Has anyone on this list done any serious research on the Holman/Holeman families of Carroll and Madison counties? After conversing with my Foster relatives in McIntosh Co., Oklahoma I'm now of the opinion that the Nancy who married John Forrester/Foster about 1837 in AR (these were the parents of the Harris Foster who married Elizabeth Drucilla Harbison) was a Holman. I'm also leaning toward the idea that she was the sister of the Millie Holman Boren who was the third wife of Smith Barlow Harbison/Harvison. I believe this explains the notation on the 1880 Madison Co. census that lists Nancy's son Harris Foster as a nephew of Barlow and Millie. I tried to make sense of this by pursuing the theory that he was a nephew of Barlow Harbison. But this didn't pan out. Barlow did not have any siblings born before 1831, nor did he have, as far as I can tell, any first or second cousins named Nancy. Because of the courthouse fire, I know that doing research in early Carroll Co. is nearly impossible without coming across outside clues or documents. For instance, on the early tax records there are listed William Foster (1838), Henry Foster (1840, 1841), Thomas Holman (1838), William Holman (1838), Mary Holman (1840). Despite obviously being present these people do not show up on the 1840 census. I suspect that an entire section of the county was missed by the enumerator. A careful review of later censuses reveals that the Fosters and Holmans lived in close proximity to one another for many decades. There is even the intriguing proximity of Holemans to the family of William Marion Wood (b. KY) and his wife Martha Foster (b. VA) on the 1850 Carroll Co. census. Martha Foster Wood and her brother Richard Foster came to Carroll Co. from Illinois and were the children of Claibourn Foster and his wife Mary, both from VA. They may finally point the way to the VA origins of my long elusive Fosters. Since I live in VA these days I am in a good position to pursue the necessary research, as long as I know the county or counties to look. I am now trying to tie these many threads together. To that end I am desirous of finding out where in Tennessee the Holmans and Fosters were prior to moving to NW Arkansas. My current thinking leads me to the Rutherford-Bedford-Lincoln Co. area. Does anyone have any thoughts? Bob Foster Williamsburg, VA