This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Allen, Moffitt Classification: Lookup Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/Vk.2ADE/1770.1 Message Board Post: Cornelia wrote, "... marriage between William Allen and Sarah Jane Moffitt circa 1861. we know that they had two children, Harriett Helen b. 1862 and Flora b. 1863. Sarah is said to have d. 18 Aug 1866. William is assumed to have d. in the Civil War. we know absolutely nothing about William and would love to find anything on him to seperate him from all the other William Allen's in Iowa." Cornelia, although I don't have access to any marriage records for Black Hawk county, I thought I'd take a look at these families in some other resources. I don't see a Sarah MOF*T or a William ALL*N in Black Hawk county in the 1860 census index. Is there some documentation or tradition that leads you to believe they might have been married in Black Hawk county? What is your reason for believing that this particular William ALLEN served and may have died in the Civil War? I see 9-year-old Hattie ALLEN with her MOFFITT grandparents (Wm. and Martha) and uncles Frederick and Frank in Black Hawk county in the 1870 census. In 1860, the MOFFITTs (Wm C, Martha, William C. Jr., Frederick, Frank) were in Ripley, Butler County, Iowa; no Sarah is listed in this household. If you haven't already located Sarah J. MOFFITT in the 1860 census, you might entertain the possibility that she was married prior to the 1860 census enumeration, and perhaps in Butler county rather than Black Hawk county. In 1850, Martha, Sarah J., William C. (Jr.) and Frederick E. are enumerated in Hinsdale, Berkshire, MA, and 11-year-old Sarah's birthplace is given as MA. Unless you have other reason to eliminate the possibility, consider the chance that Sarah and William might have married in MA (or somewhere between MA and IA) prior to 1860, then migrated to Iowa with/after Sarah's parents prior to Harriett Helen's birth circa 1861.