Sorry to post this to the list, but when I try to send it direct to Laura it bounces -- apparently jas.net thinks my email looks like spam. I complained to postmaster@jas.net but that got bounced too for the same reason. - Rich Holmes Laura Buckmaster wrote: >I believe I have corresponded with you before. I have two Ezra Holmes = >on my tree. One being my great great grandfather, married to Sally = >Wilcox, and one his son. I have been able to find quite a bit going = >forward from Ezra, Sr., but unable to find out who his parents were. My = >information is at = >http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=3Dlaura47 > >My Ezra, Jr. was born about 1815 in, I'm guessing, New York. I am = >wondering if your Ezra born about 1836 could be a son (this is just = >another guess). I can't find Ezra, Jr. on the 1880 census, but haven't = >been able to search the 1850 one yet. =20 > >Anyway, I have come a long way on my Holmes family, and wonder if you = >would mind looking at it to see if anything looks familiar. I can't say I see anything to strongly support a connection; on the other hand it's certainly possible. You have the younger Ezra in Oswego and Herkimer counties, which are not too far from Madison county. Essentially all I know about the Ezra I list is shown online. The only information I have comes from the 1870 census population schedule for Hamilton, Madison County, New York, written p. 5, printed page 214: Dwelling # : 40 Family # : 47 Name : Ezra Holmes Age : 34 Sex : M Color : W Occupation : Blacksmith Val. of real estate : 700 Val. of personal est. : 400 Place of birth : New York [Nothing else marked except Males eligible to vote] Name : Almira A. Age : 23 Sex : F Color : W Occupation : Keeping House Place of birth : New York [Nothing else marked] Name : Byron Age : 13 Sex : M Color : W Place of birth : New York [Nothing else marked except In school] Name : Sebor Age : 10 Sex : M Color : W Place of birth : New York [Nothing else marked except In school] Name : Lavina Age : 4 Sex : F Color : W Place of birth : New York [Nothing else marked except In school] [that's what it says in my notes!] Name : Frankie Age : 1 Sex : M Color : W Place of birth : New York [Nothing else marked] I have Byron, Sebor, Lavina, and Frankie shown in my database as children of Ezra and Almira, although of course there's no proof of that in the census and in the case of Byron and Sebor it's virtually impossible. A better guess is that Almira was a second wife of Ezra's and at least the first two children were born of the first wife. Unless Almira's age was really 33, of course... I've examined the Hamilton sections of the New York State census population schedules for 1865 and 1875, and I'm pretty sure this family isn't there. (But these censuses aren't indexed and it's possible I missed it.) Nor is there an Ezra HOLMES in the 1868 Directory of Madison County. So it seems likely he arrived after 1868 and probably had moved on (or died) by 1875. Judging from their non-proximity in the population schedule, Ezra appears not to have been a close neighbor of my ancestors nor any other Holmeses. I have no reason to believe he's connected with my family, although it's possible. Hope this helps... - Rich Holmes