This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Ainsworth Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1925.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The marriage you mention is that which I identified within this text of my original post "James ROPER (b abt 1786 - NC) and Margaret McNally ROPER, of McMinn and Monroe, TN" (James ROPER (b abt 1786 - NC) and Margaret McNally ROPER, of McMinn and Monroe, TN): "There was also a marriage between Mary ROPER and William AINSWORTH on 06 Aug 1841 in Monroe, TN. This might have been the female age 15 to 19 in 1840, though this is a somewhat more speculative ascription. (Another source gives the marriage date as 06 Jul 1842.)" This marriage is reflected in three index entries readily available at FamilySearch.org: "Tennessee, State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VN6D-9TL : accessed 09 Aug 2014), Wm Ainsworth and Mary Roper, 06 Jul 1842; citing "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," Ancestry.com; p. 256, Monroe, Tennessee, United States, State Library and Archives, Nashville. "Tennessee, State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VN6D-3RK : accessed 09 Aug 2014), William Ainsworth and Mary Roper, 06 Jul 1842; citing "Tennessee State Marriages, 1780-2002," Ancestry.com; p. 183, Monroe, Tennessee, United States, State Library and Archives, Nashville. "Tennessee, Marriages, 1796-1950," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XDQK-3QL : accessed 09 Aug 2014), William Ainsworth and Mary Roper, 06 Aug 1841; citing Monroe,Tennessee, reference ; FHL microfilm 956229, 956230. The underlying IMAGES of the primary document are NOT available at FamilySearch.org at this time. * * * Other than noting the TIME and PLACE of this marriage shown alternatively as taking place on 06 Aug 1841 or 06 Jul 1842, I have NO SPECIFIC information about WHERE Mary ROPER fits in the ROPER family, IF SHE IS, IN FACT A ROPER AT ALL. My SPECULATION is that she MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE DAUGTHER of the James ROPER (b abt 1786 - NC) and Margaret McNally ROPER identified in the original post. There is SOME evidence that might support such an ascription, though it is hardly conclusive. 1. James ROPER is shown to have daughters who would have likely been of marriageable age when Mary ROPER married. 2. By 1841, David ROPER and John ROPER, two other prior residents of Monroe County, TN, had already settled in Greene County, MO, so it is LESS LIKELY that a daughter of David or John ROPER returned to Monroe County to marry. Moreover, we KNOW the identity of John ROPER's children from his family Bible. However, it is NOT INCONCEIVABLE that a daugher of David ROPER could have returned to Tennessee to wed. 3. There was also a Ewell ROPER shown in the muster rolls for Blount County in the War of 1812. There seems to be no further record of him thereafter, but the appearance of the name "Yewell" in John ROPER's family suggests a close family connection. Since Ewell ROPER was old enough to serve in the militia in 1814, he probably was also old about the right age to be the father of a daughter who might marry in 1841. But there is simply NO RECORD of Ewell that has yet been identified which would show that he lived much beyond 1814 or that he ever married. Ewell cannot be catagorically excluded as a possible father of Mary ROPER, but there is really no evidence to support more than the bare possibility. 4. There was another ROPER family, that of Joseph ROPER, of Chesterfield, VA, and later of ALabama, who also passed through nearby McMinn County, TN. But he was settled in Alabama by the date of this marriage. 5. James ROPER, of McMinn and Monroe, TN, is the single best ROPER candidate KNOWN to still be present in or near Monroe in 1841 and KNOWN to have daughters of a marriageable age. Even so, there is yet another possibility that should NOT be discounted. There was also a RAPER family in Monroe, TN, and this RAPER clan lingered in Monroe after the onward migration of most of the ROPERs elsewhere. By sheer NUMBERS, Mary ROPER is every bit as likely to be a member of the RAPER family rather than the ROPER family. * I would suggest several avenues of investigation. I would encourage you to post queries at the RAPER, the AINSWORTH and the Monroe, Tennessee, RootsWeb Message Boards. If Mary is KNOWN to be a RAPER, the accomplished RAPER genealogists may ALREADY KNOW THIS and may be able to give some specific supporting information. Similarly, someone in the AINSWORTH family may already KNOW more about this couple, including the identity of their children, etc. Similarly, someone in Monroe County, TN, may have already studied this family. There is a William AINSWORTH enumerated in the 1840 Census residing in Monroe, TN. This William AINSWORTH is shown to be age 40 to 49 with a male age 15 to 19 and of the same age residing within his household. The age of the younger male is consistent with a son of marriageable age in 1841 or 1842. But the marriage may also be that of the elder AINSWORTH KNOWN to have the first name William. It is possibly noteworthy that there are STEPHENSONs and MILLERs shown on the very same Census page. These are surnames of families with whom John ROPER's daughters intermarried. * * * In 1850, William AINSWORTH seems to be GONE from Tennessee. In 1850, there is an AINSWORTH family in Montgomery, Tennessee, though nothing to conspicuously connect this family to William AINSWORTH, of Monroe. There is a William AINSWORTH, age 55, born North Carolina, shown to be residing within the household of a very wealthy Francis IRWIN, age 65, born in Ireland, in Cass County, Georgia. This William AINSWORTH is shown to be a "Horse Racer". There is also a William AINSWORTH, age 50, born abt 1800 in South Carolina, residing with Nancy AINSWORTH, age 29, born in Tennessee, and his family in Cedar, Missouri. ALL of the children, ranging in age from 1 to 16 are shown to be born in Missouri. Either of these might be the William AINSWORTH shown in the 1840 Census in Monroe, TN, however the large family of the latter seems at least inconsistent with the 1840 Census record. There was also a William AINSWORTH, age 30 to 39, enumerated in Grand River, Rives County, MO, in 1840, with a large family. There was also a William AINSWORTH enumerated in Howard County, MO, in 1830. Jesse ROPER was also in Howard County, MO, in 1830, but doesn't seem to have been in close proximity. There was also a William AINSWORTH, age 30 to 39, enumerated in Assumption Parish, Louisiana, in 1840. This was probably the William AINSWORTH shown to have married Rosella BROUSSARD in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, in April 1830. * In 1860, there is a William AINSWORTH, age 66, born Tennessee, shown to be residing within the household of James W. TURNER, age 26, in Heard County, Georgia. It is UNCLEAR whether this is the William AINSWORTH shown to be age 40 to 49 in the 1840 Census enumeration, though he is of the correct age range. * * * In my view, IF this is an AINSWORTH - ROPER marriage, rather than an AINSWORTH - RAPER marriage, then I think it is at least mildly MORE LIKELY that Mary ROPER married a YOUNGER William AINSWORTH, possibly the young man age 15 to 19 enumerated within the 1840 Census record. This William AINSWORTH may have died young, leaving a widow and small family. 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>