Lynn, Kirk is not my line but have a little on KIRK. My great-grandfather's Henry BESS's sister Ruth Ann BESS married 1879 Fayette Co, IL Sebastian Jefferson KIRK. This is what I have collected in among my BESS files on Nicholas KIRK. I have NOT had time to prove them out since they are not my surname line.. Sebastian was a descendant of Nicholas KIRK. His parents were Joseph B. KIRK & Cynthia SEARS. His grandparents were Nicholas KIRK b.1788 d. 1 Aug 1845 Motgomery Co, IL married abt 1809 KY Elizabeth ?___ b. 2 January 1780 SC d. 12 January 1859 Montgomery Co, IL both buried OLD Hurricane/Wright Cemetery Children 1. Rebecca b. 25 Dec 1810 KY d. 8 April 1877 Montgomery Co, IL married 25 Oct 1838 Fayette Co,IL Joseph W. WRIGHT; 2. Robert b. 1812 KY d.23 May 1879 Fayette Co, IL buried Kirk Cemetery married __ Fayette Co, IL Elizabeth SCOTT; 3. James b. 4 July 1813 KY d. 3 April 1900 Montgomery Co, IL buried Whitten/Hurricane Cemetery married 20 July 1843 Fayette Co, IL # 1 Martha CASEY, married 5 Feb 1845 # 2 Margaret Howard RENFRO, married 21 January 1861 # 3 Fannie PRATER; 4. Benjamin b. 1814 KY d. 8 March 1862 Fayette Co, IL buried Pope/Kirk Cemetery married 10 July 1845 Fayette Co, IL Cynthia SEARS; 5. Elizabeth b. 1817 KY d. 14 January 1885 Fayette Co, IL married 3 Dec 1840 Fayette Co, IL Thomas A. WHITTEN; 6. Joseph B. b. 9 Sept 1818 KY d. 31 July 1887 Fayette Co, IL buried South HILL Cemetery Vandalia, IL married 10 April 1845 Fayette Co, IL Cynthia SEARS; 7. Mary Polly b. 1821 TN(probably should be KY I don't know) d. 16 May 1875 Montgomery Co, IL buried Green Hill Cemetery married 5 April Fayette Co, IL Henry CASEY; 8. Tabitha Jane b. 1825 KY d.? ?IL married 24 October 1843 Fayette Co, IL Green CASEY; Does this help any? My own direct ancestry line is in the HIMES line link of our homepage. I was raised west of Vandalia, IL and went to the old Browning one room school and Bethel Baptist Church. My paternal grandmother was Morna Evalene BESS daughter of Henry BESS & Sarah Elizabeth (ELMORE). http://members.truepath.com/beverly/index.html Beverly Jane (HIMES) BARGER in NM