Over the last couple of months the question of which Martha SCOTT was the true d/o Jacob SCOTT and Delilah MOSS has been a real hot potato subject. There have been two hard and fast camps. One saying that she married Temple Calhoun SMITH and the other, with me as the ring leader, has been equally as stubborn that she married Jonathan L. (probably Lafayette) POYNER. Well, this last two weeks have brought PROOF of which camp was right. Three things have came into my possession that prove, or at least should prove without a shadow of a doubt who is right. I'll give them in importance order. Starting with the least important. Alva James sent me a xerox of a photo of Jacob SCOTT. The minute I saw it I recognized it as one I'd seen in my Grandmother POYNER'S house. Without telling others in the family who it was I quizzed them if they recognized the photo. All said it was familiar and thought it was at Grandma Lena Poyner's they had seen it. But no one could positively say that it was so. I've got one aunt left to show it to and if anyone had it, it would be her. So this is a good sign, but merely circumstantial evidence. After all my family wouldn't have a copy of a photo of him if he wasn't related right? If any of you have a really good copy of the photo of Jacob SCOTT I would love to have one, the one I have is pretty grainy from all the generations of xeroxing. I'm asking just in case Aunty Faye doesn't have an original. The second came when I dug up the pension record for John L. POYNER from the Union Army. One of the witnesses to the fact that he had been of good health when he went into the military and came out seriously disabled was Jacob SCOTT of Umatilla Co., OR--Martha's father. In his sworn affidavit he said that he had known John, who had also worked for him for 8 months prior to his enlistment (the amount of time he and Martha had been married btw), and that when he was discharged from the military that John had came directly to his home. He also stated he had seen John POYNER daily until 1866(when Jacob migrated to OR) and had continued contact with him. One of the witnesses to Jacob SCOTT's signature was John SCOTT, most likely Martha's brother. This was better proof, why would Jacob SCOTT witness for someone like that if they were not family? This is the better scenario. A side note here, Jacob SCOTT said in his affidavit that John L. POYNER had never been married to anyone other than Martha SCOTT. Interesting since all POYNER researchers know of a marriage between John POYNER and Sally JARVIS, which we have all taken to be a first marriage for John, who was 29 when he married Martha SCOTT. Did Jacob lie to protect Martha's pension, or are there two separate John POYNERS? The third and best came today when I met my cousin and his daughter at the genealogy library. They gave me two things. The first being an official record on the marriage of Jacob SCOTT and Delilah MOSS. A tiny scrap of paper, that is a copy of the official record. The third was the absolute most important piece in all this puzzle. Kathy, the daughter, is younger than me and full of hope when it comes to genealogy research. Years ago I had sent for Martha SCOTT's death record from the state of AR and all I ever got back was my canceled check. Not even a note saying they couldn't find the record. Kathy decided to try it again. It was a $10 lottery ticket. In yesterday's mail Kathy received an official document from the state of AR. File #1450, Death Certificate for Martha POYNER who was born April 1, 1848 in IN and died of stomach trouble, flu and pneumonia on Jan 12, 1929 in Jasper, Newton Co., AR. She was a white female, the widow of John Poyner and the daughter of Jacob SCOTT and Delilah MOSS both are listed as born in IN. The person giving the information was her sil Roy WOODRUFF, h/o Martha POYNER WOODRUFF. So it's official the Martha SCOTT that married John POYNER is the d/o Jacob and Delilah SCOTT. I know for all you SMITH researchers this is rough. I myself have chased the wrong surname on one of my female ancestors before and it was very frustrating when I found out the name I was chasing was a previously married name not her maiden name. As to where you go from here to find the right parents for your Martha I have a suggestion for you. In my searching to solve this mystery I read a transcript of Martha SMITH's obit that said she was born in Tera Haute, Vigo Co., IN. Her death record said she was the d/o of a John SCOTT b. in PA. While researching our Martha and John I spent a lot of time looking at the series of books by Gregory Boyd. "The Family Maps of-----County,----State" (fill in the blanks). published by Arphax Publishing Co. www.arphax.com ( A truly great series of books) After working seriously on the Putnam County, IN book and finding our family right and left I decided to check the Vigo County, IN book . In the index on page 103 (map group 7 I believe it was) it shows a multipatent held by John BRITTON and John SCOTT. They held sections 10, 12, 13, 14 of twnship 12 N range 8 W sections ne, nese, sese, ne 3 1/2 ne, 3 1/2 sw and w 1/2sw. that were issued on March 20, 1837. There were several SMITH families throughout Vigo Co. I believe this is probably your ancestor. I recently found death certificates and wills in the land records of another branch of my family. I recommend you start there. Also look at the families surrounding John SCOTT and even look hard at John BRITTON, you might get a clue to a family that her mother came from. An example of this is my John POYNER was the s/o of Benjamin POYNER. On the Putnam County Land Patent Map I found Benjamin POYNER living next door to Ransom MOSS and Lyman LOVE, who married Ransom and Delilah's sister. Less than 10 miles away was Jacob SCOTT and Delilah MOSS SCOTT. Several SCOTT's, WRIGHTS, and other family members surround Benjamin POYNER as well. All family members to Martha SCOTT. So if you can prove this John SCOTT is your John SCOTT then it's possible the inlaws are nearby. On a different note I have seen some family trees on the net that say that Temple Calhoun Smith's Martha was Martha MANSFIELD, not Martha SCOTT at all. So you have your work cut out for you. I'm sorry I can't help you further in your search. I hope this little bit helps. Jan who is celebrating the mystery is solved in OK