All, I join those saying the Carter list is useful. I will also say that every now and then I hear from someone concerning a posting that is several years old that has resulted in a brick wall coming down-just last week from someone on another list responded to a question I asked six years ago. I keep hoping this will happen with my Carters, which present my greatest challenge. I first encounter William D. Carter getting married in 1819 to Eleanor Lemmon (from Baltimore County, Maryland) in Harrison County, Indiana. (A land patent record indicates his middle name may have been Davisson.) According to his tombstone, he was born in January 1796. He and Eleanor lived their entire lives in Indiana; William died in 1873. In all the census records his birthplace was given as North Carolina. I have his will, which gave the names of his children" Sarah, b. 1821 Millison, b. 1823 (named for Eleanor's mother) Isaac, b. 1824 Rachel, b. 1827 Isabel, b. 1830 Francis Marion, b. 1831 David, b. 1834, William D, b. 1836 Martha, b. 1838 Eleanor, b. 1841 Miriam, b. 1849 (not sure if she is really a daughter of theirs) I have been unable to find any probable siblings of William's. I have traced all the children, with still no clue to William's ancestry. I have speculated that William's father was named Isaac (following the usual naming pattern), but that has not led anywhere. I would appreciate any ideas that anyone may have to pursue this elusive ancestor. Judy Damewood