Hello, folks, it's been a good three quarters of a lifetime since I've been down south. I know where I lived is nothing like I remember it. we lived well outside of Cartersville, Georgia when I was very young in an old pre-1860 house. long gone, the area, last I heard was a trailer park. I've got some deep Southern roots, 'though I wasn't aware of it until quite recently. I hope someone who knows of my people can help me advance my research from what I have. I don't vouche for it's accuracy. most of what I have for the generation listed below comes from census, which is not always accurate. Lewis D. COLLINS b. abt 1790 +- 5 of Alabama d. bef 1850 Houston or Anderson Co., TX m. bef 1822 Cynthia Catherine(?) __?__ known in general as Cynthia b. abt 1791 in N. Carolina d. aft 1870 Madison Co., TX known children; William J. b. 1817-1822 place unknown d. young & single-unproved Mary b abt 1822 AL m. 1st Mr. BOYKIN, 2nd James M. McDONALD James Alfred b. abt 1828 AL m. 1st Mary E. __?__, 2nd Martha J. PAULSELL Francis Lee b. 24 Nov 1832 AL m. 1st, Nancy J. MOORE, 2nd Alice A. COLLINS Louis Davis b. 26 Nov 1832 AL m. Sarah J. __?__ I have traced some of this family forward, but am still struggling to find some of the branches. Wm J. came to Houston a couple years after Lewis D. Francis and Louis were twins. most of the descendants remained in TX, but Francis left for California and raised a family there, and one of Mary's sons, Francis Boykin, had a son Rufus remove to PA. I was wondering if these Lewis D. Collins were my Lewis D. Collins. I'm a bit suprised at how common the name is in that exact spelling. there is a marriage in Mecklenburg Co., NC on 18 Jul 1810 between a Lewis D. Collins and a Cynthia Black. the record gives no further information. another minor branch went into Louisiana and disappeared. there is a War of 1812 listing; LEWIS D COLLINS Company: FREEMAN'S SQUADRON CAVALRY, GEORGIA MIL. Rank - Induction: PRIVATE Rank - Discharge: SERGEANT Roll Box: 43 Roll Exct: 602 there are these censi that may or may not be him-the last census is definately not him as that Lewis D. Collins is also in the 1850, if I recall and I've spoken with a descendant-the children's names don't seem to fit. 1820 North Carolina > Anson > Bennet Collins, Lewis 1 - - - 1 - 3 - 1 - - - 1 - - 1- - - - - - is this him? 1830 Alabama > Morgan > Not Stated Lewis D. Collins 1 - 1 - - - 1 - - - - - - - - 1 - - 1 - - - - - - - 1 male under 5, 1 male 10-15, 1 male 40-50, 1 female 10-15, 1 female 30-40 who is this? not our Lewis. 1840 census, Tuscaloosa Co., AL Collins, Lewis D. 2 2 - - - 1 - - - - - - - 2 1 - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - -5 5-10 30-40 -5 5-10 30-40 I've checked and acquired Texas land records, and have access to Ancestry. but little seems to be available on the family outside of census. I am cross-posting this to SC, NC, GA, and AL. I've already tried to find them through the Houston and Madison, Texas lists. I apologise to anyone who gets this twice.