Lyn....couple of observations re your comments....(quoted by BPN 2/20/01) You say: "In the Deed indexes, I see that in 1797 there was a Mecklenburg Deed between grantor John Cleaton and Grantee Lewis Poythress (DB 10, p. 62) and a 1799 Dower Release between Grantor Martha Cleaton and Grantee Lewis Poythress (DB 10, p. 96. And I note that, more likely the Thomas name heree may be related to the Thomas in # 5 and # 6 above, and may furnish further info from the same earlier tie-ins." Lyn, I sort of walked my way into the jungle here: 1) taking the simplist (maybe simplistic) approach, I'd be inclined to not make anything out of John Cleaton to Lewis Poythress (DB 10, p. 62, 1797). I'd assume this John Cleaton to be 2nd child of our "orginal" William C. Cleaton/Jane Poole and therefore in same generation as Lewis (of "the brothers"). The Date 1799 would fit here. Therefore, this would be a transaction of no genealogical significance unless we see the deed and can make something more out of it. Would you lean that way? 2) Dower release Grantor Martha Cleaton to Grantee Lewis Poythress (DB 10, p. 96) would seem to raise some questions. If this is Lewis Poythress (1) doesn't he have to be married in the first place to need a dower release from Martha Cleaton. The "Martha" is there could be 4th child of William C. Cleaton & Jane Poole. Wouldn't this then infer that Lewis (1) had THREE wives with Martha Cleaton in there in addition to Patsey Giles and Rebecca Taylor...which seems pretty illogical to me. And if its Lewis' son "Lewis Y." getting the dower release, did he even have a chance to marry Martha Cleaton? Big time gap here. Just some thoughts. It's beginning to look to me like the Cleatons, Poythresses, Thomases and Taylors all lived in the same house <g>. These guys are as tangled up as the Screven County people. Maynard