Thanks Sue, Julie and Mysty for your answers. Sue, the Charles B. Lance you mention is also on the 1870 ARMARION census with his family in Rapps Barron, and nearby is Hardy M. Lance and wife Sarah T. Also, there is a Joseph Lance and wife Sarah and children. Living close is a Yilpha or Zelpha Lance, age 60 from NC. I thought it said male when I read the census, but now I think it was a female. Should look at it again. She or he had two children surnamed Briant, Benj and Duglas, ages 12 and 9. I then found what I believe to be the same family on the 1850 cenus of Cannon Co, Tenn,Civil Dist #7 p. 378 Henry Lance m 48 b. NC Zelphy " f 45 " Charles B." m 15 TENN Minerva Jane" f 16 " Thomas C. " m 14 " Wm. H. " m 12 " H.M.B. " m 10 " I just wonder if this Henry Lance and wife Zelpha could have had an older son, as they would have been in their 30's when Charles B was born. Well, here is another possibility for my Nicholas Washington. I just noticed something interesting about Vandall Lance. In 1850 he was 42, born in Ohio. In the same year on the Ozark Co, MO census, Moses Lance was 55, born in NJ. But his eldest son listed was Vandle S., age 22, b MO. Quite a coincidence that there were two men named Vandall/Vandle Lance, living within a few miles of each other. Anyway, still doesn't get me a Nicholas Washington. I agree that the Wash Lance was probably too young to be the father of my Mary Susan. I will write to the two Lance researchers you gave me addresses for. Thanks. Patricia Gausnell