This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Roper, Dauber, Dawber Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/785.6 Message Board Post: Amongst the English immigrants to America appearing in the 1870 Census was a William B. ROPER, age 74, born in England: United States Census -- 1870 Ward 5, Washington D.C., Page 192 22 Jul 1870 Line 9, Dwelling 1477, Family 1576, ROPER, Wm. B., Age 74, Male, White, Stone Cutter, RE $1,000, Pers. Estate $200, Born England, Father Foreign Born, Mother Foreign Born, Male Citizen of U.S. Over 21 Years Line 10, Dwelling 1477, Family 1576, ROPER, Ellen, Age 66, Female, White, Keeping House, Born Ireland, Father Foreign Born, Mother Foreign Born [Image 194 of 269 at the Ancestry.com presentation of Census data for this jurisdiction.] * It should be noted that the RELATIONSHIP between William B. ROPER and Ellen ROPER is NOT given in this Census record, so it is NOT certain that Ellen is William B. ROPER's WIFE. This William B. ROPER is somewhat problematic. There seems to be only a single Census record in the United States, that of 1870. I have been unable to find an 1860 Census record for this William B. ROPER in America. I was also unable to find an 1880 Census record. It is somewhat problematic to precisely ascribe William B. ROPER's year of birth from a single observation in the Census. We can impute a year of birth of 1796, but this is far from certain. The absence of children from the household further compounds the challenge in identfying William B. ROPER's origins. The only other detail which seems to be distinguishing is his occupation as a stone cutter. * Checking the 1861 English Census entries for a William ROPER, born about 1796 and a stone cutter, I found nothing of particular significance. Checking the 1851 English Census, I located a record for a William ROPER, age 56, of Wrightington, Lancashire, whose occupation was shown to be "Quarryman". This is as close to a "stone cutter" as I could find. Here are the details from the 1851 Census record: Wrightington, Lancashire, England 91 Robinhood, William ROPE, Head, Married, Male, Age 56, "Quairyman", Born Lancashire Wrightington Mary ROPE, Wife, Married, Female, Age 53, Born Lancashire Wrightington Betty DAUBER, Dau, Widowed, Female, Age 33, Cottonweave Hand Loom, Born Lancashire Wrightington Mary ROPER, Dau, Female, Age 17, Cottonweave Hand Loom, Born Lancashire Wrightington Ruth ROPER, Dau, Female, Age 13, Born Lancashire Wrightington Margaret DAUBER, Granddau, Female, Age 12, Born Lancashire Wrightington Mary Ann DAUBER, Granddau, Female, Age 9, Born Lancashire Wrightington William DAUBER, Grandson, Male, Age 7, Scholar, Born Lancashire Wrightington Ann DAUBER, Granddau, Female, Age 1, Born Lancashire Wrightington John ROPER, Grandson, Male, Age 6, Scholar, Born Lancashire Wrightington Elizabeth ROPER, Granddau, Female, Age 3, Born Lancashire Wrightington This William ROPER's daughter "Betty" seems to have been the Elizabeth ROPER who was married to John DAWBER in 1843: Eliz. ROPER m. John DAWBER 17 APR 1843 at Eccleston By Chorley, Lancashire, England [IGI Batch No. M005712] * The only OTHER ROPERs residing in Wrightington in 1851 were the ROPERs within the household of William and Catharine ROPER: Wrightington, Lancashire, England 2 Hungerhill, William ROPER, Head, Male, Age 43, Colliery Labourer, Born Lancashire Wrightington Catherine ROPER, Wife, Female, Age 37, Born Wales Flintshire Herdings William ROPER, Head, Male, Age 12, Born Lancashire Standish Richard ROPER, Head, Male, Age 8, Scholar, Born Lancashire Wrightington Thomas ROPER, Head, Male, Age 2, Born Lancashire Wrightington * It is unclear how this William ROPER is related to William ROPER (b abt 1796). * Looking forward to the 1861 Census, this same William ROPER seems to have been residing in Heskin, Lancashire: Heskin, Lancashire, England 80 Heskin Green, William ROPER, Head, Married, Male, Age 65, Ag Labor, Born Lancashire Wrightington Mary ROPER, Wife, Married, Female, Age 62, formerly hand loom weaver, Born Lancashire Wrightington Margaret ROPER, Granddau, Unm, Female, Age 16, winder in a cotton mill, Born Lancashire Wrightington Willliam DAWBER, Grandson, Unm, Male, Age 16, Drawer in a coal mine, Born Lancashire Wrightington John ROPER, Grandson, Unm, Male, Age 16, Drawer in a coal mine, Born Lancashire Wrightington Ann ROPER, Granddau, Female, Age 11, Scholar, Born Lancashire Wrightington James ROPER, Grandson, Male, Age 7, Scholar, Born Lancashire Heskin Ellen FINCH, Boarder, Unm, Female, Age 25, Formerly Domestic Servant, Lancashire Shevington * * * The ascription of William B. ROPER, stone cutter, of Washington, D.C., as William ROPER, of Wrightington, Lancashire is far from certain. One other possibility is the William B. ROPE, age 58, found in St. George, Camberwell, Surrey, in 1851. The age does NOT as precisely match and it is unclear how one proceeds from a career as a locksmith (1861) to a stone cutter (1870), but the middle initial looks correct. * There were twelve (12) ROPERs (or close variants) satisfying the search criteria "Wil*" AND "Rop*" AND Birth Year +/- 2 Yrs in the 1861 Englsih Census Census. NONE of these was a stone cutter. One of these, William ROPE, age 67, of Toxteth Park, Lancashire, was a laborer in a brick mill. NONE had a wife named "Eleanor" or "Ellen". One, William ROPER, age 63, of Louth, Lincolnshire, had a 25 year old daughter named Ellen. There was also a William ROPALL, age 65, in Great Eccleston, Lancashire who had a daughter, Ellen, age 41, residing in his household in 1851. * Perhaps as significant, is the ABSENCE of William ROPER (b abt 1796 - Lancashire) from Lancashire at the date of the 1871 Census enumeration. Of course, one possibility is that William ROPER has simply DIED between 1861 and 1871. But the CLOSEST record that appears to be a possible death of this William ROPER in Lancashire is the death recorded in the September 1866 Quarter, showing a William ROPER dying at age 66 (b abt 1800). [Wigan District, Sept 1866, Volume 8c, Page 2]. Amongst the William ROPERs residing in Lancashire in 1861, there are only five particularly compelling candidates to be the William ROPER whose death was recorded in 1866: William ROPALL (b abt 1796 - Great Eccleston,Lancashire), of Great Eccleston, Lancashire William ROPER (b abt 1796 - Wrightington, Lancashire), of Heskin, Lancashire [our best candidate for William ROPER, stone cutter] William ROPER (b abt 1803 - Barton, Lancashire), of Barton upon Irwell, Lancashire William ROPER, Sr. (b abt 1803 - Coppull, Lancashire), of Standish, Lancashire William ROPER (b abt 1805 - Capham, Norfolk), of Bootle cum Linacre, Lancashire NONE OF THESE CAN BE READILY FOUND IN THE 1871 CENSUS AND MUST HAVE EITHER DIED OR MOVED AWAY. * One other possibility is also presented by the appearance of a William B. ROPER, age 69, and Eleanor E. ROPER, age 66, in Laleham, Middlesex, in 1871. This William ROPER seems to be from Cleaver, Buckingham, and his wife is from Kennsington, Surrey. But this William ROPER seems to be a high powered Clerk and it seems unlikely that the stone cutter from Washington would have reappeared in the London area as a clerk the year following the 1870 U.S. Census enumeration. * Finally, I would point out that Mary ROPER, wife of William ROPER, of Wrightington and Heskin, Lancashire, is shown to be 53 in 1851 (b abt 1798) and 62 in 1861 (b abt 1799). The English Civil Registration Index shows the death of a Mary ROPER, age 69, recorded during the December 1866 Quarter at Stockport District [Volume 8a, Page 11]. It is far from certain that this is the widow of William ROPER, of Wrightington and Heskin, but it certainly MIGHT BE. Mary ROPER (b abt 1798-99) cannot be readily found in the 1871 English Census either. * * * This Post is NOT intended to be a conclsive argument that William B. ROPER, of Washington, was from Wrightington, Lancashire. Rather, it is intended as a presentation and discussion of notes for further research. * I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has additional insights as to the William B. ROPER's origins.