This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Roper, Rooper, Ropar, Major, Maier, Anderson, Jones Classification: Will Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/723 Message Board Post: Elizabeth ROPER, Widow of Blackfriars City of London Dated 22 Jan 1652 Proved 24 Aug 1654 In the Name of God Amen the Two and twentieth Day of January in the yeare of our Lord God According to the Computation of the Church of England One Thousand six hundred fiftie and two I Elizabeth ROPER of Blackfriars London Widdowe Doe make and ordaine this my present last Will and Testament in manner and forme following (that is to say) first and principally I recommend my Soule into the handes of Almightie God my Creatour trusting through the alone merritts of Jesus Christ my blessed Redeemer to have free remission of all my Sinnes and to be made a Member with God elect in heaven for ever more My body I commit to the Earth from whence it was taken in hope of a joyfull resurrection. And as concerning such portion of goods and worldly estate where with it hath pleased the Lord to blesse me and to lende unto me for my use in this present life I dispose thereof as followeth Imprimis I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth MAJOR one gold ring sett with seaven Diamonds and to her husband Ezekiell MAJOR twentie shillings to make him a Ring to weare in remembrance of me. Item I give to my saide Daughter Elizabeth MAJOR all my wearing apparrell with all bedding and furniture whatsoever in my Chamber. Item I give unto my Grande Daughter Anne ANDERSON the Wife of Silvester ANDERSON one Childbedd sheete and three pillow beares and one silver Tankard. Item I give and bequeath unto the said Silvester ANDERSON the Lease of the house I now live in Blackfriar in trust only for my said Daughter Elizabeth MAJOR to receive take and enjoy the Rents issues and proffitts thereof to her owne use during the residue of the tearme therein granted or otherwise to be att her disposing as she shall think fitt. Item I give unto the saide Silvester ANDERSON fortie shillings to bye him a ring. Item I give and bequeath unto my saide Daughter Elizabeth MAIER the long needle worke Cushon and fower lesse needleworke Cushons one greene Carpett and two needleworke Cuppboard cloaths which my Will is shall be for her use during her life only but after her decease I doe hereby declare that the saide Cushons Carpett and Cuppboard cloaths shall come unto my Grandchild Anne ANDERSON aforenamed and sucessively to her Children after her decease. Item I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth ANDERSON Daughter of my saide Granddaughter Anne ANDERSON one Certificate or bill for the payment of fortie and two poundes and two shillings signed by James BURNE?, Richard GHE? And Laurance BROMFIELD Treasurers according to ordinance of Parliament the Principall & Interest upon which Bill or Certificate to be paid or allowed my Will is shall remaine in the Custodie of my brother Master Alexander JONES for the better preferment or advancement of he the said Elizabeth but if she shall die before marriage my Will is the same principall and interest shall be devided amongst such Children as the said Silvester shall have by the said Anne his Wife parte and parte a like wholie to discende as the case shall fall out. Item I give and bequeath unto Maior ANDERSON sonne of the said Silvester the summe of twenty poundes of lawfull money of England. Item I give unto my said brother Master Alexander JONES fortie shillings to bye him a Ringe and to my Sister his Wife one gold ring with a stone in it. Item I give unto my Cousins John and Nathaniel JONES sonnes of my said brother Alexander and to Anne Wife of the said John JONES twentie shillings a peice to bye each of them a Ring and to my Grandchild Richard CRUTCHLEY? and my Cousin Alexander DOBBIN twenty shillings a piece. Item I give unto my Cousin Master Lancelott ROPER of Hull twenty shillings to bye him a ring to weare in remembrance of me and to my Cousin Mistris Martha HEWETT? Twentie shillings. Item I give unto my Cousin Mistris Elizabeth MASSON one Ring with a stone in it. Item I give to the poore of the Parish of Blackfriars London twenty shillings to be paid by my Executors [new page] out of my Estate to the Churchwardens of Blackfriars aforesaid by them to be distributed as they shall thinke fitt. And all the rest of my estate of what nature or Condition soe be it be my debts legacies and funeralls being paide and discharged I wholie gave and bequeath the same unto Elizabeth ANDERSON aforenamed Daughter of the saide Silvester by my Grandchild Anne his Wife to remaine in the hands Custodie and possession of my said brother Master JONES for her better preferment in marriage and in case she shall happen to die before marriage then my Will is the same shall be devided amongst the Children as the saide Silvester shall have by the said Anne parte and parte alike or shall wholie descende as the case shall fall oute. And I make and ordaine the saide Silvester Anderson sole Executor of this my last Will and Testament not doubting but he will see the same carefully performed in every respect according to my true intente and meaning herein before declared And I entreate my saide brother Master Alexander JONES to be Overseer of this my Will and to be ayding and assisting to my Executor in the due Execution thereof In Witnesse whereof I the said Elizabeth ROPER have to this my last Will and Testament Contayned in two sheetes of paper (videlicet ) to each of the said sheets sett my hand and to a Labell joining them together att the toppe have sett my seale the day and yeare first before written Elizabeth ROPER Signed sealed published and declared by the said Elizabeth ROPER for her last Will and Testament in the presence of Nicholas LATTIMER William JENKINS * This Will was proved att Westminster the fower and twentieth Day of August in the yeare of our Lord God One thousand six hundred fiftie and fower before the Judges for probate of Wills and granting Administrations lawfully authorized by the oath of Silvester ANDERSON sole Executor named in the above written Will To whome administration of all and Singular the goods Chattells and debts of the said Deceased was Committed he being first legally sworne truly and faythfully to administer the same. * * * Will Reference: British Public Record Office (PRO), The National Archives “Will of Elizabeth Roper, Widow of Blackfriars, City of London” Proved 24 August 1654 PRO Catalog Reference: Prob/11/237 PRO Image Reference: 9 See: http://www.documentsonline.pro.gov.uk/power-search.asp?searchType=powersearch Original Images Crown Copyrighted. Transcribed from an image of the original by William Alexander Roper, Jr., on Sunday, 28 Nov 2004. * * * NOTE 1: Elizabeth ROPER, of Blackfriars appears to be the widow of Lantantius ROPER, the son of John ROPAR (d aft 7 May 1589), Merchant Taylor, and Louise. Lantantius ROPER’s siblings living at the date of John ROPAR’s dear included: Thomas, John, George, Humphrey, Lancelott, Elizabeth and Beatrice. Lantantius ROPER seems to have died between the date of his brother Lancelott ROPER’s Will was written (18 Apr 1646) and the date of writing of the Will of his widow (this Will) on 22 Jan 1652. NOTE 2: The reference to cousin Lancelott ROPER, of Hull, is almost certainly Lantantius ROPER’s nephew Lancelott ROPER, son of Lancelott ROPER, of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. The elder Lancelott ROPER’s Will was dated 18 Apr 1646 and proved 05 Jun 1654. The younger Lancelott ROPER’s Will was dated 01 Sep 1656 and proved 19 Jun 1657. NOTE 3: Elizabeth ROPER, daughter of Lantatius and Elizabeth ROPER, married Ezekiel MAJOR or MAIORE: Ezechiell MAIOR m Elizabeth ROPER on 30 APR 1622 - Saint Stephan Coleman Street, London, London, England [IGI Batch No. M019662] NOTE 4: Presumably the Ezekial/Ezechiel MAJOR/MAIOR indicated is: EZECHIEL MAIORE (Chr 08 AUG 1596 - Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England), son of Ezechiel [IGI Batch No. C022092] The complete family group of children of the elder Ezechiel would appear to be: 1. Daniel MAIORE (Chr 19 OCT 1595 Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England 2. Ezechiel MAIORE (Chr 08 AUG 1596 Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England 3. Sara MAIRCE (Chr 30 JUL 1598 Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England, d 26 FEB 1601) 4. Steue. MAIOR (Chr 28 JUN 1601 Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England 5. Nathanaell MAIOR (Chr 14 JAN 1602 Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England 6. Sara MAIOR (Chr 10 OCT 1604 Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England NOTE 5: The granddaughter Anne ANDERSON almost certainly must be: Annah MAJOR (Chr 26 JUN 1625 - Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England), dau of Ezek and Elizabeth [IGI Batch No. C022092] NOTE 6: The Alexander JONES identified as brother of Elizabeth ROPER is the “Alexander Jones Merchant, of Saint John the Baptist” whose Will was Proved on 16 Oct 1661. One candidate for this JONES amongst the Baptismal records would be: ALEXANDER JONES (Chr 30 APR 1607 - Saint Ann Blackfriars, London, London, England), son of Robert [IGI Batch No. C022092] NOTE 7: One of the more remarkable discoveries in this Will for both the ROPER and the ANDERSON families is the appearance of the name Maier (Major) ANDERSON, who is identified as a son of Sylvester ANDERSON and Elizabeth MAIER/MAJOR. The name “Major ANDERSON” also appears two generations later in the Parish Register of St. Peter’s Parish, New Kent, Virginia, where a Major ANDERSON was born to a Thomas ANDERSON on 17 Mar 1717 (See http://www.rootsweb.com/~vanewken/stpete04.html ). ROPER researchers are well aware that many ROPERs can be found amongst the entries in the St. Peter’s Parish register. There is also a JONES family in this Parish and JONES and ROPERs owned adjacent tracts of land in New Kent near Warreny Swamp and Old Stage Road. * * * Copyright William Alexander Roper, Jr., 2004.