Hi I’m new to the list and am looking to contact any living relatives of my English BATES ancestors and their USA REICHERTER/ RICHETER descendants. My 3 x great grandfather was Charles Bates. He was born at Oldbury, near Mancetter, in Warwickshire, England in 1821, the second son of Peter Bates and Ann (nee Stretton). In 1855 Charles married Caroline Neal. In 1856, Isaac (my 2 x great grandfather) was born. Charles left his wife and son in England and sailed to USA in 1857 (with his nephew also called Charles who married Anne Bradshaw an ancestor of Dale Gramse). Some more brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces also came to Kansas over the next few years. My Charles is listed on the US census 1860 living with his brother Isaac and family in Grasshopper Falls, Jefferson County, Kansas. On 3rd April 1866 Charles married a widow named Mary Ann Goddard (maiden name Mackley) in Jefferson County. Charles fought in the American Civil War in the 11th Kansas Cavalry Volunteers. On the 1870 census Charles and Mary Ann were in Oskaloosa, Jefferson County with their daughter May or Mary May. Charles died in 1876 at Boyle Station, Jefferson County were he had been the post master. Mary Ann died age 100 in Los Angeles, California where she had lived with various children from her first marriage. Charles and Mary’s daughter, Mary May Bates, married a man called Julius Reicherter (or Richeter) in 1884. I have found the couple and their 3 children on various US census returns from 1900 – 1930. On the 1930 census, Julius age 70 is living with his married daughter and her family in Cedar Township Kansas. I would very much like to trace any living descendants of this American side of the family. I have tried to contact Dale Gramse (I was in contact with him some years ago) through the Jefferson county website but have had no response, I hope he is well. My husband Tony and I are coming to USA Easter 2007 and will be in Jefferson County between 6th – 8th April. We would like to visit the various cemeteries where my Bates ancestors are buried and perhaps look at the places where they lived. I would like to do some research at the library in Topeka and hope to get some information about my Charles being a postmaster at Boyle Station. We also would like a recommendation for a hotel or B& B perhaps around Nortonville. Any other suggestions of places we might like to visit would be very welcome. Many thanks for any ideas help and suggestions Pat Boucher ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- FIGHT BACK AGAINST SPAM! Download Spam Inspector, the Award Winning Anti-Spam Filter http://mail.giantcompany.com