Hi Daphne, Bother? No way. Glad to hear from you, and your question is one of obvious validity. I cannot answer with 100% truth, because I don't know it, but I think that most often, when we see people with surnames other than that of the "main" family at a residence, they are usually either hired help or relatives. In the case of Ellen and Willie Lard listed in the Crabb household, I would lean toward the "relative" explanation. There is no occupation listed for Ellen (who is 21 in the census). Doesn't mean she wasn't a hired housekeeper, but the census taker who wrote the information seemed to be pretty consistent about describing someone as a "laborer" or as being involved in "farming" in other households, and in this one. Joseph Edwards, for instance, had his occupation described as "farming" in the Crabb household. Willie Lard, a 13-year-old male, has a check by his name in the "Attended School within the year" column. I think Ellen and Willie were probably an orphaned niece and nephew, or children "taken in" when a neighbor or friend Lard died. > Russell; > Sorry to bother you but, I'm "listening in" again, 'cause that's the > area where my LAIRD/GARRISON couple were some time before 02 Oct 1830, > when William GARRISON was born. Were the LARDs in the CRABB household > hired help or perhaps slaves? Is that information that was recorded in > those days? Daphne