(please forgive if you get two of these ... in addition to sending this to the list, I'm "blind-copying" to all of my Grief Whittington cousin researchers as some are not on the list) My g-g-grandfather was John D. Whittington and I would like to have better proof that he was a son of Elisha Whittington, son of Grief Whittington. It has been "known" in our family that he was a descendant of Melina Dalton Whittington who was, at one time, a wife of Elisha Whittington, son of Grief Whittington, RS. We have established, through land transactions, that his middle name was Dalton, possibly indicating a relationship to Melina (there being no other instances we have found of the Dalton name being in the Whittington line other than descendants of Melina Dalton Whittington). We have a court document naming his son, Dalton Earnest Whittington, as an heir of Melina Whittington's estate. (Suit No. 250 in the 76th Judicial District Court, Liberty County, Texas, E.F. Moore of Sterns County Minnesota vs. unknown heirs of Melina Whittington). Does this "prove" that he was a son of Melina ?? ... note that Dalton Earnest Whittington would be the grandson of Melina. Does this "prove" that he was a son of Elisha Whittington ?? we think the first husband of Melina ? Elisha's first marriage to Melina Dalton in 1824 is well documented. What many do not show is his having children by Mary Milam (were they married ??) before his "second" marriage to Lucinda Futch. My John D. Whittington was b. 1824/25, certainly making it possible he was and early child of their marriage. Mabel Thompson, in her book "Looking Back; A Narrative History of Bayou Chicot", p. 18, lists a son John by his marriage to Mary Milam, but there are no dates and no other information given in her book about this John Whittington. ... and she lists only one child for Elisha's marriage to Melina -- Harbert. If this John is my g-g-grandfather -- and the son of Mary Milam, then how could his son, Dalton Earnest Whittington, be named in a suit against the heirs of Melina Dalton Whittington? It would fit my family's information if the John from Mabel's book were actually a child of Melina Dalton and Elisha. Our John Dalton Whittington was born ca 1824 in Rapides Parish (date and place taken from his marriage license) -- which could make him the eldest child of Elisha and Melina. My John D. Whittington first married Dorcas ALLEN JUN 12 1849, which could explain why he doesn't show up on the 1850 census of Elisha's family. We know nothing about Dorcas or any children they may have had. He married second Delaware Princess Dangerfield JUN 29 1854 in New Orleans and their family is listed on the 1870 census of St. Landry Parish, so they are in the right place and time to be related to Grief's descendants. This evidence that our John D. Whittington was a son of Elisha's seems weak to me, at this point. Yes, his son, Dalton Earnest Whittington, was named as an heir to Melina, Elisha's first wife, but couldn't he have been an heir through some other way than being a grandson of Melina Dalton Whittington? It seems unlikely to me that this legal relationship could have come from any other manner than that John was a son of Melina's, but perhaps he was her child before she married Elisha?? It just bothers me that we have no other evidence -- and that Elisha apparently named a later-born child John -- the John that Mabel Walker lists as a child of Elisha and Mary Milam (but, perhaps this is an error ... she had no other information on this person). Mabel's book also shows that Jane and Ann Eliza were the daughters of Mary Milam and Elisha -- but the dates are curious ... they being born circa 1828 and 1829 .... Elisha alleging that Melina didn't leave him until 1831 ??? This is a synopsis of what I think most generally agree to: Elisha & Melina Dalton (m. 1824) - Harbert (1825-ca 1853) Elisha & Mary Milam (m. ???? 1828 ???) **** - JOHN (could this be my John D. Whittington ??) - Jane (ca 1828-) - Ann Elizabeth (ca 1829-) - Elisha David (1834-1918) - Mary Josephine (1834-1877) ** (note problem here .... Elisha D. shown b. March 1834 and Mary Josephine shown b. August 1834 did Mary have children only 6 months apart ??????) Elisha & Lucinda Futch (m. 1836) - Martha (1838-1912) - Melissa Ann (1841-aft 1881) - Mordella (1849-1915) - Leona (ca 1851-1922) - Tobias (ca 1853-1935) - Mary Luvina (1855-1936) - Thomas F. (ca 1857-1900) - Sarah Viola (1859-1934) - Ethan A. (ca 1864-1941) ============================================================ If you will permit me, I would like to toss out some slight variations on the above for your rumination & comments: 1802-1806 ... Elisha was born (58 on 1860 St. Landry census and 64 on the 1870 census). JUL 1824 ... marriage to Melina Dalton ?? 1824 ... *assumption*: John Dalton born to Elisha & Melina 1825 ... Harbert born ?? 1828 ... *assumption*: Jane born ?? 1829 ... *assumption*: Ann Elizabeth born bef 1831 ... *assumption*: Ida born (this is a sister I was told he had .... but I'm not certain of her) JUN 1831 ... the date Elisha alleges Melina abandoned him ?? 1831 ... *assumption*: marriage to Mary Milam ?? 1831-1836 ... Jane and/or Ann Elizabeth could fit here if the birthdates we have for them are in error 1834 ... Mary Josephine born 1834 ... Elisha David born MAR 1836 ... divorce filed against Melina JUL 1836 ... marriage to Lucinda Futch .... the rest of the children alleged born to Lucinda and Elisha seem well-documented ... MAY 1837 ... divorce from Melina finalized JUN 1849 ... John D. Whittington m. Dorcas ALLEN in Avoyelles Parish JUN 1854 ... John D. Whittington m. Delaware DANGERFIELD in New Orleans Some have said that Elisha was a womanizer and was making babies by several women at the same time. This is certainly implied by the first set of data. Going on the assumption that, being a supposedly respected citizen and deacon in his church, Elisha probably could not have openly displayed the loose morals more common to our own time. All the churches of that time I know about would remove a member known to be living immorally. .... and I assume that the reason he wasn't disciplined for marrying Lucinda before his divorce from Melina was finalized was because the divorce was probably considered only a formality -- the marriage having ended several years before ????? ... but then how did he get by with having children with Mary Milam .... were they living without benefit of a formal marriage? Did they have a church wedding and not record it? My intent in all this is to discover my family heritage, and especially the line of John D. Whittington, my g-g-grandfather, and not to disparage anyone's memory. I welcome your comments or other information. Tom Cloud <[email protected]>