Grace - Sorry it took me so long to answer your first message and now the second one. I haven't been spending much time at this lately, for a variety of reasons. Yes, I think your Barbara and our Jacob were bro. & sis. and the children of Christian Shuman. And I think John Shuman who m. Elmira Williamson was also a bro. I've spent a lot of time this week-end charting the info I have on all the Johns in early Rowan Co. I'll try to explain my thoughts. Christian's will lists these chdr: Barbara, Mary, Catharine, George. Jacob, John, Sophia. Catharine m Jacob Dillow and her will of 1856 leaves a black girl and some money to her bro John. The John who m Elmira was still alive then (he d 1875) , so he could be her bro. Also his birthdate of 1795 fits in with Christian's will of 1807, stating that John was one of his minor chdr, and with subsequent census records. Catharine's will also leaves some of her estate to the Blackwells, which was her sister Sophia's married name. I think George and Jacob were both dead by 1856 when she wrote her will and her sisters Barbara and Mary had both moved west. There was another marriage in Rowan Co for a Barbara Shuman, this one in 1804 to Peter Earnhart. I don't think they are the same Barbara, probably cousins, because your Barbara m R. Tenpenny in 1802 and was apparently still m to him when she went west later on. I, too, have Barbara Tenpenny, rather than Barbara Earnhart, as Christian's dau, but I don't know why. Do you Know? Let's keep in touch, maybe we'll figure all this out sometime. Ann Shuman Burdette <asburdette@juno.com> ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.