In a message dated 7/20/2000 4:27:47 PM Central Daylight Time, karenwood@del.net writes: << Francis Payne was the grandaughter of John Shelton, by his daughter, Fannie who had married Thomas Payne. Problem is, which Thomas Payne. That remains a mystery to me. Fannie was dec'd before the writing of the will in 1801 >> Hi Karen, What evidence is there that John Shelton had a daughter named Fannie? He did have a child named Francis (can't tell whether a son or daughter), but that child was still living, and carrying the Shelton name, in 1801. Likewise, what evidence is there that Thomas Payne had a wife name Francis/Fannie? I agree that Francis, wife of Tunstall, was a) the daughter of a daughter of John Shelton's who was deceased by 1801, b) the daughter of Thomas Payne. I just don't have any confidence that John's daughter/Thomas' wife was named Francis/Fannie. April Miller may not be correct in her analysis of John Shelton, Sr. & Jr. (John clearly didn't go to Mecklenburg to be near his sister Catherine Blakey, because she was already long-dead), but I am not very confident that anyone else is either. Too many contemporary Sheltons named John. a) There was a John Shelton who died in Mecklenburg in 1778. All I know is he had a son named Mark. And, a Mark Shelton does appear in Pittsylvania (branches of Sand & Birches Creeks - where are they?), sometime before 1773. Same Mark? (Seems reasonably likely - Mark is a much less common name than John, but curious that John did not mention his son Mark being of Pittsylvania when he wrote his will in 1777.) Do we have any way to prove this John (d. 1778) is NOT a son of Ralph? Do we have anything on the disposition of his land (inherited by Mark)? Do we have anything on when or how John obtained this Mecklenburg land? b) There must have been a younger John Shelton in Mecklenburg in 1777, since John (d. 1778) is indicated as "Sr." in the will. An unnamed son, or just another, younger, John? If he's not a son, then there were other Mecklenburg Sheltons of John Sr's generation besides John Sr., which would make it quite unlikely that this branch could be the sons of Ralph of Middlesex. But if Jr. is the son of Sr., then April Miller could be mostly right about this line making a brief detour through Mecklenburg. c) A John Shelton received land in the same (Birches Creek) vicinity in Pittsylvania in 1805. Probably Mark's son. d) A (different?) John Shelton bought 250 acres in Pittsylvania on 11/7/1778 Pittsylvania VA (Shelton, Crispen; Shelton, Benjamin; Shelton, William - wit). This one is pretty likely the one who died in 1804 (gf of Francis Payne Shelton). This is also probably the John Shelton who sold Amelia Co. land in 1774. Is there any record of whether this John was literate? (The John who died in Mecklenburg in 1778 signed with a 'mark'). All for now. Thanks to everyone for their comments. Glen Shelton River Ridge, LA