Russell- I wish I could be of some real help, but all I have is bits and pieces and some suggestions. Philo is not in my direct line, as far as I know, but I keep tabs on all early CT ATWELL families while looking for my own. Your Mary had a brother Philo ATWELL b.21 Oct 1790 in Roxbury, Litchfield Co, CT and some of his descendants have posted on-line before. Everyone seems to agree that Philo and Mary's father was named Philo ATWELL but no one has any information about him or who his spouse was. My d-base shows that Mary ATWELL married Augustus HILLIKER who was from Saratoga Co, NY. Philo Jr. also passed through NY on his way to Lapeer Co, MI. He was in the 1830 census for Boston, Erie Co, NY, and Mary and Augustus had a daughter born there in 1827. Pardon me if I am stating the obvious to you, but many families followed this migration route, i.e. CT to NY to MI. In the 1820 census of Concord, Niagara Co, NY there is a Philo ATWELL who is too old to be Philo Jr., so it may be Philo Sr. It would also explain both Philo Jr. and Mary ATWELL's presence in NY state. The listing reads: Philo Atwell 1m <10 (so b.1810-1820) 1m 45> (so b. bef 1775) Philo Sr.? 1f 10-16 (so b.1804-1810) 1f 26-45 (so b.1775-1794) I don't have an exact marriage date for Mary and Augustus so I cannot say if the above female might be her, a sister, or Philo ATWELL's wife. But Erie Co, NY is the next county south of Niagara Co., which suggests a connection between the two Philo ATWELL families. I would check with Niagara Co. to see if they have a will, land or cemetery records for Philo ATWELL Sr. I don't find Philo ATWELL in the 1800 or 1810 census in any state, but in 1810 there is a Philo ATWOOD in Watertown, Litchfield Co, CT which could be him. Remember, spelling was optional for census-takers! Philo ATWOOD 1m 26-45 (so b.1765-1784) 2f 0-10 (so b.1800-1810) 1f 16-26 (so b.1784-1794) This could be Mary ATWELL 1f 26-45 (so b.1765-1784) There are only two other men I have ever encountered in the early US named Philo ATWELL: one is Philo P. ATWELL b.1812 in NY who is listed in the 1850 census for Dubuque Co, IA and the other is Philo Perry ATWELL b.abt 1798 in CT to Richard ATWELL and Ruth Ann CURTIS. Richard ATWELL is part of the ATWELL family from Attleboro, Bristol Co, MA. The CURTIS family is from Huntington, Fairfield Co, CT and Richard and Ruth Ann baptized a number of their children, including Philo Perry ATWELL, at the Huntington Congregational Church in 1804, though they were having children in CT as early as 1794. In my opinon there may be a connection between your Philo ATWELL Sr. and the ATWELL line from Attleboro, since both had ancestors born in CT, and both used the name Philo. But this is just a hunch. The only other ATWELL family in Litchfield Co. in 1800-1810 is a John ATWELL b.bef 1755 who lived in Roxbury. But if he had any sons, they had all died or married by 1800 because he is only ever listed in the census with daughters. But at least it gives you another possible family to connect Philo ATWELL to. John ATWELL is apparently still listed in Roxbury in 1820 by which time he would be at least 65, a bit old to migrate into NY, so you may want to check Litchfield Co, CT to see if they have probate records for him that mention a brother, son or grandson named Philo. I hope this helps you some. Dan Atwell