Hello, Someone has gotten me thinking about my grandmother's story this morning. I've told it many times. But, one piece of information has always been more of a mystery. On her marriage certificate she stated that her birth-father was William CLARK. This was Christmas Eve, 1911 in Malden. No one in my current family knows who this William CLARK was, and we didn't know that she had any information at all about her birth-parents. * But, I just checked census records. During the 1920's, my grandparents were living in both Somerville and Medford, and they were still having children. (They had 9 children, but 3 died as babies during the 1920's.) And, in 1920 there was a William CLARK, 72, living in Somerville with his wife, Edith: CLARK, WILLIAM H (1920 U.S. Census) MASSACHUSETTS , MIDDLESEX, 3-WD SOMERVILLE Age: 72, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: CT Series: T625 Roll: 718 Page: 84 He seems to have been born ~1848 in CT, and my grandmother would have been conceived in 1888, possibly in CT. As I've mentioned before, her adoptive mother's father was James CLARK, who is one of my "concrete-block walls." He was born ~1790-1800 "somewhere." He arrived in RI ~1827 and married in nearby MA in 1829. He fathered a daughter in 1836, and then "disappeared" in 1844. His daughter, Mary Anna CLARK, somehow met John DEXTER of Killingly, CT. Some have suggested that there were CLARK families in and around Killingly at the time, and perhaps Mary had visited her father's relatives ~1850. For this morning, I'm just wondering if anyone has researched this Willuiam CLARK. Or, does anyone know a different William CLARK who would have known the DEXTER and YOUNG families in Killingly, CT, during the 1880's? Enjoy "autum in New England" this weekend ! If only by on-line photos ! Betty (near Lowell, MA) * While in her adoptive-parents' home from ~1890 to 1899, she overheard information which told her that they knew, and other people knew, who her birth-parents were. To my knowledge, they never told her who they were. (And, she knew their only grandchild, Earle YOUNG, of CT who visited their home many times. But, his mother went to her dying day proclaiming that she didn't even known her parents had adopted a little girl. My grandmother was ~7 years younger than Earle.) My grandmother: Birth-name Daisy WATROUS - for unknown reasons, Feb. 1889. Adoptive-name Mary Anna Clark DEXTER in Mar. 1892, after the adoptive-mother's maiden name In 1899 she went to an orphanage in Boston and might have been known there as Mary CLARK, instead. ~1903 she went to live in "The Temporary" Home in Boston (not too far from the orphanage) ~1909 she went to live with her girlfriend's family in Medford. There she met "the boy next door." On Christmas Eve, 1911, they walked to Malden to ask a Minister to marry them. Mrs. Mary DEXTER d1899 in Melrose, and Mr. John DEXTER d1905 at the Tewksbury State Hospital. We believe he kept in touch with his adoptive daughter. But, it seems he was estranged from his birth-daughter in CT. She did not come up to visit him, and she didn't arrange for his burial in MA. Remember to check the archives of all the Lists and Boards for your surnames and place-names. And, please remember to check the on-line auctions for for your surnames and place-names.