Bob wrote: I have in my files that William Colling Rea was married twice. He is buried next to his second wife, Sarah at Cook Cemetery, Milton, Rutherford County, Tennessee, if this is correct then Winniford wasn't a widow. I also have that William has two children with Sarah, John and Hannah.   ---------------   I have seen this proposed family for William Collins Rea in number of places.  For example http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jrea&id=I0228   The names John and Hannah seem to come from the Warren Co TN deed of gift which I referenced before [and which is transcribed in the above link] Deed Book B, p 182 actually contains three interesting items:   9 Oct 1815. A deed of gift from William C Rhea to his son, John and youngest daughter Hannah. Includes livestock, furniture and crop grown by John on "my plantation". No land is mentioned. Wit: Danl Pane, Uriah York   11 Nov 1814. A survey of 10 acres for John Ray, assignee of Jno A Wilson, on Rocky River beginning at south boundary of Ray's 100 ac tract, south then west to a stake in Wm C Ray's tract, then north to boundary then to beginning. SC: Isham Ray & Jeremiah Combs.   9 Oct 1815. Moses Rea assigns his rights to 10 acres land in the above survey to "little" John Rea/Ray.   From the survey it appears that John Ray and Wm C Ray occupied property near to each other. The John Ray mentioned in the survey is Rev. John M. Rea/Rhea, who lived in Henry [later Patrick] Co VA. I believe he is the brother [or possibly uncle] of William Collins Rea.  "Little" John Rea is probably the son of Wm C Rea.  Reportedly [although I do not know the primary source] John Overturf and Jane Rea [d/o Wm C Rea] were married in Warren Co around this time.  Abner Rea [s/o Wm C Rea] is in the 1830 census of Warren Co [as Abner Rhea].  In any case I find it plausible that the William C Rea mentioned in these records is William Collins Rea.   On the other hand I find the records from Rutherford Co TN less compelling.  Many of the Hopewell Presbyterian Church records and history were published by the Rutherford Co Historical Society Vol 7 (1976) [Online: http://www.archive.org/]  In no place can I find a middle name or initial for the William Ray/Rea/Rhea associated with the Hopewell church or in census records of the time.  Moreover there are at least two William Rays mentioned in Rutherford Co records prior to the 1816 date which marks the formation of the church.  One early county history associates one of these two with the church and the first minister's wife [Jesse Alexander m. Eliza Rea 1820].  I think more reseach needs to be done to sort out these families, but at this time I'm not sure that William Collin(g)s Rea is the same William Ray/Rea/Rhea mentioned in these church records.   Roger