I'm hoping that one of you can suggest a way that I can identify the parents of an individual, other than through the census. I have a Hiram H. Cope, born July 1837 in Nottingham Twp. In the 1850 census he appears in the household of Samuel & Jane Cope. However, he does not appear to be Samuel's son. While Hiram was bequeathed the sum of $100 in Samuel's will, Hiram was the only heir whose relationship was not mentioned - and the sum was the same given to a grand-daughter. I believe Hiram's mother to be Samuel's unmarried daughter Martha, who died when Hiram was four years old. But I don't know how to prove it. Was there some kind of record that would require the naming of parents back then? I don't think birth certificates were issued as early as 1837. Do school records exist for this area - that go back that far? Were there obits written back then? Any ideas on how to attack my "brick wall" would be greatly appreciated. Gary Flynn geflynn@earthlink.net