PEG: Thank loads for the additional ALLEN info. I think it may prove more valuable than first realized. I noticed the counties that the ALLENs were in prior to entry into Illinois and am thinking there may have been contact with the GIBSON line originally in one of these counties. The Allens and Gibsons had more contact than just a couple of marriages in Hamilton County,Illinois. I have indicated this in some notes near bottom of this message. Perhaps the ALLENs and GIBSONs migrated together from same area of TN. I have not been able to locate ROBERT and SARAH GIBSON in TN yet...and Robert and Sarah sure had enough children between 1813 and at least 1827 to have left enough footprints around somewhere in TN before heading for Hamilton Co, ILLinois around the 1830s. I am curious about one of the individuals you listed: ZACHARIAH Y. ALLEN , b. 12 Oct 1795 in VA; d. 1 Aug 1844; Hamilton Co., IL.; m. 24 Jul 1819; Maury Co., TN. Buried Gholson Cemetery, Hamilton Co., IL. + FRANCIS SNOW BLANCHARD, b. 29 Jul 1798; NC or TN; d. 27 Jan 1872;Hamilton Co., IL;Buried Gholson Cemetery, Hamilton Co., IL. Any idea when ZACHARIAH Y. ALLEN actually got to Hamilton Co,Illinois? I see he married in Maury Co.,TN in 1819. Have you run into any land records showing him in Hamilton Co, Illinois? or anything else that might place when he got to Hamilton Co.? I see that one of Zachariah's nieces, CATHERINE ALLEN ( daughter of 5. JAMES H. ALLEN, b. 16 Jul 1791; Scott Co., KY; d. 1859; Giles Co., TN. + ELIZABETH REYNOLDS, b. 12 Feb 1792) was born in TN in 1817 and married in Hamilton Co,IL in 1837. I am guessing that she migrated with other Allen family members to Illinois at the same time...I see that her brother viii. ZACHARIAH ALLEN (+ ELIZABETH R. ALLEN, m. 3 Oct 1847: Hamilton Co., IL.)also moved to Hamilton Co.,Illinois ii. CATHERINE ALLEN, b. 1817; TN. + 1st husband: THOMAS HART BENTON ALLEN , m. 26 Oct 1837; Hamilton Co., IL; I am guessing that CATHERINE AND ZACHARIAH ALLEN migrated to Hamilton Co, Illinois with their Uncle ZACHARIAH Y. ALLEN and his family. If this is correct it would place them in Hamilton Co.,Illinois somewhere between 1817 and 1837; I am guessing around 1836. This is roughly the time ROBERT GIBSON and Sarah show up in Hamilton Co,Illinois. Robert filed a land grant claim in Shawneetown in 1838 showing his residence as Hamilton Co,Illinois. All this to say, I am hoping by checking in Maury Co, TN, that I might find my elusive Gibson/Gipson bunch there before they head for Illinois. Now, a couple of other interesting notes: I have some copies of probate records (thanks to Shirls !!) of some of my GIBSON clan. In a few of these are mentioned various ALLENs in one way or another. In the Sale Bill for the Estate of ROBERT GIBSON 24 Feb 1852 is mentioned DUDLEY R. ALLEN. And I have a couple of other documents that indicate that JAMES W. ALLEN was administrator of the estate of AMOS GIBSON 20 Dec 1880(this was Petition for Letters of Administration... signed by JAMES W. ALLEN ). There seems to be confusion about this since another document says JOHN W. ALLEN 27 April 1882(this was not signed by him). There is a WILLIAM G. ALLEN listed on the probate list of Notes and Accounts of JOHN GIBSON 21 Oct 1872. Also, a L or J(ames) ALLEN appears on the Sale Bill for the Estate of WILLIAM B HAMPTON 26 Feb 1864. WILLIAM B HAMPTON was the spouse of widow NANCY A. HAMILTON who married widower JAMES W. GIBSON (my gg grandfather and son of ROBERT and SARAH GIBSON). I would be happy to make copies of these documents and e to you. Let me know if you would like copies. I have sent copies of some of these and other GIBSON documents to JAMES GHOLSON so he can put up on his BROUGHTON web site which has a lot of Hamilton Co, Illinois, info on it....he has already put up some GIBSON documents and more to come. You might want to check it out to see if any names are there you might be looking for. His url is http://www.spiff.net/~gholson/broughton.htm . The GIBSON documents are under the Wills and Probate Sales directory/link on his site.Also a copy of my GIBSON tree to date (a work in progress) under the Research Family link. Jim has a lot of other interesting stuff there also. I decided to put my GIBSON documents there since my great grandfather, JOHN LOGAN GIBSON, was born and reared in Broughton. The documents will appear over a period of time as he can get them up on his site. So my question doesn't get lost in the info, let me ask it again. Any idea when ZACHARIAH Y. ALLEN actually got to Hamilton Co,Illinois ? Thanks, Barb in Savannah,GA