..and if you were to look into county and circuit court records, you may find the request for aid by the caretakers for paupers giving the reason for their condition. Not all records still exist for each county or state but many requests were in letter to the court for aid. Other times it's just in a register listing the name and amount paid. The lingo for the records may vary or grouped with other court records i.e. bonds or application bonds/letters, free papers etc. Sometimes it takes a bit of digging but they are great to read and helpful in answering the questions and relationships of those involved. :) LaDonna -------------------------------- LaDonna Garner, CGSM www.LeafSeeker.com Certified GenealogistSM and CGSM are service marks of the Board for Certification of GenealogistsR and used here under license.