This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Yg.2ADE/461.458.495.496.1.1.1.1 Message Board Post: Let me jump into this conversation. Bob and myself have referred to the cemetery readings done by the local genealogical society. The members walked the cemeteries in 1977 so you have physically seen what they have seen at the the cemetery. In cases where there were sexton records to compare with any information not included on the stones but in the records it was included in parenthesis. We have also looked at the extracted 1850 & 1860 census records, also compiled by the genealogical society. You may want to look at the actual microfilmed record, though I doubt much more could be found there. The Carroll County death records are not recorded any further back than 1877, so there is no death certificate available. There are some early newspapers from that time available for Mt. Carroll from the Illinois State HIstorical Libarary in Springfield, that you can get through interlibrary loan. (Your librarian will know how to do that)However, Thomson papers do not go back beyond 1955. There may be something in the Mt. Carroll ones, as it the county seat. According to the Illinois Land Sales on the Illinois Secretary of State's webpage, a Ralph Southworth purchased 39.5 acres at 2.50 per acre in 1853 in Section 16, York Township. That is all the information regarding Carroll COunty Southworths that I have been able to locate. I hope that this information is of some assistance to you. Cathy Brunner Mt. Carroll, Carroll County, IL