Photographs - 1920s-before
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Robert Roper. (b: 31/07/1814)This is the earliest picture we have of anybody in our Roper direct family line. His father was ‘William Roper’, a dairyman living in ‘Cowley, Whitchurch, Dorset’. The ‘Broadwindsor Marriages Register’ records William's marriage to Susannah Bridle on 25/03/1807. Their first son ‘John Roper’ was baptized in Whitchurch on 30th August the same year! The ‘Thomcombe, Dorset Records’ indicate that William and Susannah later had twins ‘this Robert and his brother Samuel’. They were baptized on 31/07/1814. A family treasure is an old hand-written note with this same information but for Robert only - obviously singled out by earlier relatives as our direct family line.The 1851 Census for Broadwindsor, records that Robert (now aged 37) had become a family man and was married to Mary xxxx (aged 39) with a son William (aged 1). The ‘Dorset Archives’ for 19/01/1851 shows William baptized as ‘William Major Roper’. Robert was a farmer at ‘Crocken Farm’ and employed his brother Amos as an ‘agricultural labourer’. Robert and Mary had two more sons: ‘John Roper’ - baptized 13/05/1852 in Broadwindsor and ‘Robert George Roper’ - baptized 23/12/1855 in Bettiscombe. The 1881 Census shows Robert and Mary had moved from Dorset to ‘Coped Hall, Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire’. Their son John (now aged 28) lived at home and formed part of their business as a milk dealer. We cannot be certain but it would be a fair assumption that moving to Wootton Bassett was a business venture to supply milk, cheese and other dairy products from the rich pastures of Wiltshire, directly into London by train. |