This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Roper, Reay, Stevenson, Cooper, Smith, Foss, Foster Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/785.2 Message Board Post: First appearing in America in the 1860 Census is an Edward or Edwin ROPER (b Mar 1817 - England, d aft 1900). In 1860, he is residing with wife Kate in the household of E.S. COOPER in San Francisco, California: United States Census -- 1860 District 10, San Francisco, California, Page 256 23 Jun 1860 Line 24, Dwelling 754, Family 783, E. S. COOPER, Age 37, Male, Surgeon, Pers Estate $1,000, Born Ohio .. Line 36, Dwelling 754, Family 783, Edwd ROPER, Age 40, Male, Painter, RE $15,000, Pers Estate $4,000, Born England Line 37, Dwelling 754, Family 783, Kate ROPER, Age 30, Female, Born England Line 38, Dwelling 754, Family 783, Lucy M. REAY, Age 15, Female, Born England [Image 94 of 195 at the Ancestry.com presentation of 1860 Census data for this jurisdiction.] This Edward ROPER is clearly one of the wealthiest ROPERs in America upon his arrival! * * * In 1870, Edward ROPER is residing within Ward 12 in San Francisco: United States Census -- 1870 2nd Precinct, Ward 12, San Francisco, California, Page 39 (Page Imprinted "793") 14 Jun 1870 Line 20, Dwelling 284, Family 279, ROPER Ed, Age 50, Male, White, Real Estate Broker, RE $250,000, Pers Estate $20,000, Born England, Father of Foreign Birth, Mother of Foreign Birth, Male Citizen of US Line 21, Dwelling 284, Family 279, ROPER Catharine, Age 42, Female, White, Keeping House, RE $40,000, Pers Estate $2,000, Born England, Father of Foreign Birth, Mother of Foreign Birth Line 22, Dwelling 284, Family 279, REAY, L. M., Age 25, Female, White, Without occup, Pers Estate $1,000, Born England, Father of Foreign Birth, Mother of Foreign Birth Line 23, Dwelling 284, Family 279, SMITH, T.? R., Age 17, Male, White, attends school, Pers Estate $500, Born Louisiana, Mother of Foreign Birth, Attended School within Year Line 24, Dwelling 284, Family 279, REAY, A. W., Age 32, Male, White, Hardware Wh. & Rtl., RE $40,000, Pers Estate $10,000, Born England, Father of Foreign Birth, Mother of Foreign Birth, Male Citizen of US Line 25, Dwelling 284, Family 279, Ye Man, Age 40, Male, Colored, Domestic Servant, RE Born China, Father of Foreign Birth, Mother of Foreign Birth [Image 158 of 328 at the Ancestry.com presentation of 1870 Census data for this jurisdiction.] A.W. REAY, then age 26, was already in San Francisco in 1860 residing with J.W. REAY, age 30, in District 5. They are shown to be Plumbers. A.W. REAY appears to be Alfred W. REAY and J. W. REAY is presumably J. William REAY, sons of David and Sarah REAY, who were residing in Baltimore, Maryland in 1850. This family seems to have come to America between the date of birth of Alfred about 1833 and the birth of Harriet REAY in Maryland about 1835. Cath. ROPER is already residing in this household in 1850 at age 23. It appears most likely that she is also a daughter of David and Sarah REAY. Inexplicably, I cannot find Edward ROPER in the Census in 1850. But this is at least consistent with his 1900 Census record, which shows that he emmigrated to America in 1860. It appears that wife Catherine first came to America to live with her family (or at least was visiting) at least a decade BEFORE Edward ROPER settled in America! * Checking the English Civil Registration Index, we find that there was a recorded marriage of Edward ROPER and Catherine REAY during the December Quarter 1841, within Walsall District, Staffordshire [at Volume 17, Page 247]. This seems to almost certainly be the marriage of Edward and Catharine Reay ROPER, found in San Francisco beginning in 1860. The IGI further confirms that Edward ROPER married Catherine REAY on 02 OCT 1841 at Rushall, Stafford, England [IGI Batch No. M056063]. The discovery of the marriage in Staffordshire also is suggestive that this Edward or Edwin ROPER is the same Edward ROPER shown is the parish records of Saint Peter Or Collegiate, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire as: Edward ROPIER (Chr 11 MAR 1817 - Saint Peter Or Collegiate, Wolverhampton, Stafford, England), son of James and Mary ROPIER [IGI Batch No. C010203] There are a number of other contemporary ROPER/ROPIER children within this parish who seem to be children of either James and Charlotte ROPIER or children of Benjamin and Lucy ROPIER. These include Michael, Thomas, James, Elizabeth, George and Timothy. The IGI also suggests to us that this Edward ROPER's parents were probably the James ROPER and Mary FOSS married on 09 MAY 1816 at Saint Peter Or Collegiate, Wolverhampton, Stafford, England. It is unclear whether this is the SAME or a different James ROPER who married Charlotte FOSTER on 29 FEB 1808 at Saint Peter Or Collegiate, Wolverhampton, Stafford. At least one of the ROPER births within the parish AFTER that of Edward is ascribed to James and Charlotte ROPER, but this might have been a transcription error. This bears further research. The location of the ROPER-REAY marriage in Staffordshire also gives us some assurance that the Catharine REAY who married Edward ROPER must be: Catharine REAY (Chr 23 DEC 1821 - Bloxwich, Stafford, England), daughter of David and Sarah REAY [IGI Batch No. 7814631] * Looking for Edward ROPER in England in the 1851 Census is challenging, as there are no other family members to distinctly identify him. We are generally looking for an Edward or Edwin born about 1817 who is MARRIED, but whose wife is NOT present in the household. One such candidate is the Edward ROPER, age 35 (b abt 1816) residing in the household of his brother John ROPE, age 39, in Fressingfield, Suffolk. He is shown to be "Marrd", but the wife isn't living in this household. Brother Samuel ROPER, age 40, is also shown to be living in this same household. These ROPER brothers are shown to have been born in Cransford, Suffolk. But we have already found both marriage records and parish records which seem to suggest a Stafford origin for both Edward and Catharine Reay ROPER. So a record showing an Edward ROPER born in Suffolk doesn't seem to fit. The English Census record which seems to very particularly correspond raises some rather troubling questions. There is a record for an Edwin ROPER at 61 Hill Street, Walsall Borough, Staffordshire. This Edwin ROPER is shown to be age 33 in 1851 (b abt 1818) and is shown to have been born in Walsall, Staffordshire. So here we have an Edward/Edwin ROPER of precisely the CORRECT AGE and in the CORRECT PLACE to be the smae Edward ROPER who married Catharine REAY. However, this Edwin ROPER is shown to be married to a Maria ROPER, age 45, born Walsall. Here is what is shown in the 1851 Census records: District 2i?, Walsall Borough, Staffordshire 61 Hill Street, Edwin ROPER, Head, Married, Male Age 33, [occupation illegible], Born Staffordshire Walsall Maria ROPER, Wife, Married, Female Age 45, Born Staffordshire Walsall William STEVENSON, Son, Unm, Male Age 25, Boat & Shoe Maker, Born Staffordshire Walsall Catharine STEVENSON, Dau, Unm, Female Age 15, Born Staffordshire Walsall William BREARLY??, Apprentice, Unm, Male Age 15, Boat & [occupation illegible], Born Staffordshire Burton on Trent The illegible occupation in the instance of William BREARLY appears to say "Carb Maker". The first part of Edwin ROPER's occupation seems to say "Curb Maker". One possibility is "Cask Maker". * The trouble with this record, of course, is that it appears to show that Edwin ROPER is married to a Maria, age 45 (b abt 1806), in 1851 AT THE SAME TIME that he is married to Catharine Reay ROPER, who is already residing in America. The two STEVENSON children appear to be consistent with children born to a William and Ann STEVENSON in Ipstones, Stafford, England [IGI Batch No. C096841], but this should be considered a SPECULATIVE ascription. Of course it is POSSIBLE that the Census enumerator simply MISUNDERSTOOD the relationship between Edwin ROPER and Maria. One possibility is that the STEVENSON children were orphaned and that Edwin ROPER is thier guardian or adoptive father. If Maria was their stepmother, and still living in the household, these facts might cause some confusion. I am inclined to believe that the STEVENSON children found in Ipstones who seem to fit nicely by age with the William and Catharine STEVENSON residing within Edwin ROPER's household are children of William STEVENSON (b abt 1802)and Anne MYCOCK (b abt 1802), who married in that parish on 02 JUN 1823. Similarly, Maria ROPER might have been the widowed sister of Edwin ROPER. * But an indication that the Edward and Maria ROPER record of 1851 may have merely been a DIFFERENT Edwin/Edward ROPER from roughly the same place is underscored by the reappearance of an Edwin ROPER, age 43 (b abt 1818), in Walsall, Staffordshire in the 1861 Census enumeration. He is shown to be a "Victualler and Malster" and is residing with wife Johanna, age 39. And this Edwin ROPER is again shown to be residing at Queens Head, 16 Hill Street, Walsall, with wife Johanna, at the date of the 1871 Census enumeration. The English Civil Registration Index suggests that this couple must be the Edwin ROPER who married Johanna BECKETT and whose marriage was registered during December Quarter 1858 at Kings Norton, Staffordshire Warwickshire Worcestershire at Volume 6c, Page 688. Johanna ROPER seems to have died at age 52 in Walsall in 1871. * On balance, it would APPEAR that Edward ROPER (b Mar 1817 - England) and Edwin ROPER (b abt 1817) were DIFFERENT people. And it is UNCLEAR whether the ascription of Edward ROPER as the son of James and Mary ROPIER, of Wolverhampton, Stafford, England, is actually CORRECT. But it DOES seem most likely that the Edward ROPER found in San Francisco was of Staffordshire origins. At least his marriage to Catharine REAY is clearly at that location. * In 1880, Edward and Kate ROPER are again found in San Francisco: United States Census -- 1880 San Francisco, California, (Enumeration District 212B) Page 3 (Page Imprinted "243") 08 Jun 1880 Line 41, House No. 521, Dwelling 19, Family 19, ROPER, Edward, White, Male, Age 63, Married, Real Estate Agent, Born England, Father Born England, Mother Born England Line 42, House No. 521, Dwelling 19, Family 19, ROPER, Kate, White, Female, Age 58, Married, Keeping House, Born England, Father Born England, Mother Born England Line 43, House No. 521, Dwelling 19, Family 19, REAY, Alfred W., White, Male, Age 40, Border, Single, At Home, Born England, Father Born England, Mother Born England Line 44, House No. 521, Dwelling 19, Family 19, LASY, Son Colored, Male, Age 21, Single, Servant, Born Hong Kong, Father Born China, Mother Born China [Image 43 of 48 at the Ancestry.com presentation of 1880 Census data for this jurisdiction.] * By 1900, Kate seems to have died and Edward ROPER is living alone in San Jose: United States Census -- 1900 San Jose, Santa Clara County, California, (Enumeration District 63) Sheet No. 17 25 Jun 1900 Line 28, Dwelling 348, Family 349, ROPER, Edward, Head, White, Male, Born Mar 1817, Age 83, Widowed, Born England, Father Born England, Mother Born England, Immigrated in 1860, 40 Years in the Uninted States, Naturalized. [Image 33 of 38 at the Ancestry.com presentation of 1900 Census data for this jurisdiction.] Please note that this record expressly indicates Edward ROPER's month and year of birth as March 1817. This precisely corresponds with the given parish record from the IGI, but the appearance of another Edwin ROPER in Staffordshire of precisely the same age adds some uncertainty. * * * I would appreciate receiving posted information from anyone with other specific information regarding this ROPER family.