Hi, I am new to this list. My Russell's----- Unk Russell, Born in VA +Sarah D. Unk born 1806 in Va William R. Russell ,born 1827 in TN + Margaret P. Head , born in AL B. F. Russell , born 1832 in TN + Mary E. born in NC William and Margaret are in Franklin Parish LA in 1855. Leon Co TX in 1880. I would like to find the father of William---Thanks for any help. Dorothy

My Russell brickwall is Jerry Russell. His name his marriage record is Jeremiah Russell. Jeremiah Russell was born abt 7/1836, probably TN. He married Eliza J. Hicks (another brickwall) on 02/21/1858 in Hawkins Co., TN. Eliza was born about 1844 (using census info). Jerry died between 1900 and 1910 for he is on the 1900 Hawkins Co., TN census with one of his daughters (Amanda Elizabeth Russell) and has dropped out by 1910. Eliza is thought to have died between 1880-1900 for Jerry is listed as a widower in 1900. The last record I have for Eliza is the 1880 Hawkins Co. TN census listing. Their children are: William Russell, abt 1859-btw 1910-1920, Nancy J. Russell, abt 1861, John H. Russell, abt 1863, Mary Ann Russell, btw 1864-1865, Ruth A. Russell, abt 1866, Amanda Elizabeth Russell, 06/12/1868-08/21/1947, Laura Russell, btw 1869-1870, Jeremiah Jr,, 04/24/1872-1874, died 8/1963. The males of this family were listed as black on one census, then white on the next census. Amanda Elizabeth Russell was my ggm. It is oral family history that the Russell/Hicks lines were Black Dutch. Amanda called herself this as well. I do not know if Amanda ever married legally but she had two daughters, Mary E. Russell 07/1891-03/06/1911 and Jerry Russell (female) 07/1895. Again, oral family history states that these first two daughters were the product of a Mr. Howerton. Amanda was a housekeeper and took care of the man and his sons after the spouse/mother had died. Amanda was on the 1880 Hawkins Co., TN census but was living with her brother William and his new wife, Mary Carpenter Russell. Amanda would have been 12 years old in 1880. Not having access to the 1890 census has hindered all this line's research. Amanda went on to have William McKinnley Russell in 11/1897. I do not know if the same Howerton man fathered Billy. Yet another oral family history states that when Amanda was told her children were not to share in the Howerton's man's will upon his death, she took her children and moved back to her father's home in Rogersville, Hawkins Co., TN. She wasn't too heartbroken for long. In December 1900 she became pregnant with Walter Lee Russell (Parker), my gf. He was born 8/13/1901 and in December 1903, Amanda had George Joe Parker. She then proceeded to have a set of twins in 1906 and another daughter in 1909. It was after I began my genealogy research that I discovered that the man who we all thought was the father of Walter, George, Louis and Bessie (twins), and Jessie Kate Parker (Joseph Johnson Parker) was actually only the father of Louis and Bessie, and Jessie Kate. My research has turned up the fact that Joseph Johnson Parker was married to Lydia White. Lydia died in late 1903. This was after the birth of Amanda's son George. Amanda and Joe Parker did not have the window of opportunity to begin to have children together until 1904, after Lydia's death. This leaves no known father for Walter Lee Parker nor George Joe Parker. I have not located a birth record or certificate for any of the first 5 children of Amanda. Oral family history made many mentions of how cruel Joe was to the three boys, Billy, Walter, George. He was said to have beat them regularly and they were not given food nor clothing as the rest of the children were. The first two daughters died young and most I've interviewed did not know of the little girls' existence. It was only after Walter died and his dead record read Walter Lee Parker Russell did I realize that Joe was not his father and that would be the major reason he and his other two brothers were so ill-treated. As you can see, there are several major areas of challenging research to the Jerry Russell and Eliza J. Hicks Russell lineages. If any one sees a name or may recall viewing information which would help me, please let me know. Any and all suggestions are welcome and of course, no bit of information is too small or too trivial. It only takes that one piece of information to turn the course of a research project. Sheri Sheri P. Kelly bluemoonrotts@yahoo.com SC & AL Searches are McCOOL-MILLS-SEGREST-THRASHER-WOOD Other Southern States are BRYANT-COFFEY-COLLINS- DURHAM-GREEN-HICKS-HOWERTON-JONES-PARKER-PERRY-RUSSELL --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup