> Please share with us your ancestors from Macoupin County, IL. Also, let us > know what state or country you live in. The families I'm researching have their roots in Macoupin County Il. As you will see, my roots in Macoupin County run very deep. All but one of the following families settled and stayed in Macoupin county. Thomas Wade Shipley came to Macoupin county IL around 1840-50 and settled in North Otter Township with is wife, Phoeba Lewis (Davis?). Unknown (possibly William) Crump (daughter is Sarah Elizabeth {Crump} Shipley) was in Macoupin County by 1870. Settled in North Otter Township. James Madison Patterson, Sr came to Macoupin county IL around 1830-40 and settled in Macoupin county with his wife Nancy Sparks. (My Great-Great Grandfather/mother) James Marshall came through Macoupin county around 1850 and lived in Macoupin County for 12 to 15 years in North Palmyra township with his wife (Artimesia?) Artimacy before moving on and ending up in Bates county Missouri. (The Marshalls had strong ties to Macoupin county. Their other children came back and lived in Macoupin county for a time around 1880 and married in Macoupin county before returning to southwestern Missouri.) Stephen Barnes (S.B.) Strate came to Macoupin county IL, moved to Iowa with his wife Margaret Susanna Davis where she died. S.B. married Clara Aurelia Knowlton and then moved back to Macoupin county where they stayed. Thomas Turner Bivin came to Macoupin County around 1835 with his wife Martha Collins where he purchased approx. 200 acres of land in North Palmyra Township. Charles (Carl) Best came from Hesse. Germany around 1850 with his parents and settled in Madison County, IL. Charles and his second wife Wilhelmine (Minnie) Meyer moved to Macoupin county after 1860 and settled in South Palmyra Township. John Albert Pratt came from England with his wife Caroline Tatman in 1856 and settled in Green County IL. They settled in South Palmyra Township. -- Aaron Shipley Carlinville, IL Amateur Genealogist Actively researching surnames:SHIPLEY/PATTERSON/BEST/MARSHALL Also researching surnames:PRATT/CRUMP/STRATE/BIVIN ------------------------------------------------------------ Thesaurus: ancient reptile with an excellent vocabulary. ------------------------------------------------------------