This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Roper, Baxter, Crawford Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/kgDBAEB/708.1 Message Board Post: United States Census -- 1900 Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, Ward 3, Precint D (Enumeration District 51) 1 & 2 Jun 1900 Line 75, Address 544, Family 68, Dwelling 66, ROPER, Joseph, Head, White, Male, b Jul 1860, Age 39, Married 7 Yrs, Born OH, Fa Born VA, Mo Born VA, Waterman Line 76, Address 544, Family 68, Dwelling 66, ROPER, Minnie, Wife, White, Female, b May 1870, Age 30, Married 7 Yrs, 4 Children, 4 Children Living; Born OH, Fa Born Germany, Mo Born OH Line 77, Address 544, Family 68, Dwelling 66, ROPER, Rosa, Daughter, White, Female, b Feb 1889, Age 11, Single, Born OH, Fa Born OH, Mo Born OH, at school Line 78, Address 544, Family 68, Dwelling 66, ROPER, Harry, Son, White, Male, b Aug 1894, Age 5, Single, Born OH, Fa Born OH, Mo Born OH Line 79, Address 544, Family 68, Dwelling 66, ROPER, Myrtle, Daughter, White, Female, b Jun 1897, Age 2, Single, Born OH, Fa Born OH, Mo Born OH Line 80, Address 544, Family 68, Dwelling 66, ROPER, Edward, Son, White, Male, b Jan 1899, Age 1, Single, Born OH, Fa Born OH, Mo Born OH [Image 6 of 29] * * * As YOU OBSERVED, the eldest child is age 11, but Joseph and Minnie ROPER are asserted to have been married for only seven years. But then Minnie asserts that she has borne four children of which 4 are living. It is unclear whether Rosa was born by Minnie before the marriage or whether there was a misunderstanding about the nature of the question regarding how many children MINNIE had borne. * * * United States Census -- 1880 Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Ward 2 (Enumeration District 5) 14 Jun 1880 Line 3, Address 14, Family 255, Dwelling 375, BAXTER, John, Head, White, Male, Age 28, Married, Born VA, Fa Born VA, Mo Born VA, Lightning Rod Man Line 4, Address 14, Family 255, Dwelling 375, BAXTER, Fredrica, Wife, White, Female, Age 25, Married, Born OH, Fa Born Germany, Mo Born Germany, Keeping House Line 5, Address 14, Family 255, Dwelling 375, BAXTER, Florence, Daughter, White, Female, Age 4, Single, Born OH, Fa Born VA, Mo Born VA Line 6, Address 14, Family 255, Dwelling 375, BAXTER, Charles, Son, White, Male, Age 2, Single, Born OH, Fa Born VA, Mo Born VA Line 7, Address 14, Family 255, Dwelling 375, ROPER, Joseph, Nephew, White, Male, Age 20, Single, Born OH, Fa Born OH, Mo Born OH, Laborer [Image 52 of 60] * Note that the 1880 record has this Joseph as the CORRECT age, but that Joseph is shown to be born to parents who were each born in OHIO, rather than VIRGINIA. Notwithstanding, there is substantial reason to believe that this is assertion is IN ERROR. First, if you look at the record for the UNCLE, John BAXTER, you see that HIS parents were born in VIRGINIA rather than Ohio. Morover, he was born in Virginia himself. But in this case, I can do even BETTER THAN THAT for you. I bel;ieve that the Joseph ROPER you cite is the SON of James Henry ROPER (b abt 1834 - VA), the grandson of Frederick A. ROPER and Lethe A. CRAWFORD and the great-grandson of Rev. David ROPER and Mary MILLER. In particular, I would call your attention to my Post(s) "Frederick A. ROPER (b abt 1815 - VA) m Lethe A. CRAWFORD" (2 Mar 2003 1:27 AM GMT) at http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=message&r=rw&p=surnames.roper&m=461.1 . After the death of Frederick A. ROPER, it appears that Lethe CRAWFORD remarried George BAXTER. By 1860, George and Lethe BAXTER had moved to Jefferson Township, Green County, OHIO, and James Henry ROPER is still in their household, apparently with a new wife "Moy" or "May". Joseph is shown as "Josiah" in the 1870 Census, where he may be found residing with his father James H. ROPERin Ward 4, Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. By 1880, Joseph is living with his uncle. So Joseph/Josiah's Father WAS born in VIRGINIA. If "Moy/May" ROPER is Joseph's Mother, the 1860 Census record says SHE was born in OHIO (but this may be WRONG). And it appears that Joseph's mother was already deceased before 1870 (and probably closer to 1865 when his only brother Charles was born), so Joseph would have been only about age 4 when his mother died. It is NOT surprising at all that there might be some confusion as to where she was born. Joseph probably KNEW that his ROPERs and the BAXTERs were from Virginia and ASSUMED that the mother that he barely knew was from Virginia, as well. AS FREDERICK A. ROPER WAS A SON OF MY DIRECT ANCESTOR REV. DAVID ROPER, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT VARIOUS DESCENDENTS OF THIS JOSEPH, OF WHOM I KNOW LITTLE ELSE. AND IF YOU ARE ACQUAINTED WITH ANY MALE ROPER-SUNAMED DESCENDENTS OF THIS JOSEPH ROPER, I AM VERY INTERESTED OBTAINING THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE ROPER DNA STUDY. WE COULD USE ANOTHER TEST SUBJECT IN MY LINE AS DISTANTLY RELATED AS POSSIBLE, AND A DESCNDENT OF JOSEPH WOULD WELL FIT THAT DESCRIPTION. Hope this helps!