Martin, Several of my families resided in Albemarle Co., VA during the 18th century, including the SANDIDGE and LANE/LAIN familes, who intermarried. Interestingly, my descendants from both of these familes found their way to the same area of Green Co., KY. In "Layne-Lain-Lane Genealogy," by Floyd Benjamin Lane, Bookman Press, Los Angeles, 1962, p. 124, Polly LANE, the daughter Littleberry LANE and Mary SANDIDGE, was said to have been married to Nathan SANDAGE: "Polly Lane: b. c1789; m. Fluvanna co Va (lic not returned) 1803 Nathan Sandage" That would make Polly only 14-15 when she was married. Note also that Mrs. Mary Lane Sandidge was the dau. of William SANDIDGE (II) and Elizabeth GRAVES. I have always assumed the Nathan who married Polly LANE to be the same Nathan as the son of Stephen SANDRIDGE. For what it's worth, a man named Nimrod LANE, b. 1809, was a son of Dumas LANE (probable 1st cousin to Polly LANE). In a message dated 11/27/98, NitramTam@aol.com writes: <<Hello Imogean, Although my cousin, Julie Sandidge, of Roanoak, Virginia, has been told that there is a family Bible in the Albemarle Historical Society in Charlottesville, Virginia, which states that Stephen Sandridge was the father of Benjamin Thurmond Sandridge, I know of no one to date who has found actual documentation proving that my two 3G grandfathers, Nathan and his brother Benjamin Thurmond Sandridge, were the sons of Stephen. Nor has any one found any documentation proving the maiden name of Stephen's wife, Sarah (Sally or Sallie). And, believe me, there have been plenty of family genealogy researchers throughout the United States looking for this information. However, I do have documentation proving that Nathan and Benjamin Thurmond were brothers. But, I will tell you what I know of Stephen and the known facts which lead me to conclude that he was probably the father of Nathan and Benjamin Thurmond Sandridge. To begin with, apparently Stephen was not schooled. Land deed records I have found concerning him in Franklin County, Tennessee, were signed with an "X". And, I can find no record of him being involved in politics, affiliated with any church, appearing in any court proceeding, or appointed to serve in any public service or capacity. No personal or professional letters concerning him have been found. Additionally, he died very poor and there was no will. He evidently was just an illiterate poor dirt farmer who came from a good family - but whose only success seemed to have been in fathering a large number of children. In contrast, his brother, John Sandidge, who moved from Virginia to Kentucky, was literate and a very successful farmer and businessman. Maybe that is why their mother, Elizabeth (Betty) Graves Sandridge, chose to live with him after their father died. You will notice that John used the spelling "Sandidge" while Stephen continued to be listed as "Sandridge" which was the surname spelling his father had used later in life. Since they were not the most literate of individuals, they usually used the spelling of those doing the recording for them - store clerks, court clerks, census takers, etc. And these people spelled the name phonetically according to how they heard it pronounced.. So far, I have come up with 67 different ways the surname can be spelled - depending on how slurred it is pronounced and how good the hearing of the recorder. In my line, the "r" was dropped by them (or for them) about 1850 to 1870. Some East Texas descendents of Nathan's son, Nimrod, continue to use "Sandridge" presently. After Nimrod death after 1870, his third wife and their two children continued to reside in Marshall County, Alabama, until approximately 1890 -1895 when they and their families migrated west - eventually settling in Smith County, Texas, prior to 1910. But I am probably getting into an area with which you are already familiar. So, back to Stephen's story as I have pieced it together by a few facts and some conclusions. Stephen Sandridge was born about 1752, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, the son of William and Elizabeth (Betty) Graves Sandridge. Approximately 1810 -1815, he, Sally, and their youngest son, Benjamin Thurmond, accompanied two of his other sons, Nathan and George, on a move from Albemarle County, Virginia, to Franklin County, Tennessee. He last appears on the 1810 Albemarle County Federal Census and died after 21 September 1821, probably in Franklin County, Tennessee. According to that 1810 Census, Stephen's household consisted of: one white male 10-16 years old (probably Benjamin Thurmond who was born about 1795.) three white males 16-25 years old. One white male over 45 years old (Stephen) One white female over 45 years old (Sarah) The 1810 Federal Census for Franklin County, Tennessee, does not list any Sandage, Sandridge, Sandidge, Sandige, Sanrage, Sunrage, or any other variant spelling of the surname. The 1820 Federal Census for Franklin County lists the following: Stephen Sandridge One white male 16-25 years old (possibly Nimrod) One white male over 45 - (Stephen - who was about 68 years old) One white female over 45 - (Sarah) Benjamin Sandridge One white male under 10 years old (my 3 G grandfather Thomas Hastings Sandridge) One white male 16 -24 (Benjamin) One white female 16-24 (Mary Elizabeth Martin Sandridge) Nathan Sandridge Four white males under 10 One white male 10-16 One white male 26-45 (Nathan) Two white females under 10 One white female 10-16 One white female 26-45 George Sandridge One white male over 45 (George) One whites female 16-26 By 1830, only Nathan, Nimrod, and Benjamin appeared on the Franklin County Federal Census. Franklin County Land Deed records list the following for Stephen: 22 Feb 1819 - Stephen bought a 40 acre homestead for $60. 17 June 1820 - Stephen sold the 40 acres for $75. 3 June 1821 - Stephen bought the 40 acres back for $75. 21 September 1821 - Stephen sold the 40 acres for $76. Witnessed by Nathan Sandridge. (Note: Nathan had purchased land in Franklin County as early as 24 June 1816.) It is possible that Stephen was using the small farm as collateral when he ran low on finances. This would explain the frequent buying and selling of the same piece of property. It is also possible that the 16-26 year old living in Stephen's household on the 1820 Census was Nimrod Sandridge who was not accounted for in the household of his father, Nathan. By this time, Stephen was nearing 70 years old and could have used the help of a strong grandson on the little farm. Nimrod Sandridge, born about 1804/1805, in Virginia, married his second wife, Elizabeth Smith, on 29 August 1858, in Franklin County, Tennessee. They had no children. By 21 July 1860, he, Elizabeth, and his daughter from his first marriage, Mary C. Sandridge, were residing in Marshall County, Alabama. By 9 August 1870, Nimrod had married his third wife, Eliza Jane Terrell, born 1836/1837, in Alabama. They had two children: (1) Willy (Willie) Ann E. Sandridge, born 1864/1865, in Alabama. On 26 October 1890, in Marshall County, Alabama, she married Obediah B. Cooper. (2) John P. Sandridge, born 4 January 1869, in Alabama. On 23 September 1888, in Marshall County, Alabama, he married Margaret Ann Ardis. By 1910, both children with their mother and their families had migrated west to Bullard, Smith County, Texas. Another son of Nimrod, William Pennington Sandridge, moved his family to Missouri. From which of Nimrod's children is your husband descended? Concerning Nathan's marriage: Although I have no information to confirm it, I suspect that Catherine (Caty) Modena Sandridge may not have been the mother of Nathan's children. This thought is supported by the fact that when she died in September 1850, she left a will, dated 10 September 1850, specifying that all her property and assets be divided among the children of her two deceased brothers, Thomas and Henry Modena. Nothing was left to Nathan's children, including Nimrod who still resided in the vicinity. However, it does appear that she cared for Nathan because the will specified the following: ". . . to have a neat tombstone placed over my grave and have the graveyard where my husband is and where I desire to be buried paled in." I collect any formation concerning any line of the Sandridge/Sandidge/Sandage family and would appreciate whatever information you may have as well as that you offered on the Modena family. Martin>>