Lisa, Have you checked the classic "The History of the Hoyt, Haight, and Hight Families ...." by David W. Hoyt ? I checked the index for your Benjamin Leonard with no luck, although there are at least two Benjamin L.'s in the book born after 1800 (the first was born 1830, the other was Benjamin Levi, b 1818 in CT). But there is some good news regarding Alanson. There are two listed in the book. The first is the son of Nathan and Betsey Hoyt, born 1815 in Rochester, married 3 times, living in Sandusky, OH (as of 1871 when the book was written). He has siblings Truman (b1817), Sophronia (b abt 1821), Lucinda (b abt 1823), Cynthia (b abt 1824), Lucius (b 1826), Betsey (b 1826), and Huldah (b 1828). The father, Nathan, moved to Elyria, OH, and died in Lake Mills, Jefferson Co., Wisc. on Nov. 30, 1847. His wife Betsey (Merrifield) died 1/19/1867. Nathan had two brothers, one of whom's children is not in the book (Levi), and therefore *may* be the father of your Benjamin Leonard (and thereby the 1st cousin of Alanson). The children of the other brother, Jerry, do not include a BL. The other is Alanson Asa, son of Thomas J. and Anna M. Hoyt, b 8/6/1847 in Danbury, CT, married Melissa Nickerson on 6/27/1867, and lives in Danbury. Dave Hayt