Re: Raper Families in NC
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In reply to:
Raper Families in NC
Raymond Schuknecht 3/29/02
Thank you, Pat!
I much appreciate posts that show the RAPER family history information with greater clarity!
It is sometimes very tough at first glance to guess whether a particular record is really about a RAPER or a ROPER.It seems that both families have a propensity to use the same GIVEN NAMES -- Males to include William, John, Thomas, David, and Henry and Females to include not only common names like Mary, Elizabeth, Anne and Martha but also less common names like Lydia, Penelope, Grace and Kisiah.
The ROPERs and the RAPERs both seem to have Lewis as a first name and that was really a VERY uncommon first name back then.And the ROPERs even have an ORLANDO ROPER (b 25 Nov 1839).
In addition to similar first names, the RAPERs and ROPERs seem to intermarry with the SAME families with surprising frequency.Amongst the surnames mentioned in your post, ROPERs have frequently been in close orbit with Davis, Meredith and Green.
There are very clearly some instances when ROPERs have been occasionally misidentified as RAPERs and when RAPERs have been misidentified as ROPERs.As I come across various records, I sometimes wonder whether there is more information about that person available from other sources that might help clarify particular instances.
It is helpful when those who are working with the data and are familiar with it are available to help assess new information and help sort things out.
I am going to post other information relating to ambiguous (at least to me) references and I would much appreciate your candid feedback as to whether particular data seems to fit with established RAPER genealogies or whether it really belongs to the ROPER family.I will also try to post ANY RAPER information that I come across that appears as though it might be of interest to those participating in this forum.