I've been puzzling over the Dyer Co, TN Pate's and maybe someone can help I just found a will of William N Shelton, dated 14 May 1883 in Dyer Co, TN - He "wills and bequeaths to my beloved Mother, ELIZABETH MOORE PATE all the tract of land in Civil Dist 2 -- which I inherited from my father, NELSON SHELTON --" (Is Moore Elizabeth's middle name??- her maiden name was supposedly Mary Elizabeth Davis) This would be Elizabeth Davis-Shelton who married Matthew D Pate. In 1860 Dyer Co, TN census N P Shelton, age 32 E Shelton, age 25 M A (female) age 4 M E (female) age 2 mos S Davis (female) age 17 - (is this a sister of Elizabeth Davis-Shelton??? In 1870 Dyer Co, TN census Mathew Pate, age 44 Lizzy, age 35 (Elizabeth) Sarah Pate, age 16 Shelton Pate, age 10 (is this a child of Nelson & E Shelton??) Wm Pate, age 8 (is this the Wm Shelton from the will???) (Mathew D Pate & Elizabeth Davis-Shelton md Dec 1867) Matthew D Pate and his first wife, Ann Sampson Pate had twins, Matthew Watson Pate and Nelson Pate, b. Mar 1863 - In 1870 Dyer Co, TN census Susan Pate, age 60 (widow of Andrew Jackson Pate) John C Pate, age 23 Martha Pate, age 20 Susan C Pate, age 18 WATSON PATE, age 8 - (is this Mathew Watson Pate, son of Mathew & Ann Pate????) Phillip Thurman, age 21 (Susan's maiden name was Thurmond) Chas Marchant, age 13 (is this son of her dau, Siota Bell-Marchant???) Anybody have answers??? Jinks