This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Rosser, Roser, Robertson, Harvey, Read, Lambert, Lamberth, Williams, Marshall, Cooke, Cook, Dancey Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1939.7/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The third volume of Dr. Stephen BRADLEY's abstracts of Brunswick, Virginia, Deed records is titled: "Brunswick County, Virginia, Deed Books, Volume 3, 1755-1764", Abstracted by Dr. Stephen E. BRADLEY, Jr. (Lawrenceville, VA: Stephen E. Bradley, Jr., 1998). At the North Carolina State Library, this book was shown to have Library of Congress call number "GR 929.3 V8br B811bd v.3". This Volume covers Brunswick Deed Books 6 and 7. While Volume 2 showed several ROPER mentions, all pertaining to the disposition of John ROPER's Patent of 1745, there is only a single mention of a ROPER within Volume 3. This is the mention of David ROPER on page 100 as a witness to a Deed: "Athanasius (x) ROBERTSON & his wife Cordilly (x) of St. Andrews Parish in Brunswick Co. to Thomas HARVEY of sd Parish. 22 Aug 1764. £60 VA. 100 acres in the fork of Red Oak Creek, joining READ, LAMBERTH. Wit: Hugh WILLIAMS, David ROPER, George MARSHALL." Brunswick, VA, Deed Book 7, Page 512 [BRADLEY Abstract Vol. 3, Page 100] * * * There are also several additional mentions of ROSSERs within this Volume on pages 7(Brunswick Deed Book 6, Page 82), 12 (Brunswick Deed Book 6, Page 132 & 135) and 71 (Brunswick Deed Book 7, Page 152). In my view, only the first and last of these bears further mention and elaboration: "Nicholas (x) BREWER of Brunswick Co to John HILL of Southampton Co. 27 Sep 1756. £8 VA. 100 acres which was part of a patent to Nicholas BREWER 5 Jul 1750, on the south side of Pine Log Road, poining John ROSSER, George BREWER, sd Nicholas BREWER. Wit: John PETERSON, Henry MORRIS, Joseph PARKS. Proved 28 Sep 1756. Sary (x) the wife of sd Nicholas BREWER relinquished her right of dower. Litt. TAZEWELL CC." Brunswick, VA, Deed Book 6, Page 82 [BRADLEY Abstract Vol. 3, Page 7] "Drury COOKE of Meherrin Parish in Brunswick Co. to John ROSSER of sd parish. 9 Jun 1762. £55 VA. Negro girl Jeny. Wit: Xpher MASON, William DANCY, Burwell BASS. Proved 26 Jul 1762. John ROBINSON CC." Brunswick, VA, Deed Book 7, Page 152 [BRADLEY Abstract Vol. 3, Page 71] * * * * * NOTE 1: In 1754, Brunswick County, which had been wholly within St. Andrews Parish from its founding, was divided into two parishes. The area North of the Meherrin River retained the name St. Andrews Parish. The area to the South of the Meherrin River to the North Carolina Provencial line became Meherrin Parish. NOTE 2: David ROPER (b 29 Jun 1742), son of Charles ROPER and Ann GOODWYN, would have been age 22 at the date of the ROBERTSON deed and had probably just set out on his own. When I took these notes at the North Carolina State Library, I failed to take the time to fully appreciate the adjacency of William and Laura Roper MOORE which is shown in some of the later notes to be posted. Laura was David ROPER's twin sister. Someone with a keen interest in the family of Charles and Ann Goodwin ROPER should probably try to run down the various MOORE records in Brunswick to identify the date of first appearance of William MOORE. It is unclear whether William and Laura Roper MOORE first settled in Brunswick and David ROPER followed, whether David ROPER first settled in Brunswick and the MOORE couple followed or whether David settled near William MOORE and Laura later married William, possibly after David and William became acquainted. Since it was more common for young women to m! arry by about age 16 it seems likely that Laura was probably already married by 1764. NOTE 3: The appearance of David ROPER as witness to the ROBERTSON deed is the first appearance by ANY ROPER suggesting an actual residence within Brunswick County. As is further shown within both abstracts and previously posted Brunswick deed transcriptions, David ROPERseems to have settled in the Northernmost area of Brunswick County near Red Oak Creek and Hickory Run, two tributaries of the Nottoway River flowing into the Nottoway from the South. This area is in or near the Southeastern corner of the modern Fort Pickett Military Reservation. NOTE 4: That David ROPER would appear as a witness to a deed from Athanasius ROBERTSON to Thomas HARVEY is interesting on two counts, though it may simply reflect proximity. ROPERs were found in close prximity to ROBERTSONs in North Carolina. ROBERTSONs were leading pioneers in the formation of Tennessee. David ROPER's nephew David W. ROPER, son of Joel ROPER, named a daughter "Cordelia". The HARVEYs are shown to be subsequent neighbors of David ROPER and William ROPER in the vicinity of Red Oak Creek and are shown together on a number of records. NOTE 5: The appearance of the surname LAMBERT as an adjacent neighbor is also interesting. A LAMBERT hosted a John ROPER in Charles County, Maryland, a century earlier. John ROPER, of Charles City County, transported a LAMBERT to Virginia (possibly from Maryland) as shown in the 1714 Charles City County Patent. NOTE 6: As will be further shown in subsequent Brunswick abstracts and as already shown in some Brunswick deed transcriptions, Hugh WILLIAMS sold land in Brunswick near or adjacent to this parcel to Charles and Ann Goodwyn ROPER in 1767. NOTE 7: George ROPER, son of David ROPER (b 1744, d 1808), of Charles City County, VA, married the Maria O. MARSHALL, widow of Chief Justice John MARSHALL, a generation later. NOTE 8: The Nicholas BREWER deed further shows the location of John ROSSER in the Southern part of Brunswick County. John PETERSON is shown to be a witness to the BREWER deed. James ROPER married Mary PETERSON, daughter of John PETERSON. While I am inclined to believe that this is actually a ROSSER rather than ROPER record, the family of John ROSSER was living in very close proximity to the PETERSONs in the Southern part of the County near the North Carolina Provencial line and this record exemplifies the confusion attendant to sorting out the various records. While I suspect that Dr. BRADLEY's transcription is trustworthy, someone with a keen interest in the Brunswick ROPERs needs to carefully visually inspect EVERY ROPER and ROSSER record in respect of the original underlying images, because some transcription errors have undoubtedly been made, as further shown in other posts. NOTE 9: John ROSSER is shown as a witness to two deeds dated 7 Jan 1757 involving Joseph HATHCOCK and Daniel CATO. On of these parcels is shown to abut Falling Run. The other is shown to be South of Fountains Creek. Both of these seem to be near the North Carolina Provencial line and I believe that these are ROSSER records. A John COOK and a Henry COOK are shown to be neighbors. ROPERs and COOKEs are shown to be intermarried on the South bank of the James River a century earlier, but I think that the coinciding appearance of ROSSER and COOK is porobably merely a coincidence. NOTE 10: The deed from Drury COOKE to John ROPER dated 09 Jun 1762 similarly shows at least some commercial activity between the ROSSER and COOKE family, which I suspect is incidental to the proximity. The appearance of William DANCY as a witness is also interesting, but also probably merely a coincidence. DANCE or DANCEY was the brother-in-law of the Sir William ROPER, of Well Hall, Kent, who married Margaret ROPER five centuries ago. DANCEY also appeared very early in Virginia, which I think is NOT a coincidence, but rather reflects a general flight of persecuted Catholics to the American Colonies. DANCEYs are found near ROPERs in several places during the preceeding century, but the appearance of DANCEY in Southern Brunswick is probably simply a reflection of a general migration pattern of new generations to the frontier and places where land was more readily available. 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>