Person:John Roper (3)

Disputed Lineages

Two John Ropers seem to be conflated here. The Visitation of 1619 has John Roper "sine p'le". Hasted notes that this John Roper died without issue in 1401. Yet the 1401 will of John Roper cited here mentions Katherine who was the wife of his son Edmund (apparently deceased). Perhaps it could be argued that John had no surviving issue, but then his will also makes a bequest to Edmund Ropere son of Ralph Ropere, without mentioning that Edmund is his brother or Ralph is his father. The will also mentions Alice, the wife of Ralph Ropere. Since Beatrix, the wife of Ralph Roper in the Visitation married as her second husband Thomas Kempe, and her second son by him, John Kempe (Archbishop of Canterbury) was born in about 1380, it would seem that that Ralph Roper had died before then, and that John Roper's will must be referring to another Ralph and Edmund.

1. ↑ Hovenden, Robert, and John Philipot. The visitation of Kent, taken in the years 1619-1621 by John Philipot, Rouge Dragon, marshall and deputy to William Camden, Clarenceux. (London: [Harleian Society], 1898)
   p. 82.

   sine p'le

2. ↑ Brydges, Egerton. Collins's peerage of England, genealogical, biographical, and historical, greatly augmented, and continued to the present time. (London: [T. Bensley], 1812)
   7:78.
3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 John Ropere, Will, in Kent Archaelogical Society
   Medieval & Tudor Kent Wills at Lambeth - Book 23 Page 300.
4. ↑ Hasted, Edward. The history and topographical survey of the county of Kent. (Canterbury: W. Bristow, 1972)
   1:473.