Hi Kathy, How lovely of you to look up all this information for me. I had gotten the Scottish records from LDS and even ordered a birth certificates from Scotland for my own Grandfather, Robert, and marriage certificates for his parents and grandparents. But I did not have all the events you sent from Will Co and Cook County. I was especially delighted to have the boarders in the Smith household census, for Robert is my own Grandfather and Andrew is his brother. Another brother is the John who married Janet Hamilton. Annie and Ellen are two of their sisters. So I very happy to have the marriage information. The John D. is not part of the family unit, and therefore I don't think the D in his name stands for DUNSMORE, although one of my Grandfather's brothers did have Dunsmore as his middle name. Andrew DUNSMORE, 2nd husband of Helen HERCULES, raised his 3 BRAIDWOOD step-children, James. Anne, and Janet from a very early age. James BRAIDWOOD (for whom the town is named) had no brother, only 2 sisters named Anne Hodgart BRAIDWOOD, who never married and Janet BRAIDWOOD who married a Robert REID in Scotland. She later immigrated to Troy, New York with 4 REID children. So I know these BRAIDWOODs in Cook county could not be "first" cousins to James, but it is likely they were some degree of cousin. Several BRAIDWOOD families have traditions that claim close kinship to my line in some way. I just wish I could figure out how. The three BRAIDWOODs below are not part of the immediate family of James and Helen RALSTON Braidwood: E BRAIDWOOD who married Eli J. Carpenter, John D. BRAIDWOOD who married Maria S. Goldsmith James G. BRAIDWOOD who married Minnie L. Snow However, I research with BRAIDWOODs of several lines and we are trying to sort out the various lineages to learn just how they may be related. So I thank you for all this new information. One other thing: the Andrew BRAIDWOOD who died in Cook County in 1930 was not the son of James BRAIDWOOD and Helen RALSTON. Their son, Andrew, migrated to Pittsburg, KS and lived there until 1950. I knew him, for he visited my family when I was a young child. I don't know which BRAIDWOOD family the Andrew you listed as dying in 1930 may belong to, but I'm working on it. I thank you for each and every tidbit you sent. I'm glad you liked my Mini-Bio of James on the Will Co Web Site http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilwill/1878bios/JamesBraidwood.htm I'm gathering more information and hope to someday publish a BRAIDWOOD family genealogy and history that will tie some BRAIDWOOD families together, who have long claimed kinship without actually documenting their relationship. That is what I am trying to do now, establish proofs and get all my records in shape to share with the Will-Grundy Genealogy Library, because that is where descendants will go searching in years to come. a few years ago, I gave portraits of James BRAIDWOOD and his wife Helen RALSTON to the Fossil Ridge Library in Braidwood, Will County, and plan to get another set copied for the genealogical society since they moved away from Braidwood. Again, I thank you for taking time to help me, Sincerely, Grandmother Robin > -----Original Message----- > From: kate zavada [mailto:zavada43@hotmail.com] > Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2003 12:59 PM > To: ILWILL-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: RE: [ILWILL] Braidwood surname > > > For Robin, > Have you gotten mormon microfilms and microfiche that have Scot records: > 1.-marriage of James to Helen HERCULES 12 Dec 1829 Abbey(Paisely)Renfrew > 2.-marriages of Helen HERCULES BRAIDWOOD to Andrew DUNSMORE 25 Oct 1836 > (Parish registers of Abbey,Paisely,Renfrew,film#1041090 marriages > 1819-1836,fiche # 0889472 > and > BIRTHS BRAIDWOOD,Father James, mother Helen RALSTON > film #6035516 births 1855-1875 Abbey,Paisely,Renfrew register > 1.-John 29 Mar 1856 > 2.-Helen 5 Feb 1858 > 3.-Andrew 8 Jun 1859 > 4.-Robert 21 Sep 1861 > 5.-Ann 18 Oct 1863 > And > marriage James to Helen RALSTON 10 Nov 1854 > Abbey,Paisely,Renfrew-marriages 1845-1855 film#1041091 > > 1880 census shows > BRAIDWOOD > Reed twp,will county > ELLEN,48,widow,b.scotland > Ann,daughter,18,b. Scot. > Peter,son,13,b.Il > Alexander,son,11,b.IL > Jennett,daughter,6,b.IL > and > Cook County,IL > both under Samuel SMITH(no relation claimed) > BRAIDWOOD > Andrew,boarder,21,b.Scot.,laborer > Robert,boarder,20,b.Scot.,laboer > 1880 cook,chicago,page 128D > > illinois state marriage index > BRAIDWOOD,Annie,will county,6 Dec 1883 to Peter HOWAT > " ,Ellen, " ,1 Jun 1876 to John R. MEADER > BRAIDWOOD,E(female),cook county,24 Jan 1877 Eli J. CARPENTER > " ,John D(?DUNSMORE),cook county,15 Oct 1873 Maria S. GOLDSMITH > " ,John,will county,3 May 1877 Jamet HAMILTON > " ,James G.,Carroll county,11 Oct 1886,Minnie L. SNOW > > illinois state death index > BRAIDWOOD,Andrew,died 20 May 1930 Cook County,Chicago > > Good Hunting,Liked your biography on will county site. Very nice. > Kathy >