Recent messages rang no bells, but there was a bit of tingaling--just a bit that sent me back to some 20 year old notes when I first began to trace my gg grandmother Eliza Jane French Smith of Mercer. I wasn't sure who her father was and also took notes on the Tazewell Mathew French. I'll try to translate them here in hopes that something may help someone. My sources were: LDS fiche, Tazewell County local history, Tazewell death records and 1850 Tazewell census. Mathew died twice. Finding two death records for the same man is what saved this info from falling into the blackhole which nibbles at my memory. I noted the facts given but NOT the source, at least one came from a local history title and author unknown now. I really didn't think these were my Frenches--that's my lame excuse. The notes with my current comments in brackets[]: Mathew son of Catherine OR Elizabeth and John C. OR John G. died in Tazewell Dec. 1859 athe age of 63 OR 69. However, Tazewell 1850 census says Mathew is 50 and born in VA, making him 59 or 60 in Dec 1859. Sister Elizabeth is listed as informant. How many Mathews do we have here?[I still don't know.] Julia French Alison d. 1859, age 42. b.1817, no source. Census lists a Julia A FRENCH, 35, b. in MD living in Mathew's household. Was she really Julia Alison? Elizabeth French d. 1859, age 83 (1776) was a death record, BUT cencus lists two Elizabeths in Mathew's household: Elizabeth, 40, b. MD and Elizabeth, 89, also born in MD. Was the elder the same Elizabeth who died in 1859 when she was 98? The rest of Mathew's household Tazewell 1850 Albert 14 [my gggrandmother named her first child Isaac Albert in 1849] Letitia 12 Darcus 11 Laura Jane 9 Amanda 7 [my gggrandfather's sister was Amanda. she married Jehu French.] Martha 7 Nicati (?hard to read) 5 Female Angelica 3 Sally 1 Isaac Johnson French18 farmer Other French heads of households in 1850 Tazewell with my notes as to their possible connections: 233 Austin --son of John 264 Catherine--Zeke 233 Jeremiah--son of Reuben? he's 29, farmer in Austin's household 234 John N. 216 Letitia--error 242 Louisa Hope this helps someone! Jackie Seattle