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/1925.5/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Careful inspection of the Census record of Joshua ROPER, age 62, of Lincoln, TN, shows the presence of a Margaret ROPER, shown to be age 18, residing within Joshua's household. See: "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDDD-FR1 : accessed 11 Aug 2014), J J Roper, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 24, family 179, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 000553043. There are several things that are particularly distinguishable about this Margaret ROPER. First, Margaret is shown to be age 18, only about three years YOUNGER than the Margaret ROPER shown within James and Margaret ROPER's household in 1850. Second, Margaret appears OUT OF SEQUENCE with respect to the ages of the other children in this house, AFTER the youngest of Joshua ROPER's children, William ROPER, age 13. Third, there is NO Margaret ROPER shown within Joshua ROPER's household in the 1860 Census record. Joshua and Jane ROPER show these children in 1860: Thomas, age 19 Martha, age 18 Milley, age 16 Bracken, age 14 Joseph, age 12 Elizabeth, age 10 Nancy, age 8 John, age 7 William, age 5 See: "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M8TN-4RX : accessed 11 Aug 2014), Joshua Roper, District No 17, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States; citing "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," Fold3.com; p. 6, household ID 36, NARA microfilm publication M653; FHL microfilm 805261. * * * It appears to me that this information supports a reasonably strong inference that the Margaret ROPER shown in Joshua ROPER's household in 1870 is NOT Joshua's daughter. While this Margaret could be a widowed daughter-in-law, another rather distinct possibility is that following the death of Mary Roper McLEMORE and in the aftermath of tough conditions in post-Civil War Tennessee, that Margaret ROPER, the grandmother has syndicated out the responsibility of overseeing her young grandchildren to her husband's relatives. Note that we have already found James R. AINSWORTH in the household of John ROPER's grandson in Missouri. Is Margaret living with her mother's cousin Joshua ROPER? Ascription of Joshua as a NEPHEW of James ROPER and cousin of Mary ROPER is admittedly SPECULATIVE, but I had previously noted that John ROPER, of Pendleton seemed to have FOUR SONS. One of these may have been the Joseph ROPER who settled in Lincoln County, TN. The Margaret ROPER residing in Lincoln, TN, in 1870, is meritworthy of further study to ascertain whether she could be James ROPER's granddaughter enumerated in James' household in 1850 and in Joseph McLEMORE's household in 1860. Following the migrations of the orphans may actually be the KEY to establishing some of the relationships! 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>