In a message dated 3/21/00 11:54:13 PM Eastern Standard Time, johnway@abts.net writes: << But it complicates the issue further. It looks like the same couple, but they show different children from those on the census. The 1850 census for Randolph Co., MO - specifically page 274. On the page is listed the family of "A.W. Burton" wife Martha ( age 32) and their children William (12), Martha (10), Frances (8), May (6 and a male), John (3) and Burilla (1 month). Maybe Carole can help us out. Carole, I tried to send you an email to ask if I could post your references, but apparently I had an old email address as it bounced back. >> Okay here goes. Page 304 of the book "Old Families of Randolph County, Missouri" states that Martha Fort, daughter of William Fort and Martha Frances Sugg Gorham, married Ambrose Burton. I found their marriage date of Sept 22, 1836 in the book "Missouri Marriages Before 1840" by Susan Ormesher. Also this same date was on a FTM Missouri Marriage Index CD that I own. The birth date for Ambrose Waller Burton that I have is Feb 1, 1812 and that for Martha Emily Fort is Nov 8, 1818 TN. I got both dates from my cousin Nelle Craig. Unfortunately Nelle passed on last year and I can no longer ask her what her sources were. The names and age of the children were all taken from a copy of a 1850 census page that I got from the Missouri Archives. Also I found the same children listed for the couple on a homepage at the Family Tree Maker website. I have no dates of death on either Ambrose or Martha. I have a new Burton contact that I could email to see if he has any further info on this family. I'll post whatever I find out. To date I havent found any member of this family in the 1860 census (which I am currently transcribing) except for Frances Burton. She appears in the household of William Fort (her grandfather) in Salt Spring Twp on handwritten page number 931. All for now. Carole