Hello all, it appears we are doing a roll call and I wanted to re-list the basics of my search: My ggrandfather was James Robert Irvin/Ervin/Erwin b. 1-15-1851-53 supposedly in McDowell Co. NC. Little is known prior to him as his mother died soon after his birth, his father re-marrried about 1855 and then died in the Civil War. "J R" or Robert as he was known appears in the home of Mahala Irvin in the 1860 Census of McDowell or at least I guess that Robert is him. He never said much about his family except that he had two older brothers, James and John, and several younger half-sibblings from his father's second marriage. One younger half-sister visited him in Haywood County NC in 1883. On Robert's marriage license in 1874, he listed his parents as James Ervin and mother as Elizabeth, both deceased. He died in 1922 and is buried in Haywood County. I have uncovered many James Irvine/Irvin/Ervin/Erwins etc of that era and several who married an Elizabeth but I am unable to determine which James Irvin was his father. The surname has evolved the spelling of Erwin since about 1900. Please write if you may have a clue for me--Ed Erwin, Arden, NC.