To all of you who responded to my question of the meaning of "consort", the general consensus is it meant the man's wife. I have assumed all these years that wife was the real meaning but had to be sure. And to those of you that said mistress, hey it adds spice to our imagination. During research of my husband's family, I've found that a man and a woman would decide to become a family and began the process prior to the benefit of marriage. Quite often a couple were together a number of years, had children together but had to wait until a circuit preacher could get by to actually marry them. ===== Edye Higgins Byhalia, MS ====== Friends are angels that lift us to our feet when our wings forget how to fly. Get up to $45 FREE postage with Stamps.com! Click here: Stamps.com http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=27893756&siteid=35532320&bfpage=stamps_com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/