In my last KYDAVIES-L digiest, "Beth J" <bjones@npoint.net> wrote looking for Brown-Abel who were married in Ohio County, but gone from there by 1870. When you mentioned the children might have been baptized Catholic, I decided to look in my St. Lawrence Baptismal Records: Daviess Co., KY, book by Anna Hamilton, and I found the following, which are in baptismal Book III: on page 12 of Hamilton's book: April 22, 1866, I baptized Susan Anne, born Dec. 15 (1865), daughter of Louis Brown and Mary Jane Able. Godmother Mary C. Mattingly. M.M. Coghlan (the priest who baptized her). on page 24 of Hamilton's book: Nov. 8, 1868, I baptized Eliza Jane, born July 17, daughter of J.L. Brown and Mary Jane Able (sic). Godmother Frances Bowlds. M.M. Coghlan. St. Lawrence is in Knottsville (eastern Daviess County). It's still standing, but no longer the primary church for the area. No other children were baptized there. There are also no NAPPER/NAPIER baptisms in books III and IV. Since the third BROWN child was born about 1871, I decided to look in the 1870 Census of Daviess County, by Robert McManaway, and found the BROWNs in the Whitesville district. Both of these families were in the same household, so you might assume these ABLEs to be related to Mary Jane, perhaps her brother or cousin: Microfilm page 118, dwelling #14: BROWN, Jas L (38) bartender & Mary J (24) Susan A (5); Eliza J. (2) ABLE, Lloyd (27) fh (farmhand) & Martha (32) Frances (14); Thos A (12); Benadict (8)--that is the way Benedict was spelled there Someone else will have to tell you which Catholic church they might have attended in Whitesville. But this isn't bad considering these are the only two Daviess County resources I have here. And now I need to be starting that term paper I'm procrastinating about. Finally graduating in May--25 years to the month since I graduated from high school! Yahoo!!! Rita Fox <rfox@mis.net>

Rita, Thanks so much! Loyd is Francis Lloyd Abell b. 1843 Marion Co KY, and brother to Mary Jane. I had not located him after 1850 census, and am very excited to locate this last missing sibling (of 9). The Abell children were scattered among relatives after the death of their mother, and tracking them down has been my mission for the past 18 months. Francis was the last nut to crack. Now, if I can find where and when he married Martha! Mary Jane's 2cnd husband, Felix Napper/Napier was a cook at Grayson Springs Inn in 1880. I am wondering if James Brown might have worked there also. Any ideas on what establishment James Brown may have worked for? Many thanks to all who have replied! Beth Abel Jones

In the post Rita sent, the Lloyd Abel age 27 listed is Francis Lloyd Abell b. 1843 Marion Co KY to John Henry ABELL and Dorothy BOWLES. His wife is listed as Martha age 32 ( b. ca 1838). Children listed are Frances, age 14, Thos A. age 12, and Benadict age 8. I found the following entry in the St Lawrence marriage records in the Daviess Co archives: May 31 1864 Francis S. Abell and Mrs Martha Hamilton Given this date(I am fairly certained the second initial was mistranscribed), the children must be from Martha's first marriage. Does anyone have info on Martha Hamilton's maiden name, and/or any children born to Francis and Martha? Beth Abel Jones