This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Moore Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1851.1.1.2.1.1.2.1.1.1.2/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Implicit in this prior post, you also seem to infer some significance to David ROPER taking title to the land in his own name. I think that you misunderstand the nature of the law of real property of this era. Usually, the wife is treated essentially as unified in the person of her husband EXCEPT as to statutes creating a right of dower. Thus, almost ALL titles of this period are taken ONLY in the name of the husband. But when the property is sold the deed needed to be executed by both husband and wife, or at least the wife needed to make a written release of dower. I challenge you to find ANY deed in or out of the ROPER family of this era in which the grantee includes the wife's identity. By contrast, when the wife was living, the wife was frequently identified, particularly as to property acquired during the marriage upon which the couple made their homestead (even before the development of express "homestead" provisions). I would ascribe NO SIGNIFICANCE whatsoever to the omission of the wife's name from the indicated deed. It has no legal bearing on the wife's title to the property, though a prenuptial agreement could possibly alter such rights, especially as to property acquired before marriage. * Separately, I wonder if we should be taking a closer look at the counterparties to the indicated sale. Unfortunately, MOORE is a rather common name. Benjamin ROPER and Laura ROPER had a son name William MOORE (b 18 Aug 1767), as well as other male MOORE children both older and younger. Benjamin MOORE and his wife Nancy ROPER migrated to Williamson County, TN. I wonder if we should be looking at the migration patterns of various grandchildren of Charles ROPER and Ann GOODWYN to include those without the ROPER surname to find out if some of these settled in Pulaski County, KY? 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>