Perhaps there was a death certificate for Nancy that would name her parents. According to a book of cemetery transcriptions for Gallia County, Nancy Bane, wife of Henry D., was born on 6 September 1818 and died 31 January 1903. Ohio did not require state vital registration of deaths until 1908 but some earlier deaths were recorded in the county probate courts. Only Henry's death was on file. He died a widower at the age of eight-five on 23 February 1905. Recall the 1840 court case involving a Nancy Donnally who was of legal age. If Nancy (Donnally) Bane was the Nancy Donnally, daughter of William, then a birth date of September 1818 (from her tombstone) would have made her twenty-two years old in 1840, well above legal age. The 1900 census gave her birth month and year as September 1819, which would make her twenty-one in 1840. Of course, we have no way of knowing which is correct, if either one. Let's take this one step further and see if William Donnally has a woman Nancy's age living in his household in 1840 census. Remember, this census named only the head of the household: males: 1 age under 5; 1 age 10-15; 1 age 15-20, 1 age 20-30, 1 age 40-50 females: 2 age under 5; 1 age 5-10; 2 age 10-15; 1 age 15-20, 1 age 50-60 The only place where Nancy would fit is in the age category 15-20. From the above sources, however, she should be twenty-one or twenty-two. But there's something else we need to consider: The official starting date of the 1840 census was 1 June. The enumerator was supposed to record the composition of the household on that date, regardless of when he made his visit. If the birth month and year of September 1819 are correct, then Nancy would not turn twenty-one until September, making her twenty years old on 1 June 1840, when the census was taken. ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com