In a message dated 5/5/2007 3:42:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time, JYoung6180@aol.com writes: In a message dated 5/5/2007 3:37:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, Nrtennis on@aol.com writes: Sometimes the male head of the household, fathered children to a female servant or slave and they were kept with the family as children of their own if the mother of the "Beans" child passed away, or was sold? the slave-owner kept the offspring. Remember, this was 1819. Nelson --- Just because there are Orphans Court procedings for these children of a deceased father doesn't necessarily indicate that the mother of the children is deceased. In those days, if the father died, a "financial" guardian would have been appointed for the minor children and the mother would have retained custodial guardianship. So I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that the mother is deceased. Joan --- My point was that sometimes, in that era a male head of household fathered children to more then one women and it was considered ok for that time period. Happened pretty often in the more well to do neighborhood. I wasn't implying that "Beans" mother was deceased. ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.