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/1698.3.1.2.1.1.1.3.1.2.5/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Frank: You may recall that I have been encouraging you for some time to look up the ROPER deed records in the places you suspect that the David ROPERs of interest to your study are residing. See: "Precisely WHEN did the David ROPER in Cumberland, KY, SELL his land there. WHEN did David ROPER, of Rhea, TN, buy or sell his land? Precisely WHEN did David ROPER actually buy his land in Missouri? Are there other records in Kentucky, Tennessee or Missouri that can further inform our understanding of this ROPER family." Once you establish the presence of a family in a place, it is always a good idea to check both the extant tax records and deed records to more particularly establish WHEN a householder first arrived in a place and when that householder or landowner departed. Although I had suggested checking the records in Cumberland and Rhea, checking in other nearby places also makes sense. Especially when the Census records show a presence of the ROPER family in such a place. Since many Counties have some posted deed abstract information, checking the USGenWeb pages is a good first step. Making use of Lookup volunteers through USGenWeb OR posting a Query at the County page is also a very effective and efficient way to lean about deeds and tax records. Today, I checked the USGenWeb page for McMinn and found that they had posted a Grantor-Grantee summary of the early McMinn, TN, deeds. I found this mention at the McMinn site: 278 26 Feb. 1831 David Roper of Rhea co. to Solomon Hayes. Someone will need to pull the image of the deed and post a transcription to fully appreciate its significance. It seems to me that this record is highly suggestive that David ROPER, of Rhea, TN, was a landowner in McMinn, TN. Separately, please note that I also found a transfer by Joseph ROPER, of Shelby, AL. See: * * * How does this alter your thinking about the relationships between David ROPER, of Cumberland, KY, David ROPER, of Rhea, TN, and the others shown passing through McMinn, TN: Joseph ROPER, James ROPER, and George ROPER? 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>