By
John H.
Butterfield
George
Washington Tope was born on May
1, 1821,
in Illinois,
probably near Jonesboro,
in Union
County.
{Death Record
age indicates he was born in 1821; also an affidavit George signed.
However some other records are more agreeable to the date of 1824.} His
grandparents were Frederick and Elizabeth Tope and his parents were
Jacob and Elizabeth Tope who purchased property, on August 26, 1819, in
Jonesboro, Union County, Illinois.
By the 1830 U. S. Census of Illinois,
all of the
Topes had moved to the Bellefontaine area of Monroe
County.
And by the
1835 State Census of Union County
all of
the Topes had moved back to the north part of Union
County
except Jacob.
In
the 1830's
Jacob Tope bought property in Monroe
County
near Waterloo and
by the 1840 U.
S. Census lists Jacob Tope in Bellefontaine
Township,
Monroe County,
Illinois.
In
May 1846
Company I of the Second Regiment of the Mexican War
was organized
at Waterloo,
Monroe
County.
George W.
Tope was a private in this company that
was mustered in at Alton,
Illinois,
on June
24, 1846,
and after
fighting in the Battle
of Buena Vista, he served in the hospital at Saltillo
until
being mustered out at
Camargo,
Mexico,
on June
18, 1847.
George
W. Tope
returned to Union
County, Illinois,
where Jacob
Tope was then living,
and on August
10, 1847,
he married B.
T. [F.] Hodges. On August 29, 1947 he was a
candidate for constable in Union
County.
By
June
8, 1848, George W. and
Badera [Barbara] Tope signed a deed as residents of Jackson
County.
Apparently
George W. Tope lived in Degogia Township,
Jackson County, Illinois, about four miles east of Rockwood until 1855.
On July
25, 1855,
George and
Badera Tope signed their last deed as residents of Jackson
County.
The 1850 U. S.
Census of Degogia
Township,
Jackson
County,
lists G.
W. Tope, age 25,
born in Illinois
and Badera
Tope, age 21, born in Alabama.
On January
12, 1859,
George W.
Tope purchased property in Rockwood and on the same date George and B.
T. Tope signed a mortgage as residents of Randolph
County.
The
1860 U. S.
Census of Rockwood lists George W. Tope, age 36, Hotel Keeper,
Barbara, age 33, Wm. D. Tope, age 5, and Orlando Tope, age 1.
After
B. T.
(F.) Tope's death later in 1860, George married Catherine Spears in
Randolph
County
on March
1, 1861.
The above paper was furnished by Margaret
Foxwell
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