1.  Jordan R. Dodd, ed.  1993.  KY, NC, TN, VA, WV Marriages:  Early to 1850.  Liahona Research, Orem, UT (Broderbund CD-229):

Stroup, Matthew	Wilson, Elizabeth	21 Apr 1829	Lincoln Co.
Stroup, Matthew	Black, Barbara	21 Sep 1846	Lincoln Co.

2.  1830 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #213 of 214; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1830

NC

Lincoln [now Gaston] Co.

Roll 122

p. 261

Ln. 2

Matthew Stroup

000 010 - 000 010

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	20-29	1800-1810	= Matthew (b. 1807)
1 female	20-29	1800-1810	= Elizabeth (b. 1809)

3.  1840 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #48-49 of 139 — name pages follow the numerical pages; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1840

NC

Lincoln [now Gaston] Co.

Upper Regiment Militia

Roll 364

pp. 52A-52B

Ln. 11

Mathew Stroup

000 001 - 000 110

0100000

no slaves

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	30-39	1800-1810	= Matthew (b. 1807)
1 female	15-19	1820-1825	= Mary STROUP (b. 1822/3)
1 female	20-29	1810-1820	= Elizabeth (b. 1809)
1	person employed in agriculture

Elizabeth is fibbing about her age.  The teenage girl is possibly the Mary STROUP who is with them in 1850. 

4.  1850 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #94 of 145):  Gaston Co., NC, Roll M432_630, p. 438A, 683/683, enumerated 28 Oct 1850, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1850 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

Mathew Stroup	42?	M		Farmer	500
Barbra	30?	F
Mary E	27	F
John M	3	M
Elvirah?	2	M
John Stroup	1	M
Noah Mauney?	83	M

Who is Mary?  She's too old to be Matthew's daughter.  They had two sons named John?

5.  1860 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #14-15 of 182):  White Pine P.O., Gaston Co., NC, Roll M653_898, pp. 7B-8A, PN 14-15, 122/102, enumerated 15 Jun 1860, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1860 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

Barbra Stroup	37	F		Farmer	800	347	"
Mary      "	12	F					"
[next page]
John Stroup	11	M					"
Lyra     "	9	F					"
Esther   "	7	F					"
Mathew   "	6	M					"
Sarah    "	4	F					"
Isabella "	3	F					"
Ephraim  "	2	M					"

6.  1870 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #29 of 51):  Cherryville P.O., Cherryville Twp., Gaston Co., NC, Roll M593_1138, p. 669A, PN 29, 229/229, enumerated 16 Aug 1870, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1870 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

Stroup Barbara	45	F	W	Keeping house	800	600	NC
"   Mary	23	F	W	Farmer			"
"   John	22	M	W	Farmer			"
"   Isabella	15	F	W	at Home			"
"   Ephraim	13	F	W	Farmer			"

Can't find son, Matthew.

7.  1880 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #7 of 48 — indexed "Shoup"):  Cherryville Twp., Gaston Co., NC, Roll T9_964, p. 4C, PN 7, SD 3, ED 85, enumerated 5 Jun 1880, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1880 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):¤•

1880:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).
1	2	3	4	5	6	8	10	11	13	22	23	24	25	26
60	64	Stroup Barbara	W	F	58			/	House keeper		/	NC	NC	NC
		______ Ephraim	W	M	22	Son	/		Farmer		/	NC	NC	NC
		______ Jane	W	F	21	Dau-in-law	/			/	/	NC	NC	NC

8.  1890 Census:  the 1890 Census Population Schedules were destroyed.

9.  Stroup's of Cherryville, N.C.

10.  WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).