Source
Reference
Early Settlers of
Maryland; Gus Skordas
Prince George’s Maryland:
Land
records:
1650
- 1710; Robert Hall
1696
- 1702; Shirley Langdon Wilcox
1702
- 1709; Elise Greenup Joudan
1710
- 1717; Elise Greenup Jourdan
1726
- 1733; Elise Greenup Jourdan
Maryland Archives:
Digital Records available on the Internet.
Family Society Publications
Published Biographies
Maryland Historical Trust
Using the Sources Referenced above, we can say that we know:
That a John Soper was
transported to Maryland in 1676.
That a John Soper’s
transportation was paid by a Francis Hutchins.
From a will that a John Soper
died in Maryland.
From that will, we know:
He was a planter.
That he had at least 9 children
and 2 grand children and we know their first names.
The married names of some of the
daughters.
The full name of one of the
daughter’s husband.
That at some point before his
death he lived on the Vale of Benjamin.
That he owned 100 acres of
Battson’s Vineyard.
The names of other people involved
in John Soper’s life.
There are some dates on the will
that span 18 years.
From the will we
do not know:
The name of John Soper’s wife.
His birth date or death date.
Where he came from.
Who his parents were.
The children’s Birth and death
dates and places.
We know some of the History of the Vale of Benjamin and
know where it is location in Maryland.
From Land Transaction Records we know:
That a John Soper, (sometimes spelled
Soaper) bought, sold, transferred and deeded land.
That a John Soper was linked to
a Mary Soper, (sometimes spelled Soaper).
That a Mary Soper wife of John
Soper was willed land by a Thomas Houser.
That a Mary Soper, wife of John
Soper and Elizabeth Lewis received land as heirs of Thomas Houser.
That an Elizabeth Lewis refers
to a Mary Soper wife of a John Soper as her sister regarding some land called
Battson’s Vinyard.
Regarding a Mary Yate, we know from land transactions:
That a John Soaper, referred to as a Cooper, trades 100 acres of
Vale of Benjamin formally owned by Mary Yate a widow on 14 Jul 1716.
That a Mary Yate sold land on 24
Mar 1796 that was a part of a tract called Vale of Benjamin.
That a Mary Yate again sold land
that on 29 Jun 1698 that was part of the Vale of Benjamin.
That a Mary wife of George Yate
bought land on 10 Aug 1704 bordered on the Vale of Benjamin.
That a Mary Yate on 29 Mar 1699 wills
to sons George and John Yate, residue of Vale of Benjamin.
That a Mary Wells married a
Thomas Stockett, and after his death married George Yate. (and she was then
known as Mary Yate.)
From other registered Maryland transactions we know:
That a John Soper was named as
the father in law of a Mareen Duvall.
That this Mareen Duvall on May
25 1744, rendered an account upon the state of his father in law, John Soper
and made disbursements to Robert Soper, Robert Lashley, John James, Phillis
Lowe and James Shaw.’
That a Mareen Duvall on November
21 1746 reported legacies of (John Soper) to his heirs.
William Ellis who married the deceased
daughter Priscilla, daughter Leah Soper who died during her minority therefore
her part descended to her several representative, that is, brothers John Soper
and Robert Soper and sisters Mary James, Phillis Lowe and Robert Lashley who
married her sister Lucy, John Shaw who married her sister Acqilla, and this
accountant who married her sister Esther. (this accountant being Mareen Duvall)
