I am looking for information on a SPEARS family of Watauga County. The husband MAY have been James SR. Wife was definitely Elizabeth. They had a son name James and one named Alfred. Both husband and son James were either dead or out of the picture by 1850. 1850 census of Watauga Co shows Eliabeth SPEARS age 44 or 49 Louisa SPEARS - this was Mary Louisa HARTLEY who may or may not have been legally married to the son James SPEARS she was age 22 Malinda SPEARS age 3 - this was daughter of the son James and Mary Louisa HARTLEY In 1845 there was a marriage bond in Ashe Co for a Calvin HARTLEY [brother to Mary Louisa] and Susannah MAYS with James SPEARS as the bondsman. The son, Alfred SPEARS was born about 1829. By 1850 he had married Nancy and moved to Russell County, VA. By 1860 he was living in Tazewell Co VA. Living with him were Elizabeth SPEARS age 62 and Malinda [now using her middle name Jane] age 13. James. the son, may have been the Jim SPEARS referred to on page 20 of History of Watauga Co as "having no more brains than is absolutely necessary". It describes how Jim and two friends intended to have Jim cover himself with lampblack so the friends could sell him as a slave in SC. After they got their money he was to wash and then make his way back to NC. Sometime after this plot was hatched, Jim disappered. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Carol --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.408 / Virus Database: 230 - Release Date: 24-Oct-02