Ancestry of Thomas Soper b 19 Nov 1615 St. Andrew, Plymouth, Devon, Eng. d 8 Oct 1682

Question

Soper has many derivatives. Seif, Seifman, Sife, Seefus, Seifenmacher, (German and Askenasic), Soaper, Soper and Sopper (English), Savon (French), Saparano (Italian), and Szappanos (Hungarian) le Soper, Sofer, 

Based on family papers reviewed by geneaologist, Eric P. Conard, we know the Thomas Soper indicated above was married 2x, Anne Mitchell b 1615 d 1690 and Elizabeth Cooke b 1623. Children by Anne were: Benjamin, John, Mary, & Samuel Soper. Elizabeth Cooke had Henry Soper b 1640 South Hampshire, Devon, Eng. d Dec 1695 Huntington, Long Island, NY. 

I am interested in identifying the ancestry of Thomas Soper: names, marriages, & where they were before coming to England. My research has identified possible parents of my Thomas Soper to be Thomas b 1592 married to Joan Avery born 1596 and grandparents John Soper married to Joan/Joanne Smerdon. Other research notes the father to be William Soper. I am totally unable to verify the parents, or other ancestors of Thomas Soper in my family tree - Sandra Brodwin - on Ancestry.com

I would truly appreciate your help.

 

Answer 1

Best of luck with your research Sarah;

After the middle ages, the main concentrations of Sopers were in the English counties of Devon & to a lesser extent Hampshire, so it's likely Henry came from one or the other.  I don't see mentions of those two concentrations interacting.

I don't think there was a 'South Hampshire, Devon', is there a firm link to that? How strong would you rate the link you have that Thomas of Devon was father to Henry of Huntingdon, NY?

I've added a link to your post in a page about ''Sopers migrating to US", it may get you better responses; http://tinyurl.com/zog2fqo; There's several researching Henry, with differing details. Perhaps you could contact them & try for a concerted summary of what's known to head his entry with?

You ask 'where they were before coming to England?', I see no hint that these Soper populations migrated into England, so they probably appeared when surnames became common after Norman times. Earliest mentions so far; Edgar le Soppier 1138 in Northumberland/London & John Soper in Somerset, 1173; see Early Sopers; http://tinyurl.com/z8czool

Good Luck, Geoff