On 7 May Frances Robinson wrote: " Your mention of your Bates relatives being tall struck a chord with me. I am looking for more information about my great grandmother Almira Bates Lothrop born July 31, 1829, either "near Oswego, New York" or in Quebec. Wherever she was born, she was, according to my father, 6 feet tall. I have to imagine that was good size for a woman in her day. One piece of family lore that I have been trying to track down is that she was related to Martin Van Buren Bates, the "Kentucky Giant" who was over 7 feet tall and toured with the circus. --Frances" Frances, we had corresponded before, but I'll repeat what I had passed to you in case anyone else might lock on to the Oswego NY connection. Have you had any more success connecting your line with mine since we last corresponded? .... from 3 Dec 99 e-mail: Your Almira Bates Lothrop sounds suspiciously like she could have been a niece of my Almira BATES (b. abt 1800 Brimfield, MA, m. abt 1820 Thomas Shaff in Hounsfield, Jefferson Co, NY, d. 1880 Brodhead, Green Co WI). Shortly after Almira and Thomas married, they moved to Hannibal, Oswego Co, NY and had at least four children there between 1822 and 1832 (Samuel Shaff, b. Jul 14, 1822; Josiah A.Shaff, b. 1827; Rebecca Shaff, b. Aug 3 1829; and Lorenzo Dow Shaff, b. Jul 22, 1832) before moving to Lake Township, Milwaukee Co WI in 1835. Thomas Shaff drowned the next year, Almira remarried a neighbor John Douglass in 1838, moved to Decatur, Green Co WI in 1853 and then to Spring Grove, Green Co WI the following year. Almira BATES' parents were Samuel BATES (b. Feb 18, 1773 Brimfield, MA, d. Feb 13,1813 Hounsfield, Jefferson Co NY) and Sally Houghton (b.Jan 16,1780 Wales, MA). They married in Wales, MA Jan 13 1779 and had the following children in addition to Almira: Moses Merrick BATES (b. Jul 10, 1801 Brimfield, MA); Asa BATES (b. 1807 Hounsfield, NY); and Mary BATES (b. Apr 17, 1811 Hounsfield NY). Moses Merrick BATES had a daughter named Almira in 1839 in Hounsfield. I don't have Asa's wife's name, but have info from Jefferson Co Bates descendents that Asa moved to WI and lived with his sister Almira BATES after his wife died. Don't know anything about Mary BATES. Have much more info on the ancestry of Samuel BATES and Sally HOUGHTON if you think they might have been the grandparents of your Almira. Where in WI did your Almira Bates Lothrop end up? Wayne Olsen Bonney Lake, WA