This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Major, Maier, Maior, Roper, Rooper, Anderson Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/723.1 Message Board Post: It might be of some interest to ROPER genealogists that MAJOR is a name that isfound in America living adjacent to the ROPERs in Accomack/Northampton County, and in New Kent/Charles City County. Edward MAIOR, age 19, is shown amongst the passengers of the Bonaventure, James Ricrofte, Master, in January 1634/5 (see http://english-america.com/spls/635ln009.html ). John ANDERSON, age 20, and Thomas ANDERSON, age 18, were also aboard. Richard MAJOR is shown Patenting 450 acres at Nansamund River, Upper Norfolk, on 18 May 1637, within a year of Captain William ROPER's Patent in Accomack. Robert ROCKWELL's Patent of 19 August 1637 mentions 250 acres in Nansamund River, butting upon the land of Edward MAJOR, bounded by the same creek, so it appears that BOTH Richard and Edward MAJOR had settled at Upper Norfolk. John MAJOR's Patent of 30 January 1640 was for 200 acres on the northward side of Nuswattocks Creek in Northampton County. A second Patent to John MAJOR dated 4 September 1643 was for 400 acres at Nuswattocks Creek, Northampton. Obediance ROBIN's Patent of 03 December 1643 mentions 2000 acres on ye seaboard side join.g to land of Wilkins, John Major &c. Edward MAJOR's Patent of 4 October 1644 in Upper Norfolk is for 450 acres at Nansamond River, south Wt. on a creek commonly called Major's Creek. This Patent appears to have been renewed and extended by Edwad MAJOR's Nansemond County Patent of 10 February 1645. I understand that John MAJOR's Accomack Will was dated 04 Mar 1647. Stephen CHALTON and Captain William STONE (who was married to Katherine Graves ROPER's stepdaughter Verlinda STONE) were named as overseers. This Will seems to have been proved on 06 May 1648. A John MAJOR again Patents 400 acres in Northampton County "at Great Naswattocks Creek lying on the south side thereof" on 24 October 1650. As there is NO MENTION of John MAJOR's decease in 1647 or 1648, this would appear to be the Patent of a son or nephew. Richard MAJOR Patented 1,350 acres of land on Perrins Creek in New Kent on 30 June 1656. Thomas MAJOR Patented an additional 300 acres on the north side of York River on 08 October 1657. [This is NOT intended as an exhaustive discussion of MAJOR landholding in Colonial Virginia, but rahter an attempt to sketch out some of the ealy traces.] Members of the MAJOR family are thereafter found alongside the ROPER family at St. Peter's Parish, New Kent. See http://www.rootsweb.com/~vanewken/stpete_toc.html and particularly http://www.rootsweb.com/~vanewken/stpete02.html and http://www.rootsweb.com/~vanewken/stpete04.html for details. As aformentioned a child given the name Major ANDERSON is also born in this parish.