I am looking for leads connected to ISHAM SIMMONS, his son THOMAS SIMMONS and Thomas's wife ZILPHA. It is likely, but not certain, that related families will be found in SURRY and ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES, NORTH CAROLINA, and nearby counties in SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. There may be a MONROE COUNTY, KENTUCKY, connection. They certainly had connections in HOWARD AND LINN COUNTIES, MISSOURI. THOMAS SIMMONS, born in Virginia, probably about 1795, was awarded a Missouri land grant of 160 acres as a bounty for his service in the War of 1812 He is said to have been among the first settlers in Prairie Township of HOWARD COUNTY, MISSOURI, settling there between 1819 and 1825. The name of one Thomas Simons (sic) appeared in the 1830 federal census of Howard County. In 1840 he and is family still lived in Howard County. In 1850 Thomas Simmons, then 55 (born about 1795 in Virginia), was living in LINN COUNTY, MISSOURI, in the household of Jesse L. Baskett, an in-law. Thomas died before 1860. His wife, ZILPHA SIMMONS, was born about 1796 in North Carolina. She died in Howard County, Missouri, in February, 1860. I know nothing more of her. It is known that THOMAS SIMMONS'S father was ISHAM SIMMONS, whose will was filed in Howard County in 1838 (though I am not certain that Isham lived in that county at the time of his death). He is known to me only from his will. As to the family, North Carolina and Virginia connections are known from the reported birthplaces of THOMAS and ZILPHA SIMMONS. ISHAM SIMMONS appears to have had similar connections. The name of an ISHAM SIMMONS is found in the 1790 census of ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. The 1800 census found ISHAM SIMMONS in SURRY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. From the census it may be inferred that Isham and his wife were born about 1775. A young son in the family was probably Thomas. While others named Simmons were found in Surry County in 1810 and 1820, Isham was not found. Perhaps he lived in Virginia (where the censuses are mostly lost). In 1820, there was an ISHAM SIMMONS who lived in MONROE COUNTY, KENTUCKY, along the southern border of that state. In 1830, an "ISOM" SIMMONS lived in Tompkinsville Township of in the same county. ISHAM was not found in Missouri, and it may be that the Kentucky listing was for this Simmons. The name of ISHAM SIMMONS has been found in HOWARD COUNTY, MISSOURI, only in connection with the will filed there in 1838. I'll appreciate any information that may be offered. Gerald Pierce