Catherine, I found that "my" William "Billy" Bird who was married to Mary Hudson/Hutson, daughter of Frederick Hudson and Lucy Greer, was granted guardianship of his own children in 1848in Noxubee county, MS.: Frederick Hudson Bird, William W. Bird, John W. Bird, Mary L.Bird, and Elizabeth P. [Mary Hudson's brother was John Hudson, son of Frederick Hudson and Lucy Greer, who was married to Elizabeth Beasley, my line.] It was the son, William W. Bird who married Martha Means, who was shown listed in the houseshold in the 1850 census as being 14 years old, b. in Alabama, with William shown as 19 years of age. Thru another, I find that Frederick Hudson Bird and his wife, Lousiana, and children, moved on into LA., even have names of his children...but no further info. The elder William Bird married as his second wife, Mary Reynolds...........unless there was ANOTHER William Bird with a wife named Mary (and the more I think about it, I believe it was another William Bird due to the marriage date, as it seems to be too close to the date of court actions for the deseased Mr. Reynolds).......in the 1850 census the wife of Billy Bird is listed as Mary, age 30, b. Ala., and one "might assume" that Martha Means has a relationship to her?? I will look thru my notes and stuff for YOUR family names. Henry O. Beasley was brother to "my" Elizabeth Beasley Hudson. He acted on her behalf in many court documents. One of their sister's, Mary W. Beasley Lumpkin, married as her second husband S.C. McNees. Worked your bible records into a nice page, will have it posted soon. Am posting this to the mail list also, as it will help keep those names "upfront" and in the archives, as well. ear