My biggest brick wall: Helena Eleanor Birgitta WALLACE born 14 Aug 1748 Father: A. Dornell WALLACE Mother: LYON/LYONS (given name unknown) Father's birthplace given as Elderslie, Renfrewshire, Scotland in family records but not confirmed with primary documentation. Helena and her parents are reported to have returned to Scotland soon after her birth and then to have arrived in what is now Pensacola, Florida in 1754 (age of four years). I have not found any listing of WALLACE in the Spanish records for this area, and there were few settlers in Pensacola at that time. It was basically a small fort manned by no more than a 100 military types. I did find that a massive hurricane hit the Pensacola area that year, so possibly Helena and her parents (and siblings?) were headed for New Orleans and came ashore in Pensacola as a result of the hurricane. I don't find any Wallace that fits the timeframe in other Spanish records I have checked for the Natchez district. Family records note that Helena married Thomas BERWICK April 14, 1768 (her 20th birthday) in Charleston, South Carolina. But there is no documentation. A petition filed by BERWICK for a land grant in the Natchez District about the time of the wedding states that he's waiting for family to arrive from Charleston, including family members of Helena in his petition. After their marriage, Thomas and Helena were in the Attakapas and Opelousas Districts of Louisiana for the rest of their lives. The only reference I find to any possible family member of Helena is to a Joshua Wallace relating to a land sale between the two men that required Joshua Wallace to build a fairly substantial house on the piece of property with the further restriction that Wallace would have to leave the property at the end of three years if Berwick asked him to. Dornell is an unusual given name; I am assuming it may be his mother's maiden name. I have no clue about what the "A" stands for (and it would be a whole lot easier to identify him if I knew!) Help, suggestions, would be very much welcomed. Helena is my 4th great grandmother; more importantly, she was a fascinating woman and I'd like to learn more about where she came from. Catharine Vinson [email protected]