In a message dated 11/14/2003 3:17:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, mscutnsew@msn.com writes: > I'm looking for any information on Lewis PYLES. He'd have been my 3rd > grt-g'father. This is what I have been able to come up with so far: > > Lewis PYLES, b. 1805 Wife: Mary, b. 1802 > Children: > Luvina b. 15 June 1831 Greene Co., PA (My 2nd grt-g'mother) > Elizabeth b. 1832 Perry Twp. Greene Co., PA > Melissa b. 1839 Perry Twp., Greene Co., PA > Sussanna b. 1842 Perry Twp., Greene Co., PA > > I don't know what happened to Lewis and Mary or the siblings of my Luvina. > Her name has also been spelled as Lovina, Levina, and Lavina. > Kathleen, I have this hunch that your "Lewis" PILES of the 1850 Green County PA census is Joshua PYLES of Monongalia Co VA of the 1840 census, and Joshua PILES of the 1830 Monongalia Co VA census. "Lewis" in 1850 was a near neighbor (same page) to (siblings?) Zachariah PILES, Jr and John PILES. In 1840 he was a near neighbor in Monongalia Co to (his father?) Zachariah PILES, Sr. This Joshua PILES is named in his father's 1840 will, recorded in both Monongalia Co VA and Green Co PA, since Zachariah's property straddled the state line. If you look at the 1840 Joshua PILES family composition, in particular, it shows a male age 30-40 ("Lewis" born 1805?); a male under 5 years (died young?); a female 30-40 (Mary?); a female 10-15 (?; left the household before 1850?); two females age 5 to 10 (your Luvina and Elizabeth?); and a female under 5 (Melissa?). Susannah would not arrive until 1842. This looks like an awfully good match to me. "Joshua" does not appear in the 1850 census; "Lewis" does not appear in any other census besides 1850. I'm thinking they were the same person. "Lewis" of 1850 may be an error, or a mistranscription, or may be what Joshua opted to use (his middle name?) in 1850 to distinguish himself from his near neighbor nephew(?) Joshua PYLES. Does the name Joshua appear in your line emanating from Luvina or her known siblings? Do you have any hint as to whether Joshua/Lewis emigrated with Luvina to IL? It's a little bit of a problem (or maybe not) that Luvina was in PA in 1850 and managed to get married in IL by 1851. Does this theory hold any water by you? I hope we might have broken your wall. Jim Smee Pittsburgh PA