As has been previously and occasionally discussed in this forum (see, for example, my Post "Henry ROPER (b 27 Nov 1684 - Anne Arundel, MD)" at http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec?htx=message&r=rw&p... ), there was a William ROPER in South River, Anne Arundel, Maryland, who was married to Alice MORGAN, widow of Jarvis MORGAN and had a family whose births are largely recorded in the Parish Register of All Hallow's Parish, Anne Arundel, MD.

Details of these parish register entries are summarized in the book "Anne Arundel County Church Records of the 17th and 18th Centuries" by F. Edward Wright, (Westminster, MD: Family Line Publications,).

For the convenience of all, I have summarized below the entries of particular interest to ROPER family genealogists:

"William ROPER and Alice parents of Alice ROPER dau b. 30 Apr 1676; WIlliam ROPER son b. 27 Jun 1678; Thomas ROPER son b. 8 Nov 1679; John ROPER son b. 8 Feb 1681; Henery ROPER son b. 27 Nov 1684; Darcas ROPER dau b. 3 May 1688; Mary ROPER dau b. 8 Dec 1691."
[at Page 2]

"John ROPER (of William and Alies) bapt. 15 Jan 1698/9."
[at Page 8]

"John ROPER and Ellinour Carter m. 23 Sep 1701."
[at Page 13]

"William ROPER Jr. bur. 1 Mar 1702."
[at Page 14]

"John ROPER and Elinor parents of Edward ROPER son b. 17 Aug 1702."
[at Page 15]

NOTES: When I first saw the record "William ROPER Jr. bur. 1 Mar 1702." I was inclined to interpret this as evidence that the ELDER William ROPER, husband of Alice MORGAN, had died and that the "Jr." might have been an indication that he was the son of Capt. William ROPER.

But there is secondary evidence that the elder William ROPER was STILL ALIVE as late as 1706. Consider these records from "Abstracts of Land Records - Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Volume 2", Edited by Rosemary B. Dodd and Patricia M. Bausell and publsihed by the Anne Arundel Genealogical Society:

[These entries are apparently abstracted from records in Book "WT 1" (1699 - 1702) and Book "WT 2" (1703 - 1709).]

At Abstract Page 129:
Page 298
Grantor: Wm ROPER, AA Co., planter
Grantee: Micajah Perry & Compa, City of London, Merchants
Date of Deed: 20 July 1705
Date Recorded: 8 February 1705
Consideration: 134 pounds
Signature: William ROPER
Witnesses William Redmond, Tho. Roper
Description: Three tracts lying at the head of South River: Duvalls Addition, originally laid out for Mareen Duvall for 160 acres; Morleys Lot, laid out for Joseph Morley, for 100 acres; Ross [sic] Gray originally laid out for 240 acres; in all 500 acres.
Other Pertinent Information: If Wm ROPER shall by the return of the next fleet to arrive from London pay to Micaja Perry & Compa 134 pounds with legal interest for the same then this deed to be void.
[Obviously a MORTGAGE]


At Abstract Page 143:
Page 369
Grantor: Wm ROPER, AA Co.
Grantee: Thomas Jacks, AA Co.
Date of Deed: 8 March 1705
Date Recorded: July 23rd 1706
Consideration 31 pounds
Signature: William ROPER
Witnesses: Henry ROPER, Edw Penn
Description: 100 acres called the Gentille Craft, part of a tract called ROPER Grey, originally taken up by Wm ROPER.


At Abstract Pages 146, 147:
Page 385
Grantor: William ROPER and Henry ROPER, AA Co., planters
Grantee: George Parker, Calvert Co., Gent.
Date of Deed: 29th August 1706
Date Recorded: none
Consideration: 25 pounds
Signatures: Henry ("HR"mark), William ROPER
Witnesses: Martha Duvall, John Glase
Description: THe parcel containing 200 acres, being part of a tract called ROPER Gray, on brink of hill by Spring Branch, bounded by land sold to Thomas Jacks, by line of parcel sold out of tract to Edward Penn, line running south east with Roper's Range.


At Abstract Page 147:
Deed of Gift
Page 390
William ROPER, AA Co., planter, for love and affection towards Henry ROPER, his youngest son now living and overseer of his plantation, gives all his goods, chattles, personal estate and whatever utinsils household stuff or whatever may be found in Maryland, in England, or whereever. Also three tracts of land, one of which is where Wm. Roper now lives called Ropers Gray. Dated 21 January 1705/6. Signed William ROPER. Witnessed by Richard Bouts, William Anderson.

*

These records, and particularly the LAST record, wherein William ROPER seems to deed all of his remaining estate to his YOUNGEST SON Henry ROPER (b 27 Nov 1684), then age 22, are clearly indicative that the elder William ROPER survived and that it must have been his SON named William ROPER (b 27 Jun 1678) who was buried at All Hallow's Church on 1 Mar 1702.

The entry "John ROPER (of William and Alies) bapt. 15 Jan 1698/9" is also particularly interesting. It appears to either describe a very late baptism for John ROPER (b 8 Feb 1681), perhaps just before his marriage, or, alternatively, the birth of yet another John ROPER ca 1698/99. In the latter instance, this John ROPER would APPEAR to be born to the elder William and Alice MORGAN ROPER, but another possibility is that the younger William ROPER (b 27 Jun 1678) had also taken a wife named "Alice" and that this was a John son of William ROPER (b 27 Jun 1678) and grandson of William and Alice MORGAN ROPER.

It would probably be a good idea to get a close look at the actual All Hallow's Parish Register to see if anything else might be discovered from a closer scrutiny of the underlying record. It must be noted though that subsequent records show both a marriage of John ROPER to Elinor Carter and the birth of a child by that marriage. And this must have been the John ROPER (b 8 Feb 1681).

* * *

One entry from St. Anne's Parish in Annapolis is also particularly interesting:

"Thomas Holms and Mary Rossier m. 8 Jan 1708/9."
[at Page 65]

A careful inspection of the records for All Hallowes Parish above revelas that Mary ROPER was born 8 Dec 1691 and would have recently turned 18 at the date of the HOLMES-ROSSIER marriage. There were NO OTHER ROSSIERs or ROPERs listed in the St. Anne's Parish Register.

St. Anne's was the parish in Annapolis where Mary -- Roper HAMMOND, widow of Thomas ROPER worshipped. The ROPER family also donated a Bible to St. Anne's. Other members of the HAMMOND family and the HOWARD family also worshipped here.

This record MAY have reflected the marriage of Mary ROPER, daughter of William and Alice MORGAN ROPER. HOLMES is also a name that subsequently appears in New Kent Countyy, Virginia.

I am looking for a William Roper b. abt 1740 in Maryland. Married 7 Nov 1765 Freetown, Bristol Co., MA to Lois Winslow b. 1741 (behind Roper's name it says of Maryland . She remarried in 1775 to Wilbur Southward. What happened to William Roper? Does anyone know who his parents are?