Did a census search for John on the 1860 census. Couldn't find any matches in Virginia (since WV was still part of VA in 1860), but did find this match in PA, and it's in Washington Co., where your John Chesser was: 1860 PA, Washington Co., West Finley, pg 1041: Chesser, John, 40, tailor, PA , Eliza, 33, PA , Martha, 16, VA , Alice J., 14, VA , John, 11, VA , William, 5, VA , Amanda, 4, VA The father is about the right age, he has a son William close to the right age, William was born in VA, and they are in Washington Co., PA. I think it is more than coincidental. Especially when I find the same family in 1850 VA, Ohio Co. 1850 VA, Ohio Co., Dist. 44, 27 Aug., pg. 31b: Chesser, John, 30, tailor, PA , Eliza, 24, PA , Mary M., 5, VA , Alice J., 3, VA , Zachery T., 6 mo. There is another Chesser living in Ohio Co. in 1850. Frank Chesser, 34, b. PA, dist. 44, p.198b. Perhaps he is a brother. 1870 PA, Washington Co., West Finley, 8 July, pg. 427b: Chessor, John, 53, PA, farmer , Eliza, 45, PA , Martha, 26, VA , Alice, 22, VA , John, 18, VA , William, 16, VA , Amanda, 13, PA , Francis, 5, (male), PA In 1880, Eliza is a widow, and there are two grandchildren living with her: 1880 PA, Washington Co., West Finley, ED 268 sh 19, pg. 548 Chesser, Eliza, 53, wid., PA/PA/PA , Francis, 15, son, laborer on farm, PA , Eva, 7, gdgt., PA , Lucretia, 5, gdgt., PA There is a William Chesser, 21, listed as a servant with A.C. Cleaver, ED 267 sh 23, pg. 537c in Washington Co., PA. Seems quite a bit too young, as he was 16 in 1870, and 5 in 1860. Plus, it says he was b. in PA. I just found William V. Chessey with wife and dgts. in Triadelphia, Ohio Co., WV in 1880. ED 215, sh 36. Chessey, Wm. V., 23, farm laborer, WV/-/- , Caroline, 23, PA/PA/PA , Sylvia, 1, WV/WV/PA , Birdie Z., 2 mo., b. Apr., WV/WV/PA Clemens, Lucy, 16, sis-in-law, PA/WV/PA Looks like Sylvia was actually born in 1879, as Birdie was b. in April of 1880. I have no connection with this family- just saw an opportunity for some census searching, one of my favorite pasttimes! Rhonda A Bell On 27 Jun 2004 11:32:08 -0600 turtur@sbcglobal.net writes: > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/gYI.2ACEB/188.2.1.1.2.1.1.1 > > Message Board Post: > > John Chesser was born ab. 1821 in Washington County PA- I don't know > who or where his parents or ancestors were...still searching. > > His son William Vincent Chesser, (still looking for other children) > was born ab. 1853 Marshall county WV. > > W.V. Chesser's daughter, Sylvia Chesser was born Feb. 26 1880 in > Ohio County WV. > > Sylvia was my great-great grandmother. She married Harry Joseph Renz > > who was from PA & they lived in PA as did my family for the next 3 > generations...According to my great grandmother-Sylvia & Harry's > daughter, Mabel, this is the root of some of my research > problems...Harry Joseph Renz was a racist. Because Sylvia was part > indian, he destroyed her indian paperwork and all of her family > records so there would be no trace of his children's herritage. > > There could be a connection, unfortunately, I'm missing John > Chesser's ancestors. Does anything ring a bell with you? > > > ============================== > You can manage your RootsWeb-Review subscription from > http://newsletters.rootsweb.com/ > > >