To ALL: Anyone willing to share their ideas about the first wife of Samuel Dodson (b VA 1774- d Grainger Co TN 1860)? Two quotes follow: (1) the Lucas Dodson book (v1 p189) says of this Samuel "His first wife MAY HAVE BEEN Mary (Polly) Dalton, [my emphasis]. Probably based on Reuben Dalton's 1822 Grainger Co TN will, mentioned daughter Polly Dodson. Someone may have looked at the 1810 partial Grainger Co TN Census and picked Samuel for her husband. ANY PROOF FOR DALTON WIFE FOR SAMUEL? And (2) statement of this Samuel's grandson. Grandson's father would have known his mother's name. Thanks.--Bill ----------------------- "The Dodson (Dotson) Family of North Farnham Parish, Richmond County, Virginia: A History and Genealogy of Their Descendants" said of this Samuel: "His first wife may have been Mary (Polly) Dalton, daughter of Reuben Dalton, Sr. If this proves to be true, they were married during the early 1790's." "Samuel Dotson's first wife died before 1830 as that census shows no females in Samuel Dotson's household. Some of the researchers on this family have the belief that the first wife of Samuel Dotson was a Stone, but nothing has been found to confirm this belief." "According to information supplied by Mr C H Dotson to family researchers, the wife of Samuel Dodson was a Clontz. Evidently this was his second wife, Susan, in his household on the 1850 census,..." etc. - ---------------------------------------------------------- 1921 statement re wives of Samuel Dodson by Claiborn Hicks Dotson. [Claiborn Hicks Dotson, 1838-1921 was grandson and lived in the same area/county of this Samuel Dodson/Dotson, 1774-1860. Claiborn's marriage in 1861, one year after Samuel's death, put him in the home of Samuel's son, William Dotson, (father of my great grandmother, Elizabeth Minerva Dotson Waller) who would certainly know his mother's name.] "Aunt Sallie McANALLY was Born March 24 1789 Died April 5, 1877 She married Charles BURNS too them was Born two Children Charles and Ruth She then maried Samuel DOTSON she was his 3rd wife his first wife was a CLOUNCH [CLONTZ] his Second was a STONE Aunt Sallie as we all called her was Sallie BURNS Formily Sallie McANALLY a sister to Grandpap McANALLY Charles a Preacher." - ------------------------------------------------------------