My ggggrandfather is James Best, b. 1811 in Clark Co., IN(Jeffersonville). He was born to a Sarah Best/Bess, age 27....on a birth record book I found, somewhere in a library. Don't remember where? I wasn't documenting when I started researching. I have Sarah Best/Bess in an 1820 Fed.census, that she settled there at that time... she is on the census with a Edward Best, from KY, and a Samuel from England. I figured Edward was born in 1780-90, says he was settled in Clark County by 1814, Samuel was born it says in 1700, and that's impossible, cause if he was born in 1700, and this was an 1820 census, he would have been about 120yrs old; he said he settled in Dearborn Co., in 1819. So I did some figuring from this being a 1820 census, that he was probably was actually born in 1776, from England which would make him 24yrs old. Although, his age does follow thru on Samuel Best all thru the censuses. James then married Catherine Shannon(dau. of Samuel & Mary Ann Gilliland). They had Their children were Sarah Jane, Sarah Jane,Mary Ann, Martha, Ellen, Caroline, John, James. These names were given on Samuel Shannon's probate, as his daughter Catherine's children. In an 1850 census, James, age 38 is living with a Sarah Best, age 39 (figured she was b. 1811, also.The children listed were L.J. age 17, Anne15, M.E. 10, C.E. 8, James 7, and John 3. So I figured these were the same children, if you break them down. As: L.J. (unknown), Anne(Mary Anne), M.E. is (Martha E.), C.E. is Catherine E., James is James, and John is John. But Ellen and Sarah Jane are missing! Where are they? I figured out that L.J. age 17, born in 1833; Mary Ann age 15, b. 1835; Martha E. age 10 b. 1840; Catherine age 8 b. 1842, James age 7 b. 1843(that figures out right with my gggrandfather), and John age 3, b. 1847. But L. J. age 17 is missing in the probate of Samuel Shannon....... Getting to the point here, on this 1850 census, it lists his children, except two, and they are Ellen and Sarah Jane. On this 1850 census all these children are listed with initials. Mary Ann is shown married in 1853 to a Henry E. Coppen, and Sarah is married to an unknown Wood, unknown marriage date, also. Now unless I have the wrong 3rd marriage, James1 also married a Rebecca Landrom in Martin Co, IN around 1860. In this 1860 census it lists, Rebecca Best age 34, Eng.; Caroline, age 17, John 15, and Minnie age 1mo. In a another 1860 Indiana Census, James is listed at age 48, from OH, and Rebecca is age 34, from England..... Then in another 1860 Census they are listed again, and this time there is an Anna(Rodman) age 7 Female , then it says Del behind her name. This is the way it looks, James Best, age 48 Male, Ships Carpenter, from OH; Rebecca age 32/34 Female, from England; Caroline age 17, Female, from IN; John age 15, Male, from IN, Anna (Rodman)Female, from Del, and Minnie 1yr, then Martha is listed as age 15, from IN on a separate page, altogether away from her family.......why? Then in an 1870 Jackson Co.IN census, James is 59, b. 1811 OH; Rebecca is 43 b. 1827 Eng; Morton M. is 3, born IN; Pleasant B. is 11months, and Myro S. is 11 months(twins) both Females, born in IN. My question is, my ggggrandfather always said he had brothers by the name of Mort and Patrick. He never said much about Mort, but he said this Patrick went to Alabama, and he fought a bear, and physically he lost to the bear(bar), cause the bear tore all of his tendons, and ligaments, etc., and was left lame; but he was also able to kill the bear. It's been told there is a monument to this. Anyone familiar with a Pat Best, or this bear story? Anyone familiar with this James Best family?