Our Mary Louisa Hartless, the mother of Leanna F. Burch (Beverly), Emily J. Hartless (Smoot), Henry C.Hartless, and Andrew J. Hartless of Amherst Co., VA (as verified by her 1899 will) APPEARS to be the Mary L. Burch who married Benjamin Hartless in 1853 as recorded by many researchers. By the fact that both "Benj & Louisa Hartless" and "Lindsey & Mary (or Louisa) Hartless" are named as the "Parents or Guardian" of the above mentioned children. And the fact that her first daughter, born before her reported marriage to Benjamin Hartless used the name Burch as an adult when no marriage record can be found in Amherst or any of the surrounding counties to support a Burch marriage for her. But WHAT Benjamin Hartless did they Mary Louisa marry? Was her Benjamin born in 1813 or in 1790 as indicated by the 1850 census report. If he WAS born in 1790, where did HE come from, since he does not appear in any of the research done by other Hartless researchers? Perhaps he had another name he went by? AND where did Mary Louisa get the Burch name? Since no other Amherst Co., BURCH researchers have record of HER. Since according to the census reports, she would have been about 30 years old when she married this Benjamin Hartless, did she MARRY into the Burch name? Again, no other Amherst Co., Burch researchers have a marriage similiar to this in their research. Anyone got any comments or clues? PamT