I have some questions about the children listed with John L. LINK in the 1900 census of Morgan County. To give better context, I am going to list first all the census records that I have for John. You may want to skip to the "****" line, and then refer back if necessary. 1850 census of Morgan Co., Ky, lists as family #272: Simon Link, 42; Mary, 39; James, 17; John, 14; Lucretia, 12; Lucinda, 10; Thomas, 7; Robert, 5; Mahala, 2. Simon born Pennsylvania, all others born in Kentucky. (The next household is that of Samuel PETTIT and his second wife Rebecca Jane FOSTER.) 1860 census of Morgan Co., Ky records as family #70: John Lynk, 24; Rodah A., 29; Mary C., 4; James B., 3; Casea W., 1. All born in Ky. 1870 census of Rowan Co., KY, Pearce prec., dated 15 June, lists on p. 123, family #10: Link, John, 37, farmer; Rhoda, 38; James, 12; Cassandra, 10; Robert, 9; Nancy, 8; Simeon, 5. Also listed with the family is Andrew Brown, 26, farm laborer. All born in Kentucky. [John is not in the 1880 census of Rowan Co. He had probably returned to Morgan Co. already, but I don't have that census.] 1900 Soundex index lists in Morgan Co., Pleasant Run, E.D. 76, p. 4, line 10: John L. Link, 64, July 1835; wife Nancy, 17, Sept 1882; son David H., 12, July 1887; boarder Preston Petitt, 26, Nov 1873. All born in Kentucky. [Morgan Co. marriage records John L. Link m. Jane Alfrey 21 Aug 1895] 1910 Soundex index lists in Morgan Co., index as 062 0152 0109: John L. Link, 74; wife Nancy J., 25; son David H., 22; dau-in-law Martha J., 15. All born in Kentucky. (Note that the age for Nancy Jane is two years younger than that implied by the 1900 census. The 1882 birthdate is more believable, since she married in 1895. 13 is very young to be marrying a 59-year-old man, but it's better than 11.) ****** OK, that's the context, here are the questions about the 1900 listing: (1) Who were the parents of the boarder Preston PETITT? Where did he come from and where did he go? I have not found him in any other census years. John Link had at least one out-of-wedlock son, John Tom PETTIT born 4 Apr 1869 in Morgan Co., whose mother was John Link's unmarried neighbor, Lizzie PETTIT d/o Samuel PETTIT & Nancy SHARP. My GG Grandfather is Lizzie's older brother Preston PETTIT born 1837. I am wondering if Preston Petitt born Nov 1873 might be another illegitimate son of John Link and Lizzie Pettit, named after Lizzie's brother. But he might simply be an unrelated boarder. What might help resolve this is finding the younger Preston in the 1880 census, where he should be listed as about age 6 or 7. But I can't find him anywhere in 1880 (not even in the statewide Soundex) nor in 1910 nor the Kentucky Death Records. What happened to him? Did he perhaps go by another name? (2) Who was the mother of John LINK's son David H. LINK born July 1887? He seems too young to be a son of John's first wife Rhoda SEXTON, who would have been at least 55 in 1887, if she was still alive. (I don't know when she died.) But I don't know who John Link was married to in 1887, if anybody. Did he have another wife between Rhoda SEXTON and Nancy Jane ALFREY? David Hopkins Pettit b. 1905, son of John Link's son John Tom Pettit, may have been named after this David H. Link, who would be his half uncle. I am hoping that there may be some descendants of John LINK on this mailing list who can add to this picture. Teri Pettit || home: 1048 Almanor Ave. Adobe Systems Inc. || Menlo Park, CA 94025 San Jose, CA 95110-2704 || (650) 326-2363 (408) 536-3086 || email: [email protected] KYGenWeb County Coordinator for Rowan Co. Kentucky: http://www.best.com/~tpettit/rowan/rowan.html (research resources) http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ky/Rowan (queries)