This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Meredith Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1922/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The MOORE Family Bible contains an indication that Dolly ROPER, a daughter of Charles ROPER (b 19 Apr 1758) and Elizabeth BUTLER, married a Louis MEREDITH. No date is given for this marriage. "Dolly" is shown to be one of four daughters and two sons born to this couple: Nancy ROPER (b 06 Apr 1777) Eliza ROPER Martha ROPER Joseph ROPER Dolly ROPER Goodwin ROPER No dates of birth are given for any of the children other than Nancy ROPER (b 06 Apr 1777, 15 Jun 1850), who married her first cousin Benjamin MOORE (b 31 Aug 1771, d 07 Feb 1849) on 22 Dec 1796. The transcription contains the additional information that Elizabeth ROPER married Banister SHACKLEFORD; that Martha ROPER married Richard LEDBETTER and that Joseph ROPER married a Miss WHITEHEAD (no first name). No dates of these marriages are given. Goodwin ROPER is shown to have "died in youth". * * * * * Lewis MEREDITH is enumerated in the 1810 U.S. Census for Virginia residing in Dinwiddie County: Lewis MEREDITH: 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 4 [Dinwiddie, VA 1810] See: "United States Census, 1810," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XH2Q-HXG : accessed 08 Jun 2014), Lewis Meredith, Dinwiddie, Dinwiddie, Virginia; citing "1810 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 81, line 1710, NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 67, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0181427. Lewis MEREDITH is shown to be age 18 to 25 (b abt 1785-92) with a female, possibly Mary Roper MEREDITH, of a similar age. Since there are no children within this household, it appears likely that Lewis is recently married. The Dinwiddie Census returns for 1810 are in quasi alphabetical order, so no inferences can be drawn about proximity from adjacency of records. * * * In 1820, Lewis MEREDITH is still residing in Dinwiddie, Virginia, with his growing family: Lewis MEREDITH: 2 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 -- 2 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 -- 0 - 5 - 0 - 0 -- 1 - 2 - 2 - 0 -- 1 - 1 - 1 - 0 [Dinwiddie, VA 1820] See: "United States Census, 1820," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHLY-S2X : accessed 08 Jun 2014), Lewis Meredith, Not Stated, Dinwiddie, Virginia; citing "1820 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 1024, NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 137, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0193696. In this enumeration, Lewis is shown to be age 26 to 44 (b abt 1776-94) and the eldest female within the household is shown to be a similar age. There seems to be two sons under age 10 and two daughters under age 10 residing in Lewis MEREDITH's household. The Dinwiddie Census returns for 1820 seems to be in quasi alphabetical order, so no inferences can be drawn about proximity from adjacency of records. * * * Lewis MEREDITH is again shown to be residing in Dinwiddie, Virginia, at the date of the 1830 Census: Lewis MEREDITH: 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 1 - 2 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Dinwiddie, VA 1830] See: "United States Census, 1830," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XH5H-6K1 : accessed 08 Jun 2014), Lewis Meredith, Dinwiddie, Dinwiddie, Virginia; citing "1830 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 410, NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 196, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0029675. Lewis MEREDITH is shown to be age 40 to 49 (b abt 1781-90) in the 1830 Census enumeration. The eldest female is shown to be age 30 to 39 (b abt 1791-1800). The Dinwiddie Census returns for 1830 seems to be in quasi alphabetical order, so no inferences can be drawn about proximity from adjacency of records. * * * Lewis MEREDITH and his family are again enumerated in Dinwiddie, Virginia, in 1840. There is also a William MEREDITH shown in the adjacent Census record: Lewis MEREDITH: 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Dinwiddie, VA 1840] Wm. MEREDITH:.. 0 - 1 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Dinwiddie, VA 1840] See: "United States Census, 1840," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHTK-2LP : accessed 08 Jun 2014), Lewis Meredith, Not Stated, Dinwiddie, Virginia; citing "1840 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 15, NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 557, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0029686. The 1840 Census enumeration for Dinwiddie is the first to have been transcribed in some proximity order. Both William MEREDITH and the eldest female are shown to be age 50 to 59 (b abt 1781-90) in 1840. * * * Lewis and Mary MEREDITH, age 64, and 59, respectively, are shown to be residing in Dinwiddie, Virginia, again in the 1850 Census (Lewis is shown as "Louis" in this Census). Both are shown to have been born in Virginia. There is a Martha A. MEREDITH, age 31, also residing in this household, as well as a William C. SYDNOR, age 7. See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M88B-2TF : accessed 08 Jun 2014), Louis Meredith, Dinwiddie county, part of, Dinwiddie, Virginia, United States; citing family 369, NARA microfilm publication M432. See: * * * * Thus, we have the explicit indication that Lewis MEREDITH was born about 1786, which is generally consistent with the indications from the prior four enumerations: b abt 1785-92 (age 18 to 25) [1810] b abt 1776-94 (age 26 to 44) [1820] b abt 1781-90 (age 40 to 49) [1830] b abt 1781-90 (age 50 to 59) [1840] b abt 1786 (age 64) [1850] The first four age ranges give us an implicit year range of 1785-90 and the 1850 result falls within this range. Thus abt 1786 seems to be a very reliable estimate of Lewis MEREDITH's year of birth. For Mary, the age ranges were all similar to that of Lewis EXCEPT for the 1830 Census enumeration: b abt 1785-92 (age 18 to 25) [1810] b abt 1776-94 (age 26 to 44) [1820] b abt 1791-1800 (age 30 to 39) [1830] b abt 1781-90 (age 50 to 59) [1840] b abt 1791 (age 59) [1850] The 1830 and 1840 Census data is inconsistent. If 1830 data is treated as an anomalous result, then the age range EXCLUSIVE of the 1850 Census would be 1785-90. If the 1840 Census report is treated as anomalous, then the implicit year range would be 1791-2. This latter range is inclusive of the year implicit from the given age of 59 in 1850, but we cannot be completely confident as to the precision of this report. Thus, it appears most likely that Mary Roper MEREDITH's age was either slightly understated in 1830 or slightly overstated in 1840. * * * * * Secondary sources report that Lewis MEREDITH was born on 24 Jul 1785 and died on 06 Mar 1859. Mary Roper MEREDITH is shown by these same sources to have been born on 01 Nov 1790 and to have died on 17 Jan 1854. Though I am NOT aware of any primary record which would support these precise dates of birth it is rather exactly consistent with ALL of the extant Census data across five decades and therefore seems likely to be reliable. * * * Secondary sources report that Lewis MEREDITH and Mary ROPER married on 17 Nov 1808. Although I do not know of any primary support for this date, it is at least consistent with the Census data. Secondary sources also report the following children for this couple: Elizabeth Emaline MEREDITH m John Taylor SYDNOR, Jr. on 22 Dec 1835 Charles William MEREDITH (b 15 Mar 1815 - Dinwiddie, VA) Martha A. MEREDITH Mary Virginia MEREDITH (b 13 Sep 1821, d 25 Mar 1896) m Joseph A. SYDNOR The latter dates are supported by Mary's grave marker. The 1820 and 1830 Census data seem to suggest that there was another son (b abt 1811-20) who died young (d bef 1830 Census). * * * * * Although there are a number of ROPER - LEWIS family intermarriages, the marriage of Mary ROPER to Lewis MEREDITH, with Lewis and Mary residing at the MEREDITH plantation adjacent to the ROPER plantation in Dinwiddie, may explain the frequent appearance of "Lewis" as a given name in the ROPER family. Although dishonest researchers have frequently asserted that Meredith ROPER's name proves a connection to the MEREDITH family in New Kent, it is far more likely to show a connection to the IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT MEREDITH family occupying the MEREDITH Plantation in Dinwiddie. 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>