This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Wiley, Stinson, Fincher, Riche, McEwen Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1903.4.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: In my previous post above, I sought to show that the 1810 and 1820 Census records in Mecklenburg, NC, for a John ROPER almost certainly belonged to Revolutionary War Veteran John ROPER (b 24 Feb 1763-6 - Brunswick, VA, d 25 Jul 1852 - Oak Level, Cleburne, AL). I also showed that it was likely that John ROPER had also migrated through South Carolina with his parents Jesse and Obedience ROPER, despite John ROPER's failure to mention South Carolina within his pension application. Further support for both propositions can be found within the extant diary of John ROPER's son, Methodist minister Joseph Fletcher ROPER (b 05 Dec 1808 - SC, d 14 Sep 1860 - AL). Portions of Joseph Fletcher ROPER's diary were transcribed in an article appearing within Volume 19 of the Alabama Historical Quarterly in 1957. Despite the enormous importance of this Diary to the family history of this branch of the ROPER family, I have found little evidence that the diary has ever been examined by ROPER family historians, nor has it received much attention since the publication of excerpts within Alabama Historical Quarterly more than five decades ago. This kind of evidence can be kind of inconvenient, though, to those who have invented various ancestors and details of their family history! I want to call particular attention to this autobiographical provision appearing in the published excerpts at page 395: "I Joseph F. Roper was born in York District South Carolina on the big Saluda road, in the Stony fork of big fishing creek about one mile from where it empties into said bug fishing creek on the fifth day of Dec. one thousand eight hundred and eight, at which place my father lived but a short time after my birth, when he moved to a mill on half mile creek about 2 miles from old nation ford on the Catawba river, at which place he lived about 3 years, and then moved to J. Finchers place in North Carolina Mecklenburg Co. at which place he lived about 1 year and then moved to a place called Stinson's, at which place he lived about 6 years, from which he removed to John Riche's place where he lived 2 years and then moved to Patterson's place Providence Settlement, at which place he lived 2 years and then moved to the Wiley place and lived 3 years and then he moved to Gwinnette Co. Ga. Where I lived ten years and where I married my first wife, Margaret H. McEwen, daughter of Rober! t and Rachel McEwen. I moved from there to Benton Co. Ala where I lived 9 years and then moved to Macon Co, Ala where I lived 3 years, from here I moved to Coosa Co., Ala., where I lived 1 year. I resided here when I joined the Ala. Con. [Conference of the Methodist Church] It held its session in Mobile as stated in the beginning of this book. I travelled Tombigby circuit the first year. Big Swamp Mission the second year, Catoma Mission the third year in Dec. of which my first wife died. Awful! Awful! Awful! day for me. In losing her I lost all I had, or ever shall have except my children that was worth living for." This account of Joseph F. ROPER's childhood and lifetime migrations contains so many details that it defies a thorough analysis in the time now available to me this morning. But I want to call attention to several very specific details a was these pertain to my discussion of the migrations of Jesse and Obedience ROPER, as well as Joseph's father John ROPER. First, Joseph tells us very precisely WHERE he was born: York, SC. Since he also gives the date, this fixes the location of Joseph's father John ROPER at 05 Dec 1808. It is axiomatic that Joseph cannot have remembered the place where he was born and this almost certainly must have been related to him by members of his family. Joseph was born on Big Saluda Road in the Stony Fork of Big Fishing Creek about a mile from where it (presumably Stony Fork) empties into said Big Fishing Creek. Stony Fork joins Fishing Creek at Lat / Long 34.8394909, -81.0654680, very near the intersection of Strait Road and Auten Road, just to the South and East of Saluda Road (SC Hwy 72 / 121) near the junction of SC Hwy 324 with Saluda Road. This is to the South of Rock Hill, South Carolina. * It bears mention that the Catawba River separates Chester from Lancaster County. Although I didn't immediately find a creek shown to be named "Half Mile" Creek on modern maps, I did find a Creek flowing into the Catawba River which is about one half mile in length which creek coincidentally seems to be adjacent to Fincher Road. This is in Chester County just below the York County line. A somewhat to the North of this is Abernathy's Creek. * I had previously noted John ROPER's presence amongst FINCHERS in my previous post. Joseph ROPER expressly tells us that his father lived at "J. FINCHER's place", but MOST of John ROPER's neighboring FINCHERs at Mecklenburg have the first initial "J." Even so, this is rather conclusive evidence that John ROPER lived not merely nearby, but on J. FINCHER's property! * The place called "Stinsons" is somewhat less identifiable, but there is a Stinson's Cemetery at Lat / Long 34.8340292, -80.8261789 in Lancaster County, SC, just South of SC Hwy 5 and East of Old Hickory Road to the West of Andrew Jackson State Park. This is very close to the other locations mentioned and this seems unlikely to be a coincidence. A STINSON family would seem likely to have been seated at or near this cemetery. The North Carolina state line is a short walk from this place. The county immediately opposite in North Carolina is now Union County. Providence is located in Mecklenburg County near where I-485 junctions with NC 16. It bears mention that Joseph ROPER mentions residing at "PATTERSON's Place." In 1820, John ROPER is found enumerated between a John PATTERSON and a James N. H. PATTERSON. It seems to me that when read in conjunction with the Joseph ROPER diary, this places John ROPER at the PATTERSON Place in Providence Settlement in 1820. * I have not yet sought to locate John Riche's place or the Wiley Place. It seems to me appropriate to mention that John ROPER's residence at the "Wiley Place" should also perhaps inform our inquiry into the origins of the given name "Wiley" in the ROPER family. I had been inclined to surmise that "Wiley Blount ROPER" was probably named for Wiley BLOUNT, who served as Governor of Tennessee during the Creek War. But other Wiley ROPERs may be named for some allied WILEY family with which the ROPERs were intermarried or with whom the co-located or resided. 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>