This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Browns, Phillips, Merritts, Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/nNABAIB/2784.1 Message Board Post: Hi Ben, I know I am replying to an old post, but I just found it. I am researching Abner Phillips' brother, Alpheus. I have done some research on the family from Abner,Sr. forward if you want it. With what I can tell the line seems to go like this: Isaac Philips -Father of Abner, Sr. who is father of Abner, Jr. and Alpheus. I found Isaac and Abner, Sr. in Burke Co. N.C. 1820. Abner, Sr. in Gwinnett Co. Ga. 1830 and in Cherokee Co. Ga. 1834 Census. Abner,Sr., Abner,Jr. and Alpheus in Cherokee Co. Ga. 1840 along with Abner,Sr.'s other boys. By 1850 Abner Sr. and most of his boys show up on the Cherokee Co. Ga. census, but I do not find Abner,Jr. and Rebecca or Alpheus and Mary. 1860 milton Co. Ga. shows both Abner,Sr. and Abner,Jr. and Alpheus. Later,(1866 Blount Co, Ala.census) I found Alpheus with his family. He is there in 1870 and dead by 1880 Etowah Co., Ala census. His wife, Mary, is listed with their oldest son, A.J. This is about all I have, except some military info on some of them. My gg-grandfather, Hines Berry (H.B.) Brown and his wife, Martha Ann Merritt Brown, sold land to Alpheus Phillips - 1864 Blount Co., Ala.. Hines is also in Cherokee and Milton Co.'s Ga. at the same time as the Phillips family. Hines' parents came from Wilkes Co. N.C. (county next to Burke). This is why I have been researching the Phillips. I am trying to confirm Hines' parents that I believe to be Manley and Sarah Brown, from Wilkes Co. N.C. Hines Berry Brown b. 1817 N.C. - Methodist Minister Martha Ann Merritt - b. 1829 Cherokee Co. , daug. of Levi and Lillie Merritt. I have a tendency to think that the Browns and the Phillips are related in some way. Hope this helps. If you have anything that might help me, please let me know. Thank you, Anita