Posted on: Johnston Co. NC Queries Forum Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NC/Johnston/12201 Surname: RAINS, RAINES ------------------------- My gggrandfather JOHN RAINS was born about 1808 in NC. Family history is that JOHN's father or grandfather came from England and was to work for a man eight years to repay the cost of his ship passage -- I do not know the name of his father or grandfather. JOHN married ERRIKA and/or UNITY, b. abt 1810-1811 (his wife is listed as ERRIKA on 1850 census and as UNITY on 1860 and 1870 census records, with same year of birth). Sometime around 1839-1840, JOHN and his family were in Alabama, and in Mississippi by 1850. Living next to them in Itawamba County, MS., was the JOHN H. KENT family from NC. One RAINS daughter, PATSY (MARTHA)b. abt 1833 NC, married February 6, 1853, to JESSEE RAPER b. abt 1835 NC. Other RAINS children were: CYNTHIA (SENTHA)b. abt 1837 NC; OPALINE b. abt 1839 AL; OLIVER b. April, 1840, AL -- married September 17, 1865, to MARY CHILDERS BOREN; EDNA b. abt 1842 MS -- married December 5, 1861, to JOHN KENT b. abt. 1838; RANSOM H. b. abt 1845 MS; NANCY J. b. abt 1848 MS; NELLA (NELLIE) b. abt 1852 MS -- married November 15, 1874, to T.S. KENT The names OLIVER, RANSOM, PATSY, JOHN, and HENRY may be family names. OLIVER later named his sons JOHN HENRY CLIFFORD, JAMES H. C., JACE H. C., J. H. COLUMBUS, and GEORGE HUMPHREY (don't know if they ran out of "J" names or meant to spell "GEORGE" with a "J"). The names MONROE and MANSON were used by JOHN HENRY for his sons and supposedly they were also family names -- not sure which side. If any of this matches or connects with someone's line, please let me know.