I have tried for 15 years to unravel the mystery of the Willard family to no avail. My problem starts with a family who doesn't understand the value of telling the truth about the family so they make up stories to make the family sound better. The family story goes like this: My GG-Grandfather, ___ Willard was from Kent England. He married Ann (possibly Martin) and had at least two children in Kent. Annie Willard, b. 10 Jul 1838 and a son believed to be named Martin. Mr. Willard was in the "Kings Army" (a Queen was in power at the time). About 1841 he was given a grant of land near Toronto, Canada for his service. I have gone to Toronto and to the Archives in Ottawa searching for a land grant and found none fitting this family for this period of time or 5 years on either side. To continue the story, Mr. Willard was killed while trying to clear this land by dropping a tree on himself. Ann Willard, his wife, took the children (several by now- no names), and went to Westport, Connecticut.This must have been about 1860 as in 1864 their daughter, Annie Willard met and married a Dr. Malone. who was a surgeon in the Civil War and died during the war. I do not find this family in any Ct. census or a marriage record for Annie Willard Malone, nor do I find a record of a Dr. Malone from Ct. dying in the Civil War. She then somehow met James McGreevey and married him in Philadelphia, PA, 23 Sep 1865, under the name of Annie Willard. The only marriage record I have found that come close is one for Ann Willard and James Greavy 24 Sep 1865. Why they went to PA to get married is anybody's guess as they never lived there. I suspect James McGreevey was from there though as he had three children by a former marriage and according to the 1880 NY census those children were born in PA. James and Annie lived in Brooklyn, NY for many years and had 6 more children. I am hoping some kind soul out there has some suggestions on where to turn next. Sincerely, Doris Winskie