking care of his father David Abernathy, as indicated in the 1808 will, this is ever further proof that the David Roper seen in the 1810 census is David Abernathy, Sr., and not David Abernathy, Jr. Determining where and when David Abernathy first appeared in Tennessee is a little more difficult, because of the paucity of records for Tennessee between 1800-1819. However, there are some records. I mentioned this secondary source in an earlier post: "David and his brother, Joseph, came to TN on a scouting trip prior to 1800 and they both purchased land. He was in Maury Co. TN in 1810 for Charles Clayton Abernathy said that he and his mother spent the second night of their journey in White's Creek To Giles Co with David Abernathy, a distant cousin who lived on Big Creek." In partial support of this secondary information, I found the following posted on the internet when I googled Charles Clayton Abernathy: "The following was found in the papers of William Walker May (1908-1983), grandson of Susannah Harris Abernathy May, daughter of Charles Clayton Abernathy and Susannah Waddy Harris Abernathy and sister of the writer, A.J. Abernathy. I give the following history of the Abernathy family, as far back as I can, regretting that I did not receive further information from my father Charles C. Abernathy and his sister, Mrs. Susanna Abernathy (Aunt Sookie) while they lived. I have heard it stated as tradition in the family, that the Abernathys of the Southern States of the Union are the descendants of two brothers who came from Scotland and settled in Virginia at an early date. I remember to have heard my father say that he had never met one of the name, whom he could not trace back to this old Virginia source. My father's grandfather was named Charles Abernathy, and he was the earliest ancestor of whom I have any Knowledge. William Abernathy, my grandfather, was a son of Charles and Ellis (or Alice) Abernathy, born 4th day of April, 1742, baptized 13th day of June, 1742. (See Bristol Parish Register 1720-1789). William Abernathy intermarried with Elizabeth Clayton in Brunswick County, Virginia, where they reared a family of five sons and four daughters, names and dates of birth given below; they came from Virginia to Tennessee in 1808, having arrived at their home on White's Creek near Nashville on April 30, after having been on the road from March 17th since leaving Virginia- 1 month and 14 days . They were preceded by their son John, who started with part of his father's property Nov. 22, 1807, and arrived at White's Creek 31st January, 1808. They remained in Davidson County about two years when they removed to Giles County, bought land and settled the place on which Sidney Abernathy now resides, and where they lived and were buried . Grandfather William died February 8th, 1832, in his 90th year. Grandmother Elizabeth C. Abernathy died October 23rd, 1815." If this account is true, David Abernathy would have been in Giles County, TN by 1808. (Actually, Giles County, TN was carved out of Maury County in 1809). There is also information in the 1832 Giles County, TN Revolutionary Pension Application of David Abernathy which might be determinative of when David Abernathy arrived in Giles, TN. The Pension Application can be found on Ancestry.com. The problem is that the document is in poor condition and is very difficult to read. Will Graves made a courageous attempt at transcribing the Pension Application and that transcription is available at revwarapps.org. In that application on November 20,1832 in Giles County, TN, David Abernathy states he is 73 and was born on July 29, 1759 in Dinwiddie, VA. He also states that he was called into service when he was living in Lincoln County, NC and from there he moved to Giles County, TN. He also state when he moved to Giles County, TN, but it is difficult to read that paragraph. Bill, if you get the time, you might take a look at the Pension Application and give us your interpretation of what was written down. This is what the transcriber came up with: "I was called into service living in Lincoln, North Carolina from thence I moved to Tennessee Giles County where I now live & have lived three years last past". First, this transcription can't be correct because David Abernathy and his brother Joseph can both be seen in the 1820 Giles County, TN census, 12 years before the 1832 Pension application. The key words in the transcription that may be wrong are "three years last past". The first two letters appear to be a "th" if you compare those letters with the numerous "the" in the application. Thus, the word could be "three", "thirteen", or "thirty". To me, the word looks more like "thirty", but, being human, I may be biased in in wanting a certain outcome. There also appears to be a "dot" above the word, which might indicate a "i" in the word. The "dot" is not shown in the area where the "i" would be located, but this particular scribe appears to be a little sloppy about where he dots his "i"s, as if he is adding them after he writes the full word. I mentioned above that the word can't be "three". The same reasoning would apply for the word "thirteen", since David and his family are clearly settled into Giles County by 1820. So by the process of elimination, it appears to be the word "thirty". However, I would like other opinions on this. At the end of the application, David Abernathy is asked to give character references and the transcriber lists a "dated why Roper". The transcriber was obviously dictating this transcription for someone else to type, because if you look at the name it is clearly David Y. Roper. So, the best I can presently come up with is that David Abernathy probably arrived in Giles County (or Maury County), TN between 1801and 1809, and more probably before 1803 if the word in the Pension application is "thirty". In any case, the secondary source information which states that David Y. Roper and Dionysia Abernathy married in Robertson County, TN would appear to have no basis, as David Abernathy went directly from Lincoln County, TN to Giles County, TN. David Y. Roper and Dionysia do not seem to have had children before July 27, 1810, when the first of several children, Sina Roper, who has been attributed to them, was born. Sina Roper married Jessie Renfro on July 28, 1831 in Tennessee. Her headstone (which is not the same make and model as the headstones of David and Dionysia, which are the same) reads "SINIA RENFRO Was born July 21 1810 And Died December This 24th 1847". The secondary source information on the marriage date of David Y. Roper and Dionysia Abernathy of October 27. 1809 is just a few days short of 9 months. David and Dionysia would probably have started having children very soon after their marriage, which would indicate a marriage date somewhere in 1808 or 1809, based on Sinia's date of birth. (Secondary sources state that David Abernathy, Jr. and his wife Christine Forney had a daughter named Sina Amanda Abernathy, b. 26 Feb. 1787, Lincoln, NC; d. 26 Jan 1867, Giles, TN, who married a Matthew Monroe Johnson). If David Abernathy, Jr. arrived about 1801-1803 in what would then have been Maury County, TN, then it would appear more likely that David Y.Roper and Dionysia Abernathy married in Maury or Giles Tennessee, not Robertson County, NC. 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