Betty, I don't know if any of this will help you are not. I don't know that much about the Lavenders but have a connecting David M. Lavender who married Mary Jane Noblett, 24 February 1847 in McDowell Co., NC. She was the daughter of Joseph and Priscilla Vaughn Noblett. Nonetheless, I have wondered if David M. Lavender was a brother to Thomas Lavender, who you are searching for info on. On the 1850 McDowell Co., NC census, page 257, household/family 38 is your Thomas Lavender family: 38/38 Thomas Lavender 39 M Farmer born NC can't read/write Sarah Lavender 22 F NC can't read/write David A. Lavender 5 M NC Eliza A. Lavender 3 F NC He lives one household away from one of my ancestors, Isaac A. Reel (#36) and his wife Elizabeth Allen Reel; next is James Green (#37) and his wife Narcissa; and (#39) Joseph Brown and his wife Mahala. From others living in that area it appears to be what is Montford Cove area. I have marriage bond date for Thomas Lavender and Sarah L. Baxter as 11 May 1845 in McDowell Co., NC, bondsman Jiles Harris. Married by John Ross, J. P. On page 283 B, household/family 411: Sarah Lavender 65 F born NC William Lavender 44 M Farmer NC can't read/write I have wondered if she is the widowed mother of Thomas and David M. Lavender. She lives next to these families: (#408) William Noblett and 2nd wife Elizabeth Goodson Noblett, (# 409) Martin (son of William) and Sarah ? Noblett; (#410) William B. Noblett (Dr.)(son of William) and his wife Adaline Ballew Noblett; (#412) Nancy Noblett and Sarah Noblett (unmarried sisters of William); (#413) Elizabeth Baxter age 45, who may be the widowed mother of Sarah Baxter Lavender, wife of Thomas. On page 284, household/family 420: David M. Lavender 30 M Farmer born S. Car Mary J. Lavender 17 F NC William A. Lavender 2 M NC Sarah P. Lavender 1 F NC He lives near these families: (#416) John Ross, Esq. and his wife Elizabeth Gilliam Ross - he is the J. P. who married Thomas Lavender and Sarah Baxter; (#417) Josiah Mann and wife Catherine; (#418) Noah and Sarah Gilliam Souther - Noah the son of (#418) Jesse and Jane Combs Souther (My ancestors), and (#421) William and Margaret Adaline Noblett (my ancestors). This group of families were living in the area of Crooked Creek/Sugar Hill. Most of the families living as the neighbors of the Lavenders and Baxter family were in Burke Co., NC prior to that area being taken to make McDowell Co., in 1842. I am not sure if the Lavenders are also on the earlier Burke Co., NC census or not. That David M. Lavender is listed as born in South Carolina, while the others are listed as NC sort of throws me but perhaps the family moved down the mountain for a while and then back into NC, or the census taker made a clerical mistake. I am very interested in the way all these families inter-relate and often intermarry over subsequent generations, so I collect data on most of these families. Hope this is useful to you in your research. Charmaine