This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Roper, Handy, Foss Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/785.2.2 Message Board Post: In my Post "William P. ROPER (b abt 1816-21 - England, d aft 1870 - Prob CA)" [1 Jan 2006 2:08 AM GMT] at http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=message&r=rw&p=surnames.roper&m=785.3 I noted the appearance of an Edwin ROPER (Chr 24 SEP 1817 - Saint Matthew, Walsall, Stafford, England), son of Nicholas ROPER and Sarah HANDY, amongst the parish records of Saint Matthew, Walsall, Stafford, England [IGI Batch No. C010304]. I had noted in the Post above the appearance of Edward ROPIER (Chr 11 MAR 1817 - Saint Peter Or Collegiate, Wolverhampton, Stafford, England), son of James and Mary ROPIER [IGI Batch No. C010203] amongst the parish records at Wolverhampton. Correspondent and English ROPER genealogist extraordinaire Michael John ROPER, of Norfolk, has shared with me several records from Walsall which further augment the argument that the Edwin ROPER I found amongst the 1851 Census records is the son of Nicholas ROPER and Sarah HANDY rather than the son of James ROPER and Mary FOSS. Amongst other records, Michael furnished Census records from 1821 and 1831 showing the previous appearance of a Nicholas ROPER on Hill Street, Walsall: 1821 Census Nicholas Roper of Hill Street, Walsall - Locksmith 1831 Census Nicholas Roper of Hill Street, Walsall Nicholas ROPER did NOT seem to be a head of household in Walsall at the date of the 1811 Census. * Other records I have Posted show: Nicholas ROPER and Sarah HANDY, who married on 21 FEB 1813 at Saint Martin, Birmingham, Warwick, England [IGI Batch No. M010723] This marriage probably first established Nicholas ROPER as an independant household in 1813. Next we have these Saint Matthew, Walsall, Stafford, England, parish records: James ROPER (Chr 01 OCT 1813 - Saint Matthew, Walsall, Stafford, England) William ROPER (Chr 24 MAR 1816 - Saint Matthew, Walsall, Stafford, England) Edwin ROPER (Chr 24 SEP 1817 - Saint Matthew, Walsall, Stafford, England) Nicholas ROPER (Chr 22 OCT 1823 - Saint Matthew, Walsall, Stafford, England) [IGI Batch No. C010304] And in 1851, Edwin ROPER appears in the Census residing at HILL STREET, Walsall. That record also shows his place of birth as "Staffordshire Walsall" and gives his age as "33". ALL of the records I cited for Edwin ROPER in WALSALL show the given name as "Edwin". ALL of the records for Edward ROPER of New Orleans and San Francisco show "Edward" or "Ed". I believe that the evidence that Edwin ROPER, of Hill Street, Walsall, is conclusive as to the identity of that Edwin ROPER as the son of Nicholas ROPER and Sarah HANDY, though finding Nicholas ROPER's Will would really lace this up. By contrast, I believe that we may draw a strong inference that Edward ROPER, of San Francisco, was Edward ROPIER (Chr 11 MAR 1817 - Saint Peter Or Collegiate, Wolverhampton, Stafford, England), son of James ROPER and Mary FOSS. Note that this inference is supported by the indication on Edward ROPER's 1900 Census record that he was born in March 1817. Wolverhampton is about 10 km from Walsall and Rushall is about 3 km to the Northeast of Walsall. These are all very easily walkable distances.