I think you're right, David, that the POB can be inaccurate. Information I've received since I sent my query suggests that a parent's birth place has been assigned to the children, who were actually born someplace else. So, polite skepticism and multiple sourcing are still the best policies, aren't they? Pat > -----Original Message----- > From: dddennis@concentric.net [SMTP:dddennis@concentric.net] > Sent: Wednesday, May 24, 2000 12:50 AM > To: ALCHILTO-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: SCOTT & BILLINGSLEY in Autauga 1860 census: questions > > At 10:48 PM 5/23/00 -0500, you wrote: > >Hello -- > > > >This is what some people call a fishing expedition. I hope I catch a good > >one! > > > >My great-great grandparents were John Roper Billingsley (descendent of > >Clement) and Martha J.D. Scott Billingsley. The 1860 Autauga Census > >(Kingston Beat) shows a Scott household at house 758 and at house 759. > It > >shows John's family (father C.C. Billingsley) at house 811. John > >Billingsley and Martha Scott married in Autauga Co. in 1872; John was age > 25 > >and Martha was age 16. Both died and were buried in Chilton Co. > > > >The occupants of house 758 were all named Scott: John (26 yrs, born AL), > >James (52 yrs, born NC), Martha (29 yrs, born NC), James (6 yrs, born > NC), > >Martha (4 yrs, born NC), Carie (2 yrs, born NC), and Mary (<1 yr, born > NC). > > > > > >Occupants of house 759 were all named Scott: a 50-year-old woman, two > men > >in their 20's, one girl age 15, and one girl age 13. They were all said > to > >have been born in SC. > > > >Questions: > >1. Does anyone know anything about these Scotts? I believe the > 4-year-old > >Martha is my ancestor, John Roper's wife. > >2. I wonder if 52-year-old James and 29-year-old Martha were married and > >had just recently migrated into Autauga Co. (since baby Mary was born in > >NC). > >3. I wonder if Martha was perhaps James's second wife, since he was 31 > >years older than she. 4. I wonder who 26-year-old John Scott was; he > was > >born in AL > >5. Was John a relation of James? > >6. The marriage certificate for John Billingsley and Martha Scott says > that > >John and Martha were married at "John Scott," which I take to mean "at > the > >home of John Scott." Did house 758 belong to John (I need to look at the > >original census page to see about this)? > >7. Were James and family staying with John until they found a place to > >settle? > >8. What was the practice at that time when a family migrated to a new > area? > > > >9. Is it likely that the second houseful of Scotts, born in SC, was > related > >to the first, most born in NC? > >10. Did clans of families settle in nearby houses in early Autauga? > > > >11. Is there any way to guess at the distance between house 758 and > house > >811? I suspect that John Billingsley and Martha Scott were neighbors in > >1860, and then they married in 1872. > > > > > >Pat, in Texas > > > > > Pat, I find the POB to be unreliable. I find my ancestor Jesse Dennis > listed as born in NC, SC > and GA in different census' even though only GA seems likely. You might > try > the Bureau of Land Management website to see if they bought land from the > fed. government. <http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/> > While they may have bought land from individvuals this is still the most > likely source at that time. > David Dennis, dddennis@concentric.net, UsGebWeb webpage for Lincoln Co., > Ga + Chilton Co., Al, and Rootsweb mailing list owner for them and the > SWORDS-L lists, among other things.