Mini history lesson.... Stephen Ambrose, noted historian who died recently, was the biographer of the Lewis and Clark expedition. His book 'Undaunted Courage' was required reading at my book club. I groaned knowing that it would be a guy book. And It was that. But out of this experience I gained an understanding of my own ancestors. Ambrose noted that over a course of 70 years, there were eleven Lewis and Meriwether marriages. Finally a long overdue truth started to sink in. These two families (Lewis and Meriwether) were not exceptions from this era, instead, these allied families represented the rule, with some some exceptions. In order to illustrate this proven fact, I went through my own database and pulled up every file that I have on TALLY/TALLEY families. The following is a mini demonstration of how these cluster families connect. Please keep in mind, that they are the rule and not the exception. 1. John Tally b 1818 m Thursta HUDSON in VA. Hudsons also married into OVERTON families. Hudsons also married into WINGFIELD families. Wilburns also married into Hudson and Wingfield and Overton families. Fauquier Co VA... 2. TUCKER Tally b 1720 in VA...Wilburns and Tuckers were early VA allied families. Hence Wilburn TUCKER. 3. Amanda Tally b 1827 m William DAVIS...same Davis line that married Wilburns. 4. OVERTON Tally Jr is brother of Amanda TALLY. Overton Tally m Mary WILBURN b 1822 in Halifax, VA. 5. Overton Tally b 1809 in VA and Mary Wilburn TALLY had a daughter, Julia Tally who married WILBURN Warren. (Its my opinion that William Warren Wilburn b 1782 in VA and later died in AR, fits into this Wilburn line and was a brother of Thomas Wingfield Wilburn.) 6. Overton Tally Sr m Mary HUGHES. (same Hughes line that married Wilburns for over 200 years.) 7. Mathew Tally m Mary LEWIS in Wayne Co TN (same Lewis line who married Wilburns)...related also to Meriwether Lewis...appear to be kin to Elliot Wilburn also of Wayne Co TN who was there in 1820. 8. George Tally b 1775 m Sarah Ann COLE in VA 9. Edmund COLE b 1830 in VA m Julia LEWIS Wilburn. All right! Wake up! Wake up! See how much fun this is???? Cheers Vikky Any questions??? let me know. Any additional info??? Please let me hear from you too. Thanks