Hi Roberta, The Joseph Allen I have was married to Martha"Patsy" Sharp 1846.(my ggggrandma) they had one child together. Hiram Allen was born 3/4/1847 d. 9/10/1933 Campbell Co. Tn. He married Mary Jane Lay b.9/27/1848 d. 7/1909 she was a daughter of William Dandy Lay & Nancy Croley. Another daughter of William Dandy Lay --Martha Lay married John Sharp(g-grandparents) 1/1879 he was son of Nancy Sharp. I have Joseph Allen born abt. 1748 married Martha"Patsy" Sharp 1846. He was suppose to be close to a 100 years old when Hiram Allen was born. Kinda of hard to believe,uh?? Joseph Allen came to America via Scotland (3yrs.old) then to North Carolina, to Hillsville, Va. and on to Campbell Co. Tn. with a Col. Henderson who had a land grant around Jacksboro. He died at age 115. Guess he fell off a fence & broke his arm. Got gangrene & it killed him.(" Lay Family History" by A.M. Lay) As far as I can find, Martha "Patsy"Sharp was never married before Joe. She did have several children when they got married but don't know who their fathers were??? Martha's daughter Nancy b. 1839 also had several children out of wedlock. She married a William Allen who we think was Joe's son or grandson. She had two children by him. Some sources list a wife for William while he was suppose to be married to Nancy!!!! He has children listed as being born while he was married to Nancy if they ever were married!! Who knows for sure on this one either!!! According to family tales Nancy was molested or raped by either her step-father or step-brothers. That's where the other children born before she married come in.. She was 16 living at home when her first child was born. It's kind of hard to believe that a man almost 100 or 101 could rape a 16 year old and also father children?? Must have been in excellent shape for his age!!! According to census reports the Allens & Sharps were neighbors. I think there are more connections between them but we haven't figured it out yet. Theres also an Aaron Broyles that was a cousin to Allens who married one of Martha's daughters also. There's also a Elizabeth Allen that married William Sharp, James Sharp that married Mary "Polly" Allen. Also the Joe that married Martha Patsy Sharp was the grandfather of Elizabeth Allen who married Martha's son William. Totally confused yet???? I still am!!! In some of the census reports the Sharp children are listed as Allens. If you can fill in any more info on above decendants children, spouses would be greatly appreciated. If you have any names I can help with send them & I will see what I have on them. I looked on familysearch.org for more info on this Joseph Allen. They give two different sets of parents for him. Can't find the paper right now, that I copied. But everything else matches for him to be Martha's husband. Let me know if this is the same one. Kathy Sharp Chasteen "Roberta J. Reeves" wrote: > Kathy, > I've never been able to find any connection to my Joseph P. Allen, b > 1818 NC, and Joseph Allen who married Martha Sharp. After Joseph P. > Allen's 1st wife (Frances/Fanny Jane Bradley) died in 1881, he remarried > Agnes Sharp, who was 18 to his 63. Together they had five children. Do > you have any further info about Joseph and Martha Sharp Allen, i.e. who > his parents were, where born, etc. > Joseph P. Allen was a s/o another Joseph Allen, b. c1778-82, NC, who > married Anna/Annie Turner, b c1786. They lived in Buncombe and Yancey > Counties, NC. > Hope this helps. > Joyce