John Roper, of Lancaster

Not a known brother of Walter Roper, of Hampton & Ipswich

Warning

This John Roper was not the son of John Roper, {Fictional}

Who did not exist

Leslie Mahler, FASK and Nathan W Murphy, AG, The English Ancestry of Alice Reynolds Wife of John1 Roper of Dedham, Massachusetts. , in The American Genealogist (TAG). (Donald Lines Jacobus, et.al.), 85:222-34, July 2011.

The authors review the research published by Lyman Mower and Ella E Roper and note that they and Robert Charles Anderson find them unreliable. They state unequivocally that that the elder John Roper in their books was not only not the father of this John Roper (or Walter Roper) but he did not exist!

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John Roper migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 289)

Biography

John Roper was born in 1611 in New Buckenham, Norfolk, England. He died on Mar 26 1676 in Lancaster, Massachusetts. John Roper emigrated to New England with his father and mother, wife, and two eldest daughters. In the shipping Register of Yarmouth, County Norfolk, records his examination on Apr 13 1637: "The examination of John Ropear, of New Buckman, carpentar, ageed 26 yeares, with Alles his wife ageed 23 yeares with two children Alles and Elizabeth, are desirous to go for New England there to remaine." His wife was admitted to membership in the church in Sep 1639. John's membership is not recorded but must have preceded his being made a freeman on June 2 1641. He moved to Charlestown in 1645 and to Lancaster some time prior to 1654 when his property assessment is listed in the town records. He signed the Covenant of the town on Mar 22 1656. He was chosen as a selctman in 1667 and he was one of two men from Lancaster who laid out the road between that town and Concord. In the town records he is referred to as Goodman Roper, a title given to men of substance who were not regarded as ranking as gentlemen, who were addressed as mister. John Roper was killed by Indians on the day that the town of Lancaster was abandoned following the massacre of Feb 10 1676. This attack was part of King Philip's War, the greatest Indian uprising in New England history. He was married to Alice — before 1637.

John Roper and Alice Reynolds were married 3 Oct 1633 in New Buckingham, Norfolk, England [parish records for New Buckingham]. The records include the baptism of 2 of their daughters: Alice 10 Sep 1634 and Elizabeth 25 Jan 1635/6.

Children

1. Alice Roper baptized on September 10, 1634 at New Buckenham [1]; married Thomas Adams at Charlestown on December 2, 1656 and died there on February 1, 1697/8. [8]
2. Elizabeth baptized on January 25, 1635/6 at New Buckenham. [1]
3. Rachel Roper born at Dedham on March 18, 1638/9 [1]; died at Dedham on July 16, 1641 [16: 5mo: 1641] . [9]
4. Hannah born April 5, 1642 at Dedham[1]; baptized on April 9, 1642 [9] [3]; married Thomas Barber at Charlestown on June 25, 1667 and died there on March 27, 1691. [8]
5. EphraimRoper (twin) born on February 23, 1644/5 [9] [1]; married first Priscilla (___) who along with their daughter Priscilla victims of massacre of February 10, 1676, as was his father John [5]; married second Hannah (Brewer) Goble at Concord on November 20, 1677 at Concord. [10] Both Ephraim, his wife Hannah and daughter Elizabeth were killed in the massacre September 11, 1697. [5]
6. Benjamin (twin) born on February 23, 1644/5 [9] [1]; ? slain in the war September 19, 1675. [11]
7. Ruth Roper born ___ [1]; married John Haynes at Sudbury on April 19, 1683.
8. Rachel born ___ [1]; married Archelaus Courser at Lancaster in 1661. [5]

The family later removed to Lancaster, Massachusetts where her husband John died on March 26, 1676 a victim of the Indian Massacre. [1] [5]

Alice married second, John Dickenson Sr. at Salisbury, Massachusetts on April 14, 1681. John Dickenson Sr. died on December 30, 1683. [6] [1]

In his will dated on December 27, 1683, he indicates that he and now his wife had previously signed a covenant at Charlestown. He left he items she brought with her as well as a lot of marsh at Salisbury and mentions her grandchild Samuel Adams. [7]

She married third, William Allen of Salisbury. [1]

Widow Alice Allin died at Salisbury on April 1, 1687. [6] Her will dated on March 24, 1686/7, but not proved: [8]

A footnote on page 222 states that 2 earlier works {"Ancestry of Edwin Robinson Mower" 2004 and "The Ropers of Sterling and Rutland" 1904] has John Roper as a son of an earlier John of Dedham, Mass. and his wife Rachael. "However, Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, points out that this earlier John Roper of Dedham did not exist, and that these two work are unreliable."

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References

1. The American Genealogist, Vol. 85, No. 3, July 2011 pages 222-234: "The English Ancestry of Alice Reynolds, Wife of John Roper of Dedham, Massachusetts" John Roper and Alice Reynolds were married 3 Oct 1633 in New Buckingham, Norfolk, England [parish records for New Buckingham]. The records include the baptism of 2 of their daughters: Alice 10 Sep 1634 and Elizabeth 25 Jan 1635/6. A footnote on page 222 states that 2 earlier works {"Ancestry of Edwin Robinson Mower" 2004 and "The Ropers of Sterling and Rutland" 1904] has John Roper as a son of an earlier John of Dedham, Mass. and his wife Rachael. "However, Robert Charles Anderson, FASG, points out that this earlier John Roper of Dedham did not exist, and that these two work are unreliable."
2. WikiTree contributors, "John Roper (1611-1676)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roper-1433 : accessed 04 April 2024). Cites
   1. Mahler, Leslie and Nathan W. Murphy, THE ENGLISH ANCESTRY OF ALICE REYNOLDS, WIFE OF JOHN1 ROPER OF DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS in: The American Genealogist, Volume 85, D. L. Jacobus, New Haven, Connecticut, 2011, p. 222-234, (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB283/i/55165/222/1424570372
   2. Hotten: James C. The Original Lists of Persons of Quality; Emigrants; Religious Exiles; Political Rebels; Serving Men sold for a term of years; apprentices; children stolen; maidens pressed; and others who went from Great Britain to the American Plantations, 1600-1700 : with their ages and the names of the ships in which they embarked, and other interesting particulars; from mss. preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office, England, London, England, 1874., p. 292 https://archive.org/details/originallistsofp00hottuoft/page/306/mod...
   3. Focus on Immigration: John Roaper in: Great Migration Newsletter, Volume 17, 2008, p. 28, (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2018.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1567/i/21161/27/45664148
   4. Anderson, Robert C., George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn, John Bachelor in: Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume I, A-B, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts, 1999, p. 118 (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.)
   5. Nourse, Henry, editor, The Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs of Lancaster, Massachusetts 1643-1850, Lancaster, Massachusetts, 1890, p. 16: 20
   6. Vital Records of Salisbury, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, The Topsfield Historical Society, Topsfield, Massachusetts, 1915, p. 327; 470;524; 548
   7. Case 368: p. 1-8: Essex County, MA: Probate File Papers, 1638-1881, Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (From records supplied by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Archives.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB515/i/13744/368-co1/244876344
   8. Charlestown: Volume 1: p. 20: 24: 30: 172 Massachusetts: Vital Records, 1620-1850, (Online Database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2016).
   9. Hill, Don Gleason, editor, The Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths, and Intentions of Marriage, In the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts, Parts I & II, 1635-1845, Dedham, Massachusetts, 1886, p. 2: 127 https://archive.org/stream/earlyrecordsofto01dedh#page/n7/mode/2up
   10. Tolman, George compiler. Concord, Massachusetts Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1635-1850, Printed by the Town, T. Todd Printer, Beacon Press, Boston, Massachusetts, 1891, p. 20
   11. Vital Records of Ipswich, Massachusetts to the End of the Year 1849, Volume II: Marriages and Deaths, The Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts, 1910, p. 63
   12. Gilbertson, Allan. Alice Goble, the First Wife of Nathaniel2 Woods of Groton, Massachusetts, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register (NEHGS, Boston, Mass., Spring 2018) Vol. 172, WN 686, Page 105.
   13. The Ropers of Sterling and Rutland, by Ella E. Roper (East Orange, N.J.: F.H. Colvin, 1904), page 83-4. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89064848112&view=1up&seq=7