This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: DelorisWilliams87 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.evans/10033.2.2.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: I took a look at a couple of the census records for this family and a couple of things stand out, did you notice that in 1870 census, the household included a JOSEPH BYRNE, age 76, black, At Home, born NC? Do you know who he was? In 1880, GEORGE & LUCY MURPHY are listed in Household #63/64, next to them is a FRANK EVANS, age 19, Mulatto, listed as son of ISAAC KIRKPATRICK, 45, Mulatto; on the next page,also next to your family, H/H #64/65, JOHN & ELIZA EVANS, ages 53 & 55, respectively. Going back to 1870 again, JOHN & ELIZA EVANS are living further away in Cumberland Co., (Image 30 on Ancestry.com) H/H #530/538; also on the same page with them are a couple of black MURPHY and BYRNE families, as well as the family of CLOE EVANS, black, age 50,and still further on the next page, the family of AGGY KIRKPATRICK, black, age 60. Have you done any research on these families to find out about how they were related? A point that you should consider when researching is that not all members of former slave families took the same surnames, mostly because they may not all have had the same slaveowners or they may have chosen a surname that they liked which was different from their parents. That could possibly! be a reason for the 1880 listing of KIRPATRICK & EVANS as father & son. Also, it is possible that JOHN EVANS was related (a brother?) to LUCY EVANS and/or any of these other families living nearby. If you haven't done so already, I strongly urge you to follow these families in the census records, check for marriages, birth or death records that can further enlighten you as to the relationships of these families. It is always a good thing to study the neighbors when researching, especially if you find yourself at an impasse, many times, family members married and stayed in the same neighborhood. Deloris Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.