I'm a descendant of Samuel Johnston (who d. Limestone Co, AL ca 1833) and Elizabeth (Betsy) Ballinger, b.ca 1758 and probably died before 1833, as she's not mentioned in her husband's will of 1832. In fact he may have had a second wife, and lost her as well, before writing his will, as NO wife is mentioned in it. I am writing to see if I can share any info re this family. I have a book on the Ballingers (Three Centuries of Ballingers in America, by Emma B. Reeves) with a lot of information on this family. I also have, from some pages copied from a book "The Baileys" a good deal of information about Samuel Johnston and his family. One item lists the siblings of Samuel, when a bro., John H. Johnston, dies intestate in March 1818. Another shows Samuel as respondent in a suit concerning a note, with son-in-law David Bailey as complainant, and lists places of residence, 1808-1815. Then, the will of Samuel, filed in 1832 in Limestone Co, AL, and probated in 1833. This lists his children, but doesn't mention a wife. A document in Aug. 1831 refers to wife Nancy (either a typo or he has a 2nd wife) this doc. is releasing all interest and claim to lands they inherited from John H. Johnson. I've had no knowledge of the ancestry of Samuel Johnston, so was very pleased to see the input on this site! I'll be watching, will be interested in trying to absorb the facts! And I WOULD be interested in hearing from Nancy Denty Briedenthal, if she has documentation of the marriage of Eliz. Ballinger and Sam'l Johnston. I have only 2nd or 3rd hand reference to someone's Bible. My connection/lineage is: daughter Patsy Johnston (b. ca 1780)m. Fleming Hodges. Their daughter Elizabeth (b. ca 1800) m. Benj. Cooper. Their daughter Frances Cooper (b. 1819) m. James A. Pruitt (Preuit) and went to, and died in, TX. Son Tolbert F. Preuit (b. 1844)m. Emma Barker, their son Paul A. Preuit (b. 1875) m. Matilda Grammer Roberts and their daughter Averil Preuit (my mother, b. 1906) m.,in 1928, Paul Plowman, my father. Other scraps of info: saw somewhere a note that father of Sam"l and Wm and ?? may have been Archibald. Will try to dig it out. Also, to Tony, you referred somewhere to Benj. Arnold/Anne Hendricks. This couple is in my husband's lineage. Helen Stewart