This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: waroper Surnames: Burnett, Burnet, Roper, Lewis, Hart Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.roper/1931.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: While I have NOT seen a specific primary record which expressly reflects the identity of the second husband of Sally ROPER, widow of Charles ROPER, there are several indications that the husband was probably Robert BURNETT. Individually, these indications are only suggestive of such an ascription, but taken together, the evidence seems to be reasonably conclusive. First, Robert BURNETT is the ONLY BURNETT shown in Northampton County in the 1810, 1820 and 1830 Census enumerations. Thus, to make a different ascription requires us to wander beyond the boundaries of Northampton County. This is probably the single best argument for the ascription of Robert as Sally ROPER's second husband. Second, Robert BURNETT is expressly shown as a purchaser at the estate sale of Sally -- Roper BURNETT. See: "North Carolina, County Records, 1833-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1961-25459-12605-47?cc=1916185&wc=MC8D-WP6:202910901,204054101 : accessed 07 Jul 2014), Northampton > Estates 1786-1930 vol 187 Rook, W.D.-Rutland, Narsworthy > image 195 of 640; citing Department of Archives and History, Raleigh. Most significantly, Robert purchased the hogs shown to be owned by Sally Roper BURNETT and is shown to have RENTED HER LAND! Third, as further shown below, Robert BURNETT is of an age which is consistent with a remarriage to Sally ROPER about 1815. Fourth, as further shown below, the count and ages of children shown in Robert BURNETT's household are consistent with the ages of Charles and Sally ROPER's three children: John, Martha and Thomas ROPER. Fifth, John ROPER's son Thomas J. ROPER named a son "Robert", a given name not previously present in this branch of the ROPER family, perhaps showing some onging connection and affinty for his father's half brother Robert BURNETT or his grandmother's second husband. See the related post on Charles ROPER's grandson Thomas J. ROPER, son of John ROPER. * * * THE 1810 CENSUS RECORD Robert BURNETT is shown to be already residing in Northampton, NC, in 1810: Robert BURNETT: 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 -- 2 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 -- 0 - 0 -- 1 - 0 - 20 [Northampton, NC 1810] See: "United States Census, 1810," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHL9-XWZ : accessed 07 Jul 2014), Robert Burnett, Not Stated, Northampton, North Carolina; citing "1810 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 714, line 910, NARA microfilm publication M252, roll 42, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0337915. Robert BURNETT's 1810 Census record shows a male age 26 to 44 (b abt 1766-84) with a female of a similar age and two females under the age of 10. This seems to suggest that Robert was married previous to his marriage to Sally ROPER and may have had two daughters from that earlier marriage. The record is generally consistent with a younger married couple, probably only married for several years in 1810. * * * THE 1820 CENSUS RECORD Robert BURNET:. 2 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 -- 2 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 -- 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 [Northampton 1820] See: "United States Census, 1820," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHGS-NF5 : accessed 07 Jul 2014), Robert Burnet, Not Stated, Northampton, North Carolina; citing "1820 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 214, NARA microfilm publication M33, roll 85, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0162801. Robert BURNETT's 1820 Census record shows a male age 26 to 44 (b abt 1776-94) with a female of similar age, presumably Sally --- Roper BURNESS, and two males and two females each under age 10. Charles and Sally ROPER's children would have been John, Martha and Thomas ROPER. John ROPER would have been age 10 or 11. Robert BURNETT's 1820 Census record seems to be consistent with the possibility that one or both of Sally's sons and Martha might have all been living within his household. However, as further discussed in a forthcoming post on Ritty ROPER, one of Sally Roper BURNETT's sons may have already been residing in the household of his two aunts -- Ritty and Sarah ROPER -- by 1820. Although John ROPER seems to have been about age 11 by 1820, he may be either one of the two male children under age ten OR he may be the male under age ten shown to be residing in his Aunt's household that year. I am most inclined to believe the latter, as the older women probably cold have made good use of the boy and he might have found this arrangement preferable to living with his stepfather. One of the two females under age 10 may have been Martha ROPER. The other may have been a child born to Robert and Sally BURNETT. * * * THE 1830 CENSUS RECORD Robert BURNETT: 0 - 2 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- No Slaves [Northampton 1830] See: "United States Census, 1830," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHP7-K78 : accessed 07 Jul 2014), Robert Burnett, Not Stated, Northampton, North Carolina; citing "1830 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 114, NARA microfilm publication M19, roll 123, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0018089. In the 1840 Census, Robert BURNETT is shown to be age 50 to 59 (b abt 1771-80). The two females in Robert BURNETT's household are much younger, one age 20 to 29 (b abt 1811-20), and the other age 15 to 19 (b abt 1821-5). Thomas ROPER seems to have been already dead by the date Ritty ROPER took over as guardian of Charles and Sally ROPER's minor children. John ROPER probably turned age 21 in 1829 or in 1830, but possibly after the Census enumeration. Martha was probably slight younger, born in or after 1810. No child in Robert BURNETT's household in 1830 seems consistent with John ROPER. Sally --- Roper BURNETT is shown to have died before 29 Mar 1826. Note that Robert BURNETT is shown to have two male children are 5 to 9 (b abt 1821-5) and one male child age 10 to 14 (b abt 1816-20) in the 1830 Census. This is consistent with the possibility that Charles ROPER's widow Sally remarried about 1815 and had three sons. Note that there are no children in this household born after 1825. This seems to further bolster an ascription that Robert BURNETT was probably Sally ROPER's second husband. The female child shown to be 20 to 29 (b abt 1811-20) seems likely to be Martha ROPER, who might very well have remained in her stepfather's household to help care for her younger half brothers and half sister. The female age 15 to 19 (b abt 1821-5) probably reflects a younger half sister of Martha. Recall that there were two females shown to be under age 10 in the 1820 Census enumeration. Martha may have been born in 1810 and hadn't yet turned 10 at the date of the 1820 Census. Or, her stepfather might have simply erred in giving her age. * * * ROBERT BURNETT's THIRD MARRIAGE Robert BURNETT is shown to have married an Eliazabeth BLALOCK in 1833. See: "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XFS6-SL3 : accessed 07 Jul 2014), Robert Burnett and Elizabeth Blalock, 1833; citing Northampton, North Carolina, United States; FHL microfilm 000275918. * * * THE 1840 CENSUS RECORD Robert BURNETT was still residing in Northampton at the date of the 1840 Census: Robert BURNETT: 1 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- 1 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 1 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 -- No Slaves [Northampton 1840] See: "United States Census, 1840," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XHYN-BCG : accessed 07 Jul 2014), Robert Burnett, Not Stated, Northampton, North Carolina; citing "1840 United States Federal Census," Ancestry.com; p. 98, NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 366, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 0018096. He is again shown to be age 50 to 59 (b abt 1781-90), though this may be untrustworthy. His wife, presumably Elizabeth, is shown to be age 40 to 49. The presence of young children in this Census record seems to suggest that Robert BURNETT's family continued to grow after his third marriage. * * * * * ROBERT BURNETT's IMPLICIT YEAR OF BIRTH Robert BURNETT's absence from the 1800 Northampton Census suggests that he may have arrived there after 1800. Recall that the 1800 Virginia Census did NOT survive. But the 1803 Tax List for Lunenburg County, Virginia, shows a Robert BURNETT residing there that year. There was also a Robert BURNETT found in the 1792 personal property Tax List for Pendleton County. I am inclined to suspect that the former record (in Lunenburg) may reflect the Robert BURNETT who migrated to Northampton, however to the extent that Robert BURNETT is younger rather than older in 1810, he could have emerged from almost any Virginia or North Carolina BURNETT family. Those interested in identification of Robert BURNETT's antecedents are encouraged to study the ANNUAL Virginia Tax Lists for EACH YEAR from 1782 through 1810 to ascertain Robert BURNETT's place and family of origin. We are already presented with four reasonably valid data points from which to infer Robert BURNETT's year of birth: b abt 1766-84 (age 26 to 44) [1810] b abt 1776-94 (age 26 to 44) [1820] b abt 1771-80 (age 50 to 59) [1830] b abt 1781-90 (age 50 to 59) [1840] >From the first two observations, we might reasonably narrow Robert's year of birth to the range 1776 to 1784. The 1830 Census suggests that this range might be further narrowed to 1776 to 1780, while the 1840 data suggests that we might instead narrow the range to 1781-4. While the 1830 and 1840 data seem to be contradictory, this might yet be harmonized if one allows for the possibility of some slight imprecision in reporting. I would suggest that this data reasonably supports an inference that Robert BURNETT was born about 1780-1, while recognizing the possibility that he might have been born a year or two earlier or later. IF the 1803 Tax List record pertains to this same Robert BURNETT, it somewhat further fixes Robert's year of birth, since he is unlikely to have appeared in the Tax List there in 1803 unless he was already age 21 (b bef 1782. * * * * * I would appreciate hearing from anyone with other specific factual information about Robert BURNETT and his 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>