This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Chapman, Chastain, Nelson, Adams, Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/UeB.2ACI/3144.1 Message Board Post: I'm responding because you strike a chord with me in searching for your American Indian connections. I've been searching as well and I wish you success. First, in terms of records. Census records are a great resource but full of mistakes. I could fill pages with the errors in names, ages, even family connections - you really need every census record from your grandparents backwards to help you piece it all together. People often get confused or can be confusing when being interviewed. Try to use a tape recorder if at all possible so you can back over it later. Or talk to them more than once. I've found people misnaming their own grandparents. I've done it. My grandfather is William Albert and his father William Solomon - as I get older and I'm reciting the whole family line - I find I mis-speak sometimes. Back in the 19th century when naming children was often repetitive - you can have 3 Enoch Chapmans living in the same area - to differentiate they would call someone by something totally unrelated. The younger Enoch in this case was called "Tobe"! Ages can be completely baffling following a census. My gr gr grandfather Joshua Nelson is shown with an age difference in every census! It's never consistent! It varies by as much as 12 years. The only thing that helps is that there isn't a lot of Nelsons in the area and his wife is always listed as Louisa and his children's names stay constant. My point is - before you try to prove that Jesse Williams is your ancestor - gather as many documents from your grandparents backwards showing the link. Beyond census records - look for estate papers, land transactions are especially helpful because they often involve relatives. Obituaries are often helpful. Military records. Church records - baptisms, marriages, death notices. Cemetery records if available. But don't try to solely rely on the census. Good hunting! Nancy