Timothy Soper (abt. 1773 - 1847)

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 12 Dec 1847 at about age 74 in Kitley, Leeds, Ontario, Canada

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Timothy Soper served in the Upper Canada Militia in the War of 1812
Service started: Sept 25, 1812
Unit(s): 1st Regiment of Leeds, Capt. John Howard's company
Service ended: Dec 24, 1812

Biography

Birth

Timothy Soper was likely born in Vermont, if the New Soper Compendium is correct.^[1] The same source also names Solomon Soper as his father. The Vermont supposition gains some strength in the 1851 census of Canada West in which Timothy's son Alonzo and probable daughter Emily are both recorded as having been born in Vermont.^[2][3]

First Family

Timothy Soper was apparently already married to Dorcas Williams when he arrived in Canada. His son Alonzo (whose relationship to his parents is explicitly identified in his marriage record^[4]) is reported in the 1851 census to have been born in Vermont.^[2]

The New Soper Compendium lists seven or eight children of this marriage:

Septimus Soper, who, however, is said in the 1851 census to have been born in Canada

Alonzo

Emily Percival, who is also said to have been born in Vermont^[3]

Sidney

Ralph

Harley

Elmira Eaton

probably Mary Smart

Currently, only Alonzo^[4] and Harley^[5] have been confirmed as children of this couple. The others have not been disproven, however, and are most likely correct.Brosius-115 19:34, 17 February 2018 (EST)

Kitley

Currently, the earliest record found that can be definitely identified as Timothy Soper indicates that he, along with a John Vaughn, "occupied Lot No. 16, in the 8th Concession" in Kitley Township, Leeds, Ontario, Canada.^[6]

War of 1812

Timothy Soper's name is found in the 1812 pay lists for the 1st Regiment of Leeds Militia, in Capt. John Howard's company.^[7] The pay roll cited is dated 25 September 1812 to 24 December 1812, inclusive. However, the transcriber states "The militia lists are too extensive to copy all the lists out within a reasonable time period, and many of the lists are repeats of a regiment with minor personnel changes from one date to another, but I shall try to get at least one list from each Captain." Therefore, it is possible that he served for a much longer period of time. Research among the microfilms cited will likely be necessary in order to identify his full term of service.

Miscellaneous

On 22 June 1818, Timothy Soper was appointed to a committee at a meeting with reformer Robert Gourlay.^[6]

He, along with his probable son Septimus, seems to have been initiated into the McKay masonic lodge at Wolford on 17 Oct 1820.^[8]

On 16 Mar 1831, he, with Philip Shook, was assigned as a commissioner for road improvement "On the road from Wilson's inn, Kitley, leading to Merrickville, to the east boundary line of Kitley." They were allotted £50 for the project.^[9]

Possible second marriage

On 16 Dec 1838, a Timothy Sopper is recorded as having married a Martha Sopper in Kitley.^[10] This appears to be the same Timothy Soper, but it is only one day after his first wife died.^[11][12] Furthermore, the New Soper Compendium identifies Martha Soper as the daughter of Timothy's brother Solomon Jr., and therefore Timothy's niece.^[1] It seems unlikely a marriage between such near relations would have been permitted. Further research seems called for.

Death and burial

Timothy passed away on 12 Dec 1847, and was interred in Soper Cemetery in Kitley, the same cemetery as his first wife.^[13][14]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Earl F. Soper, editor, The New Soper Compendium (Berne, New York: Earl F. Soper, 1989).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} 1851 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Canada West (Ontario), district Two, Kitley, p. 93-94, household of Alonzo Soper (lines 24-33); RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 Feb 2018); citing citing Census of 1851 (Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia). Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada. Leeds County, Canada West (Ontario); Schedule: A; Roll: C_11733.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} 1851 census of Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, Canada West (Ontario), Leeds County, district 20, sub-district 195, Kitley, p. 147-148, George Percivall household; RG 31; digital images, Ancestry.com Operations Inc, Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 Feb 2018); citing citing Census of 1851 (Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia). Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Genealogical Society of Utah, Salt Lake City, "Canada Marriages, 1661-1949," database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 23 Jul 2016), entry for Elonzo Soper and Martha Green's 1859 marriage; citing Leeds And Grenville, Ontario, reference p 23; FHL microfilm 1,030,059.
5. ↑ History of Cass County, Iowa: together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history. (Springfield, Illinois: Continental Historical Co., 1884).
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Thad. W. H. Leavitt, History of Leeds and Grenville Ontario, From 1749 to 1879, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers (Brockville, Ontario: Recorder Press, 1879).
7. ↑ Christine Beek, OntarioGenWeb, War of 1812 Paylist Rolls (accessed 17 Jul 2016), Timothy Soper included in a list of Capt. John Howard's Co, citing Folios 349-351, microfilm T-10381, North York Public Library, Yonge St., Toronto.
8. ↑ John Ross Robertson, editor, The History of Freemasonry in Canada, from Its Introduction in 1749: Compiled and Written from Official Records and from Mss. Covering the Period from 1749-1858, in the Possession of the Author, 2 volumes (Toronto: G.N. Morang, 1900), 1, part 2: 1153-1154.
9. ↑ Hugh C. Thomson and James MacFarlane, editors, [The Statutes of the Province of Upper Canada; Together with Such British Statutes, Ordinances of Quebec and Proclamations as Relate to the Said Province, revised by j. nickalls ed. (Kingston, Ontario: F. M. Hill, 1831), 574-587 "An act granting to his Majesty a sum of money, to be raised by debenture, for the improvement of roads and bridges in the several districts of this province".
10. ↑ Ancestry.com and Genealogical Research Library, "Ontario, Canada, Marriages, 1801-1928, 1933-1934," database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Aug 2016), entry for Timothy Sopper and Martha Sopper, 16 Dec 1838; citing Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858; Series: MS248; Reel: 3.
11. ↑ CanadaGenWeb's database and images, CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project (http://cemetery.canadagenweb.org/ : accessed 13 Jun 2016); entry for Dorcas Soper, buried in Soper's Cemetery, Ontario.
12. ↑ Find A Grave, "Find A Grave," database and images, Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 Feb 2018); memorial page for Dorcas Williams Soper (unknown–15 Dec 1838), Find A Grave Memorial no. 125979562; citing Soper's Cemetery, Frankville, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada; Maintained by W. Blanchard (contributor 47440261).
13. ↑ CanadaGenWeb's database and images, CanadaGenWeb's Cemetery Project (http://cemetery.canadagenweb.org/ : accessed 13 Jun 2016); entry for Timothy Soper, buried in Soper's Cemetery, Ontario.
14. ↑ Find A Grave, "Find A Grave," database and images, Find A Grave (www.findagrave.com : accessed 8 Dec 2016); Timothy Soper (Memorial #125979527); record added 4 Mar 2014 by W. Blanchard.

See also

blog post "Timothy Soper" at the Heritage Huntress.