This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Roper, Haywood Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1938.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Joshua ROPER, of Lincoln, Tennessee, has been ascribed by many as a son of Joseph and Martha ROPER. There seems to be strong cimcumstantial evidence that Joshua ROPER emerged from the household of Joseph and Martha ROPER and this ascription may be correct. However, I would also note that the Joshua ROPER's eldest son is named George Thomas ROPER. The second son is named James Bracken ROPER. Only the third son is named Joseph ROPER, as further shown below. 1850 CENSUS Joshua ROPER is enumerated at age 42 residing in Lincoln, TN, with what seems to be a wife and six children. The wife's name is very hard to make out. The name is shown as Durana in the Ancestry Index and superficially one can hardly argue with this transcription. Even so, there seems to be some other indication that the wife's name was Loucena or Lourena and she may have had the middle name Jane. The children shown in the 1850 Census record are much more readily identifiable. Joshua ROPER's 1850 household includes: Joshua ROPER, age 42, Male, Farmer, R.E. $300, born Tennessee Lurana ROPER, age 30, Female, born Tennessee George ROPER, age 9, Male, born Tennessee Martha ROPER, age 6, Female, born Tennessee Milly ROPER, age 6, Female, born Tennessee James ROPER, age 4, Male, born Tennessee Joseph ROPER, age 3, Male, born Tennessee Elizabeth ROPER, age 1, Male, born Tennessee (Image 148 of 160 at the Ancestry.com presentation of the Census data for Subdivision 1, Lincoln County, TN) See: "United States Census, 1850," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MCDG-599 : accessed 15 Aug 2014), Joshua Roper, Lincoln county, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States; citing family 1479, NARA microfilm publication M432. Joshua ROPER appears on the SAME Census page as Bracken ROPER, age 44, born in NORTH CAROLINA. * * * 1860 CENSUS Joshua ROPER, age 52, again appears in Lincoln, TN, in 1860. Joshua ROPER is again shown to be born in Tennessee. In 1860, the eldest female within the household is shown to be Jane, age 42. Jane is also shown to be born in Tennessee. The names of the children slightly vary, though the ages are generally consistent. Here is the Joshua ROPER household in 1860: Joshua ROPER, age 52, Male, Farmer, Pers. Estate $300, R.E. $400, born Tenn. Jane ROPER, age 42, Female, born Tenn. Thomas ROPER, age 19, Male, born Tenn. Martha ROPER, age 18, Female, born Tenn. Milley ROPER, age 16, Female, born Tenn. Bracken ROPER, age 14, Male, born Tenn. Joseph ROPER, age 12, Male, born Tenn. Elizabeth ROPER, age 10, Female, born Tenn. Nancy ROPER, age 8, Female, born Tenn. John ROPER, age 7, Male, born Tenn. William ROPER, age 5, Male, born Tenn. See: "United States Census, 1860," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M8TN-4RX : accessed 15 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 seems reasonable to infer that the "George" shown in the 1850 enumeration is the SAME child shown as "Thomas" in 1860 and that the "James" shown in the 1850 Census is the SAME child shown as "Bracken" in 1860. Whether these children are George Thomas or Thomas George and James Bracken or Bracken James is less clear without reference to other records, though in the latter instance the name James BRACKEN is somewhat more consistent with the naming to honor the BRACKEN of the given name James. * * * 1870 CENSUS In 1870, Joshua ROPER is again enumerated residing in Lincoln County, Tennessee, at age 62, as "J. J. ROPER". Joshua is again shown to be born in Tennessee. Joshua ROPER's 1870 household consisted of: Joshua ROPER, age 62, Male, White, Farmer, Pers. Estate $900, R.E. $600, Born TN Lou ROPER, age 53, Female, White, K House, Born TN Joseph ROPER, age 23, Male, White, Farmer, Born TN Nancy ROPER, age 18, Female, White, At Home, Born TN John ROPER, age 15, Male, White, At Home, Born TN William ROPER, age 13, Male, White, At Home, Born TN Margaret ROPER, age 18, Female, White, "Sewing", Born TN See: "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDDD-FR1 : accessed 15 Aug 2014), J J Roper, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 24, family 179, NARA microfilm publication M593, FHL microfilm 000553043. Note that Margaret is OUT OF THE AGE SEQUENCE OF THE OTHER CHILDREN AND DOES NOT CONFORM TO ANY OF THE CHILDREN IN THE 1860 ENUMERATION. This MIGHT BE the Margaret ROPER enumerated in the 1850 Census of James and Margaret ROPER, in Monroe, TN, and again appearing in the 1860 Census enumeration of the family of Joseph McLEMORE in Roane County, TN, though this Margaret is shown to be slightly younger. Immedaitely adjacent to and following Joshua ROPER's 1870 Census record are two additional ROPER households. First is the household of what seems to be "C.T. ROPER", age 30. This seems likely to be the son identified as George and later Thomas. This household consists of: C.T. ROPER, age 30, Male, White, Farmer, Pers. Estate $700, Real Estate $400, Born TN Elizabeth ROPER, age 27, Female, White, At Home, Born TN Frances ROPER, age 4, Female, White, At Home, Born TN Next is the household of Emaline ROPER, age 40: Emaline ROPER, age 40, Female, White, At Home, Pers. Estate $400, R.E. $300, Born TN Elizabeth ROPER, age 20, Female, White, At Home, born TN Wm. ROPER, age 10, Male, White, F. Labor, born TN Sarah ROPER, age 14, Female, White, At Home, born TN Winee ROPER, age 10, Female, White, At Home, born TN Margaret ROPER, age 8, Female, White, At Home, born TN Allace [sic] ROPER, age 4, Female, White, At Home, born TN See: "United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MD7P-DK8 : accessed 15 Aug 2014), Jasua Roper, District 17, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States; citing sheet 203B, NARA microfilm publication T9. Emaline ROPER appears to be the widow of Bracken ROPER. See my related post: "Bracken ROPER (b 31 Jan 1806? - NC, d 25 Sep 1866 - Lincoln, TN)" (15 Aug 2014 1:50PM GMT) http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1938.1/mb.ashx * * * 1880 CENSUS The 1880 Census data presents a bit of a paradox. BOTH Joshua and Lorena ROPER are shown on the 1880 Census enumeration, however each of their names is then interlineated with the indication "Dead". Then, BOTH also appear within the 1880 Mortality Schedule. The 1880 record shows the following data: Joshua ROPER, White, Male, age 72, Married, Mechanic, born Tenn, Father born Tenn, Mother born Tenn. Lorena ROPER, White, Female, age 63, Wife, born Tenn, Father born Tenn, Mother born Tenn. See: The Census schedule is dated 15 Jun 1880. The record immediately following the interlineated records of Joshua and Lorena ROPER is that of James HOLLOWAY, White, Male, age 24, Single, Works on Farm, born Tenn., Father born Tenn., Mother born in Tenn. I will further discuss James HOLLOWAY in a future post. Also on this Census page are the families of George T. ROPER, age 39, John H. ROPER, age 24, and William ROPER, age 23. * * * 1880 MORTALITY SCHEDULE Joseph ROPER appears within the 1880 Mortality Schedule showing him to have died in February of acute bronchitis. He is shown to be age 73 and to have been born in Tennessee to parents each born in Tennessee, though the latter information about his parent's birthplace is somewhat suspect. The clear intention of the Mortality Schedule was to capture ONE YEAR of mortality ENDING on May 31, 1880. Thus, IF the enumerators were properly following instructions, the ONLY February mortality returns would have been from 1880. It is rather bizarre that the Census enumerator visited this Lincoln neighborhood on June 15, 1880, and collected the information shown for Joseph and Lorena ROPER AFTER THEY WERE ALREADY DEAD. Perhaps some written survey had been previously distributed which was then later collected. * * * Joshua ROPER's Location in 1840 Joshua ROPER does NOT appear separately as a head of household in the 1840 Census when he would seem to have been about age 32. However, it seems most likely that Joshua ROPER was enumerated within the household of Bracken ROPER: Bracken ROPER: 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 2 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- NO SLAVES [Lincoln, TN, 1840] This record reflects the presence of two males age 30 to 29 (b abt 1801-10) and one male age 20 to 29 (b abt 1811-20), as well as a female age 20 to 29 (b abt 1811-20) residing within Bracken ROPER's household. THERE ARE NO CHILDREN IN THIS HOUSEHOLD IN 1840. (Image 175 of 204 for Lincoln, TN, at the Ancestry.com presentation of the 1840 Census data) * Martha ROPER is enumerated on the immediately previous Census page with a young man age 20 to 29 residing within her household: Martha ROPER: 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- NO SLAVES [Lincoln, TN, 1840] Martha ROPER is shown to be age 60 to 69 in 1840 (b abt 1771-80). * * * Similarly, it seems likely that Joshua ROPER was also enumerated living within Martha ROPER's household in 1830: Martha ROPER: 0 - 0 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- NO SLAVES [Lincoln, TN, 1830] (Image 161 of 206 for Lincoln, TN, at the Ancestry.com presentation of the 1830 Census data) * * * Joshua ROPER would also seem to possibly be one of the two elder boys enumerated in Joseph ROPER's household in 1820: Joseph ROPER: 3 - 2 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 -- 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 -- 0 - 3 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Lincoln, TN 1820] * * * * * Joshua ROPER's son George T. ROPER seems to be interred at the Roper Cemetery in Dellrose, Lincoln County. His grave marker shown him to have been born on 18 Jan 1841 and to have died on 07 Jul 1900. See: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=70602153 * Joshua ROPER's son James Bracken ROPER seems to be the head of household enumerated as Brack ROPER (b Aug 1846 - TN) in the 1900 U.S. Census residing in Civil District 17, Lincoln, TN. See: "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSC6-ZCT : accessed 15 Aug 2014), Brack Roper, Civil District 17, Lincoln, Tennessee, United States; citing sheet 5B, family 90, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1241584. * Secondary sources show specific dates of birth for EACH of Joshua ROPER's children, suggesting the possiblity that there is an extant Family Bible for this branch of the ROPER family. IF someone knows the whereabouts and contents of such a Bible, I would appreciate learning of it. Secondary sources also show specific dates of birth and death for Joshua ROPER. This Joshua is shown to have been born on 12 Jan 1808. Joshua ROPER is shown to have died on 09 Feb 1880. Usually, I now refrain from reporting secondary data of this sort without some indication of the primary record support for the assertions. However, Joshua ROPER is consistently shown as the SAME AGE PROGRESSION in EVERY Census: 42 [1850], 52 [1860], 62 [1870], and 72 [1880]. Only the mortality schedule gives an anomalous age (73). The implicit year of birth of 1808 is also consistent with the 1820, 1830 and 1840 Census records or Joseph ROPER, Martha ROPER and Bracken ROPER, respectively. The date of death given by the secondary sources is also consistent with with the 1880 Mortality Schedule, which gives the SAME month. IF Joshua ROPER is Joseph and Martha ROPER's son, his place of birth and birthdate would seem to establish that Joseph and Martha migrated to Tennessee before 12 Jan 1808. Since it would probably be UNLIKELY that a young couple would migrated to a wilderness location in the winter or in the last weeks of a pregnancy, it is somewhat more likely that Joseph and Martha would have been in Tennessee by the Autumn of 1807. 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>