Larry and Listmates, Here is something to consider.......... I'm am not willing yet to concede that Henry or John M. Polk were base-born based on a marriage record where the father is not named. Many men died or took off while their wives were pregnant and the women remarried and the kid never knew who his real father was. Never assume anything.........find a document........there is always a paper trail. You just have to know where to look. ---------------- Vann says: "Henry Polk resided with the family of John and Christina Ryman at the time of the 1850 Census. There may have been some relationship of Henry to 12 year old John M Polk in dwelling 1144. They are the only two individuals with the surname Polk in this immediate area. When John married he did not list the name of his father. He indicates that his mothers name was Rebecca. This was a rather common occurrance for base-born children. There is no evidence that Henry was the father of John, however, it does pose an interesting question." ------------------- I'm sorry, no disrespect intended, but I don't believe that the above is a question that should even be considered. Henry Polk born circa 1826 would have been 13 years old when he fathered John M. Polk. I believe John born circa 1837 is his youngest brother or half-brother. I believe they also had a sister named Rosannah born 1831 and possibly a brother named Philip Polk. One of two things happened to leave these two boys with family members. Either most of the family died in one of the epidemics of Typhoid, Cholera, or Smallpox that was going around between 1835-38 in Shenandoah County or the man of the house went off and left the family and died or the family left the area with the older children, leaving the two youngest behind, to be sent for later and something happened and they were never sent for. In the 1830 Federal Census there is the following family which may be the family of Henry and John M. Polk. 1830 Federal Census: Virginia Western District, Shenandoah County Page 136 W. T. Allen, Enumerator JOHN POKE {POLK} 1 male under 5 years of age {Henry Polk} 1 male 5 and under 10 years of age 1 male 15 and under 20 years of age 1 male 40 and under 50 years of age {Head of Household John Polk} 1 female under 5 years of age 1 female 5 and under 10 years of age 2 females 10 and under 15 years of age 1 female 30 and under 40 years of age Since Rosannah Polk was not born in 1831 and John M. Polk was not born in 1837, they are not reflected in this census. There is no 1840 census for John Poke/Polk which re-enforces my premise as to he died or left the area. John might have married twice: M/1: Catharine M/2: Rebecca ------------------------ If my premise is correct, then possibly John Ryman raised Henry Polk as a son rather then a grandson, if one of his daughter married John Polk and died in the epidemic after the birth of John M. Polk in 1837. I found the following information about John Ryman. John Ryman Born: 23 August 1764, Probably Philadelphia County, PA, possibly son of Ludwig Ryman Died: 5 November 1858, Shenandoah County, Virginia Married: Date Unknown to Christina Fadley Born: 1769, Pennsylvania Died: 1 November 1863, Rockingham County, Virginia Supposedly John Ryman left a Will in Shenandoah County probated in 1859 but I could find no evidence of this Will. Children of John Ryman 1. Henry Ryman 2. Joseph Ryman 3. Jacob Ryman 4. John Ryman 5. David Ryman 6. Samuel Ryman 7. Daniel Ryman 8. Lewis Ryman 9. Elizabeth Ryman 10. Hannah Ryman {Could her name be Hannah Rebecca Ryman and married John Polk?} 11. Catharine Ryman ------------------------ One more thing. There had to be Polk families in Shenandoah County early on since we found the following marriages: Leonard Lonas and Mary Polk 7 June 1813 Bondsman: Adam Polk John Polk and Cathrine Funkhouser 14 March 1811 Bondsman: Adam Polk John Barhman and Elizabeth Polk, His Ward 9 June 1817 Simon Polk and Dorothy Dellinger 6 June 1844 Bondsman: Frederick Dillinger ------------------------- Researched and Submitted by Gloria Bushong