I am pursuing a possible connection between Ballenger Wade who wrote the following will and Matthew Wade born in 1836 in what was then Barren County KY. Here is the will which I found located at http://www.geocities.com:80/kycumberland/will2.htm . 1824 Will of Ballenger Wade I, Ballenger WADE of cumberland county and State of Kentucky, do hereby make this my last will and testament in manner and form following towit, after all my just and lawful debts are paid, that after my decease, all my real and personal estate, (except my negroes) to be sold and eually divided amongst my children (taking into consideration the sum already advanced by me to those to be after named in this instrument, and which sums they shall account for out of their parts (namely Pierce WADE, Richard WADE, James WADE, Jerrimiah WADE, Mary KING, Sally WILLIAMS, Elizabeth HAYS, Rachel GRAY, Judith CRAIG, and Tinsey COOKSEY; Richard WADE is to account for two hundred and eithy one dollars, being the amount of a certain tract or parcel of land, containing one hundred and forty and a half acres, whreon he now lives to which I made him a deed; also for four hundred and eithy four dollars and fifty cents paid for him to Henry CARE. Pierce WADE is to account for five hundred dollars, Rachel GRAY is to account for five hundred dollars. James WADE is to account for two hundred and fifty dollars, being the amount of two tracts of land, one whereon he now lives, containing fifty seven acres, the other a part of a survey of two hundred acres, his part of said survey to join John CHANDLERS line on the South, and run from thence to the top of dividing ridge, between Mud Camp and Marrowbone according to the survey, already made by Thomas BARTON, to which tracts of Land I shortly intend, making him a deed--Jerimiah WADE is to account for six hundred dollars, the amount of the land whereon he now lives, the amount above stated being brought down to the Standard of Silver. Mary KING being without an heir of her own body, I bequeath unto her ten dollars as her portion, I also bequeath unto her during her natural life, an equal part with the rest of my children, provided however, that she shall be security or otherwise, make such part safe and secure, to be delivered to my heirs at her demise. But it shall be considered as her perogative to bestow or bequeath the whole amount to anyone or more of such heris, at her own will and pleasure. And whereas my negroes desire to continue in my family, I do hereby have it as my will, that they shall be valued personally by disinterested men, and shall have the privilege of chossing their own master or mistress, who shall be allowed to take them at their valuation, but if none of the legatees will purchase them at said price, they shall be sold to the highest bidder, and the money arising from such sales or sales, divided as the rest of my estate--I allow Elizabeth HAYS, the refusal of one hundred acres of land, which I purchased of John R.H.PALMORE, at one hundred dollars, but if she does not desire to purchase at that price, the land to be sold to the highest bidder as the rest of my property. And whereas I have lent money to Peter and John SIMMERMAN to the amount of $1716.31 in Specie or US paper, I leave it as my will, that my executors, collect said money according to contract, if not collected before my decease. Also a judgement in Salisbry Court, NC against Jerimiah WADE, Senior for five or six hundred dollars, I know not the particular amount, I leave it to Edward WADE, provided he shall see fit to collect said judgment if not any other of the legatees, may collect it for their own use. I leave as the executors of this my will, William B. COOK, Isaac McBEE, Everard CLARK and George B. HARLAND, any one or more of them. Witness my hand and seal this 3rd of September 18224. Ballenger WADE (seal) Teste: Bennet ONEAL, Samuel B. McCOLGAN, Thomas JOHNSTON, Richard WADE, Cumberland County KY I Milton KING, Clerk of the County Court for the County aforesaid, do certify that the within last will and testament of Ballenger Wade deceased was produced in open court at the January term 1825 and proved by the oath of Richard WADE, one of the subscribing witnesses thereto, and ordered to record. And I have truly recorded the same, with this certificate in my office in Will book B page 267. Now here is a bio for Matthew Wade located at http://www.starbase21.com/kybiog/metcalfe/wade.m.txt . Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 3rd ed., 1886. Metcalfe County. MATTHEW WADE was born January 24, 1836, in Barren (now Metcalfe) County, Ky., where he still resides. In the late war he was a member of Company K, Thirteenth Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for about twelve months. He was present at the battle of Shiloh and numerous minor battles and skirmishes. His father, Augustin T. Wade, was born in Cumberland County, Ky., in 1811. He was a son of James Wade, who was a native of Virginia, born about 1780, and of English descent. Augustin Wade, the father of our subject, was twice married; first, about 1832, to Maria, daughter of McKaw [sic] and Mary Bybee, of Barren County. From this union sprang James M., Matthew, Mary J. (Huffman) and John T. His second marriage took place about 1844, with Priscilla Carter. Matthew Wade was married, October 5, 1855, to Elizabeth, daughter of H. A. and Eliza (Hood) Morgan. To them have been born James T., Charles G., Mary E., Eliza M., Henry A., Martha I. (deceased), William A. and Etta B. Mr. Wade has by his own labor become the owner of 100 acres of well improved and productive land, in good condition and a fine state of cultivation, besides having one of the most comfortable homes in Sartain District. He is a member of the United Baptist Church, and in politics is a stanch Republican. I am wondering if the James Wade identified above as father of Augustin Wade and grandfather of Matthew Wade is the son of Ballenger Wade identified in the Ballenger Wade will. An image from the 1820 Cumberland County census at http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ky/cumberland/census/1820/0139.gif lists James Wade and Richard Wade near the bottom of page 139, while the image at http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ky/cumberland/census/1820/0140.gif lists Ballenger Wade 13 households down page 140. James Wade 1 0 0 0 1 0 - 5 1 0 1 0 Richard Wade 2 2 1 1 0 1 - 2 2 1 1 0 Ballenger Wade 0 0 0 1 0 1 - 2 0 0 1 1 Unless there were two Ballenger Wades in Cumberland County during the period 1820-1824 (doubtful) then this appears to be Ballenger and two of his sons: James and Richard. This James would have been between 26-44 years old with a son under 10. Augustin Wade was born in 1811 in Cumberland County, making him 9 in 1820. What do you think? Charlie Hartley (great-great grandson of Matthew's sister, Mary Jane.)