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/1903.5/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Within several prior posts in this thread, I have discussed the various Census records which might include the presence of Obedience ROPER. I want to pull that information together into a single comprehensive summary to support at least a tentative ascription as to Obedience ROPER's implicit year of birth. Jesse ROPER's 1786 Tax List record gives us very little information as to Obedience ROPER's age: Jesse ROPER: 1 - 3 - 5 -- 0 - 0 [Northampton, NC 1786] Similarly, the 1790 Census gives us only a summary figure for ALL females within the household from which only a very weak inference can be drawn: Jesse ROPER: 3 - 2 - 7 -- 0 - 0 [Cumberland, NC 1790] I mention "very little information" about age and "a very weak inference," because while neither the 1786 List nor the 1790 Census figures show AGES as to females the data still supports a WEAK inference as to Obedience ROPER's age if one first ASSUMES that Obedience ROPER is Jesse ROPER's FIRST WIFE and the mother of ALL of Jesse ROPER's children. IF we ASSUME that Obedience was the mother of three sons and four daughters by 1786, and one further supposes that the children are spaced at about one year intervals with the first child being born about a year after Obedience's marriage to Jesse ROPER, we might make the weak inference that Obedience probably married Jesse ROPER no later than 1778, though perhaps somewhat earlier. If we further suppose that Obedience was at least age 14 at her marriage, we might surmise that Obedience was probably born before 1764, though we cannot say how many years before 1764. Both the Tax List and the 1790 Census data supports this weak inference. * The 1800 Census records gives us better clarity: Jesse ROPER: 2 - 1 - 0 - 2 - 1 -- 6 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 1 -- 0 - 0 [Lancaster District, SC 1800] In this record, the eldest female is age 45 or more (b bef 1756). This result is consistent with the inference we might make from the Tax List and 1790 Census data, but pushes Obedience's implicit year of birth back almost a decade. * I have speculated that Obedience might have resided in John ROPER's household at the date of the 1810 Census enumeration after Jesse ROPER's death: John ROPER: 5 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 -- 0 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 1 -- 0 - 0 -- 0 - 100 [Mecklenburg, NC 1810] The eldest female within this household is also age 45 or more (b bef 1766), but I showed that this seems NOT to have been John ROPER's wife Sarah Fincher ROPER. But even accepting the assumption that Obedience resided with John ROPER, the 1820 Census gives us no better information than the weak inferences we could make from the 1786 Tax List and 1790 Census. See: "John ROPER (b 24 Feb 1763-6, d 25 Jul 1852 - AL), of Mecklenburg, NC" (12 May 2014 2:17AM GMT) http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1903.4/mb.ashx * James ROPER's 1820 Census record, which includes two females over age 45 (b bef 1776) gives us yet another data point, though it is even LESS constraining: James ROPER: 0 - 2 - 0 - 2 - 0 - 1 -- 1 - 2 - 1 - 0 - 2 -- 0 - 4 - 0 - 3 -- 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Mecklenburg, NC 1820] Whether one accepts the assumption that Obedience lived with James ROPER in 1820 or not, we have no additional data to narrow Obedience ROPER's year of birth. * By contrast, James STORY's 1830 Census record presents another possible older female who might be Obedience ROPER: James STORY: 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Mecklenburg, NC 1830] This female is shown to be age 60 to 69 (b abt 1761-70). I actually suspect that Obedience ROPER is probably OLDER that this, for reasons that I will elaborate in another separate post. Obedience might have shaved a few years OFF of her age in 1830 OR the female in James STORY's household may simply NOT BE Obedience ROPER. * Thus, we can summarize some various implicit estimates: b bef 1764 (based on number of children) [Northampton, NC 1786 and Cumberland, NC 1790] b bef 1756 (age 45 or more) [Lancaster District, SC 1800] (Jesse ROPER) b bef 1766 (age 45 or more) [[Mecklenburg, NC 1810] (John ROPER) b bef 1776 (age 45 or more) [Mecklenburg, NC 1820] (James ROPER) b abt 1761-70 (age 60 to 69) [Mecklenburg, NC 1830] (James STORY) Of these, the implicit age from the 1800 Census is clearly the MOST RELIABLE as Obedience ROPER's presence in ANY of the other households in 1810, 1820 and 1830 is speculative. It might be better said that the other records and estimates are generally CONSISTENT with the estimate from the 1800 Census, EXCEPT FOR the 1830 Census record for James STORY. * Finally, I would point out that it is most likely that Obedience was younger than Jesse ROPER rather than older. Since we have Jesse ROPER's date of birth from the MOORE Family Bible as 31 May 1751, I would attend to expect that Obedience was probably born between 1752 and 1756, though most likely at the earlier end of that range for reasons I will further elaborate in another future post. 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>