In a message dated 09/08/1999 2:41:17 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << If a man died without a sizeable estate, probably intestate because he was fairly young, would his "orphans" be a business of the court? >> Yes, there should have been court records showing who was made guardian of the childen. << The mother, Elizabeth Atkins Groom lived with her father and the two children in 1820 in Orange Co. She and Mr. Mysterious Groom (that's a joke, not his name) probably married about 1799. Can't find a record anywhere. The Atkins lived in Orange Co, VA while the Groom could have been born in Louisa or Orange. Have no record of the 20 years if they lived together that long. >> There's an Elizabeth Groom who married Achilles Atkins 6 Apr 1826 - wit P S Fry bond-Solomon Groom. Mourning Groom married William Bibb 14 Nov 1822 wit-P S Fry bond-Solomon Groom Sally B Groom married Benjamin Quisenberry 11 Jan 1816; wit-John B. Groom and John Henderson bond-John Henderson d-Major Groom minister-Jeremiah Chandler Bev