Hi List I should have said that John Coates was born c 1804 in Swaledale in Yorkshire, England. He seems to have disappeared from the scene in the 1870's [probably late rather than early 1870's] because the Isabella Coates mentioned is a widow in the 1880 census. Looking at your Archives I have seen some emails about the Broderick Diary WALLER reference, about November 2002. The entry is dated January 1877 and refers to events 6 months before, as well as the current date. In it is mentioned .....John Coates [Blacksmith]..... The Coates family had married into the Waller family. John's son Thomas married Mary Hunt Waller in July 1869 in Grinton, North Riding Yorkshire. They had one child Sarah Jane born at Feetham, which is in Swaledale. The rest seem to have been born in Iowa. Mary died in 1813 in Rockdale and is buried in the cemetery there. These are the names I have for the children: Descendants of Thomas Coates 1 Thomas Coates b: 1844 in Melbecks .. +Mary Hunt Waller b: 1846 in Melbecks m: July 03, 1869 in Grinton, Swaledale d: April 06, 1913 in Dubuque, Iowa ...... 2 Sarah Jane Coates b: March 11, 1870 in Feetham, Swaledale ...... 2 John William Coates b: 1871 d: 1872 ...... 2 Anne Coates b: December 16, 1876 ...... 2 Thomas Waller Coates b: February 28, 1878 ...... 2 John William Coates b: February 22, 1881 ...... 2 Elizabeth Coates b: July 1883 ...... 2 Simon H Coates b: March 09, 1886 d: 1894 Thanking you for your time and patience, Best wishes Malise McGuire