My brick wall is my 2nd great-grandfather, James F. Boyd, d. 3 April 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri. He first appears in the 1850 Census in McDonough County, Illinois (age 38, b. Tennessee) with his wife Catherine, age 34, b. Kentucky, and two children, William, age 3, and Mary, age 2, both born in Illinois. William is my great-grandfather. James and his family moved to St. Louis by 1860, where he worked as a saddler or harness maker until his death. They also appear in Caldwell County, KY in 1857 where their daughter Kate was born. The birth record identifies the mother as Kittora J Hanson. The remaining children were born in Missouri (presumably St. Louis): Charles E., 1852; James A., 1861; and Lucy P., 1864. Census records from 1860 through 1880 list James's birth state variously as Kentucky and Alabama. His death certificate says he was born in Alabama, but does not identify his parents. James's wife is listed as Catherine, Kittora, K.J., Ketina, and Keturah on various records. It is not clear whether Catherine listed on the 1850 Census is the same person as Keturah (from 1857 on). I have autosomal DNA matches with several people who have Boyd roots in Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina and a Y-DNA match with a living Boyd in Hawkins County, TN. I have not been able to find a genealogical connection to any of these people. Bruce Boyd St. Louis, MO