Roper Families in Virginia

L. David Roper
roperld@vt.edu
(www.roperld.com)
6 March, 2002

The Fourth Century of Ropers in Virginia (after 1900)

Virginia State Library Bible record #3442 Wilson Family Bible 1837-1946, access # 23485: Florence Effie? Wilson & LeRoy Roper at 215 West Grace St., Richmond, VA m 25 Jul 1900.

Confederate Veteran 9, 467 (1901) lists: Grand Camp reun. of VA veterans at Petersburg 23-25 Aug Mrs. Preston L. Roper gave an entertainment.

Virginia Lives lists:
John Lonsdale Roper, II, b 18 Sep 1902 Norfork, VA, s/o George Wisham Roper and Isabelle Place Hayward, of French Huguenot descent. Married Sarah Engle Dryfoos of Hazleton, PA on 7 Apr 1926. Children: John Lonsdale, III, George Wisham, II, and Isabel Fogel Yates. President of Norfold Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Corp.

Postmarks, A History of Henderson Co. NC 1787-1968: p.357: In 1910 C. E. Roper built a hotel on the side of Butt Mountain called the Wayside Inn. It was on Roper Road. This road recently, for some inexplicable reason, has been re-named Singletary Road. On 3 Aug 1910, pranksters called the Daily Herald in Hendersonville with a news story. The paper ran the following Headline: "Wayside Inn Now Smoking Ruins-C. E. Roper's handsom new hotel at East Flat Rock was today destroyed by fire the origin of which is unknown..." The next day the newspaper was forced to print a retraction and admit the story had been a hoax. Later the hotel actually burned.

The Beverley Family of VA by J. R. Beverley:
Victoria Ann Taylor b 22 Nov 1910 m 6 Jul 1935 Pvt. Bartlett Roper III b 11 Jan 1907 s/o Paul Spotswood Roper & Jessie Allen Edwards. Live (Apr 1945) 1691 Fairfax Ave., Petersburg, VA. Children: Bartlett Roper IV b 26 Nov 1937; Ann Beverley Roper (twins).

The Beverley Family of Virginia by J. R. Beverly, p. 950: Victoria Ann Taylor b 22 Nov 1910 m 6 Jul 1935 Pvt. Bartlett Roper III b 11 Jan 1907 s/o Paul Spotswood Roper & Jessie Allen Edwards. Live 4/45 1691 Fairfax Ave., Petersburg. Children: Bartlett Roper IV b 26 Nov 1937 & Ann Beverly Roper (twins).

Charles City Co. records: This Deed made this fourth day of Feb 1913 between George W. Roper, Trustee in Bankruptcy of the Carolina Pine Lumber Company, and George W. Roper and Walter H. Taylor, Trustee under a certain deed of trust from the Carolina Pine Lumber Company dated the first day of Feb 1911, and duly recorded as hereinafter mentioned, parties of the first part, and the Virginia Bank and Trust Company, Inc., a corporation duly organized and existing under the leave of the State of VA, party of the second part. Whereas by an order entered in the bankruptcy proceeding of the Carolina Pine Lumber Company, pending in the District Court of the U.S. for the Eastern District of VA, on the thirtieth day of Nov 1912, the said George W. Roper, Trustee in Bankruptcy, as aforesaid, and directed to sell certain property ...this Carolina Pine Lumber

Luther B. Roper is in the list of Greensville County white enlisted men who served in World War I.

Georgette P. Roper wrote a 5 page document "Pre-War Red Cross Activities" for the Red Cross in Virginia, Norfork Chapter, 1918.

Mrs. A. L. Roper wrote a 4 page document as chairman of the Red Norfork District, Woman's Section on 16 Feb 1919.

Roll Chesapeake Roll: Chronicle of the Great Bay, Ch. 11 records the sinking of the first German submarine of WWII by a US vessel, the USS Roper. It was built for WWI in 1918 and refitted for WWII in Nov 1943.

1920 U.S. Census of Virginia:
Alexandria:
Emmett Roper: 34; Mollie/Millie 28; Robert 8; Nettie 5; Louise 2½; Emmett Jr. 3 months.

DAR Lineage Books V. 37, p. 197: Mrs. Helen Randolph Willson Roper b Richmond, VA m Preston L. Roper. Desc. of Lieut. Col. Thomas Branch Willson of VA.

Holdings of VA State Library:
Albert Lonsdale Roper (1879-1966) Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? A Lawyer Looks at the Evidence, Zondervan Pub., 1965.
Florence Wilson Roper d 1958 Flame Against the Wind, The Wings, 1937 Home to the Hills, Wings Press, 1954. A Kiss for Judas, Kalidograph Press, 1932.
Leighton Parks Roper 1913- Old Hundredth, Norfolk, VA Teaghe & Little, 1971.

Virginia State Library Bible record #1466 Heath Family Bible 1744-1956; access # 26556: Sarah Fleming Heath d/o Jose Hartwell Heath & Emily Gordon was m D'Arcy Wentworth Roper II s/o John Nathanual & Eullie? Roper of Roty? VA at St. Pauls Church 27 Dec 1940 by Rev. Charles Sydnor and Dr. E. R. Carter of Christ P. E. Church.
Births: Children of Sarah Fleming Heath & D'Arcy Wentworth Roper. Sarah Heath Roper 2 Oct 1942. D'Arcy W. Roper III 15 Nov 1944. Hartwell Heath Roper 16 Jul 1949. Buer? Dandridge Roper f 16 Sep 1951. William Nathaniel Roper 7 Oct 1956.