This and the three more parts to follow are transcriptions of correspondence received my my grandmother, Gabriella Harriet WISE GROAT 53 years ago. I have transcribed it mostly just as written, with only minor spelling and punctuation changes. This is the majority of my WISE information. I have had no luck at all in tracing this line beyond what is in this letter and its enclosures. Cover letter: New London, Mo. May 11th 1944 Dear Cousin Gabriella-- Just think, you are my Mother's 1st cousin and we have never seen you. One time, when I was a baby, Grandma Hays (Mary Jane Wise Hays) and Mamma went to Kansas to visit the relations, and she recalls quite a bit about that visit. I am so glad to get in touch with you, and so is she. I feel like you may be able to tell me a great deal that I want to know. I am sending you a very brief outline of the line, and in it you will see what I wish to know. But first, your letter. Thomas J. Wise (Sr.) was born in Mason Co., Ky--not in Virginia. Grandma Hays has that written in her Bible in her own handwriting. His father, John Wise married Mary Shotwell, his mother, in Mason Co. Ky. Jan. 20, 1799 & he (Thos) was born Jan. 19, 1806. See pages 1 & 5 of notes. But--I am sure the Wise family came from Virginia and no doubt John Wise was born there. The late Henry A. Wise, Gov. of Va., is descended from the Wises of Virginia, and I am glad to hear you say your father told you that he was a near relative. That will give us something to work on. John Wise came to Va. in 1635--he is the immigrant ancestor of Henry A. Wise--whose line goes down this way: John (1), John (2), John (3), John (4) m. Margaret Douglas, and had Major John (5) Wise, married twice and his 5th child by his 2nd m. was Henry A. Wise born 1806--the same year our Thos. J. Wise was born. Major John (5) Wise by his 1st wife had only one son to leave issue, John James Wise b. 1794--then Henry A. by his 2nd wife and a John Cropper Wise. The marriage bond of John Wise has his father as Adam Wise. If we can find who John Wise's mother was it would help. I can't even tell by the names of their children. John Wise had a sister Catherine (or Elizabeth), b. in Virginia, but descendants don't know where. I have wondered about a probable 2nd marriage for John Wise, father of T. J. Sr. You say he was about to marry again and the 4 children--Abigail, Priscilla, T. J. and John S. came to Mo. In 1828 Eliza Wise Wheeler, Ann Wise Dobyns, Mrs. J. Wise, Abigail Wise, Wm. Wise and Priscilla Wise were living in St. Louis Co., Mo., Eliza and Ann having married in Mason Co., Ky. and at this time, Lydia Wise Burgess and John Wise Jr. (John S. Wise b. 1823) were still in Mason Co., Ky. You see at this date 1828, Thos. J. was only 22 yrs. old and John S. only 5. Priscilla evidently went back to Kentucky, for she married Ransom Jones there in 1834, Sep. 5. They must have come to St. Louis County with their older sisters--Eliza Wise Wheeler and Ann Wise Dobyns. I am enclosing a page on children of Aunt Abbie Wise Wimer--will you check it, add what you know and return it to me. Was this Lizzie Dobbins Goldsmith the dau. of Ann Wise Dobyns (Dobbins)--and your father's 1st cousin? Do you know the address of any of these kin to whom I may write for information. I am sending you pages one - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 & 6 and an Xtra p. 6 which I wish you to return, answering all the questions you can about Thos. J. Wise family. Can you tell me what the initials are in the various middle names--Abbie A. Wise, Gabie S. Wise, John S. Wise, etc. I have (family notes) that Chas. W. Wise was born Dec. 10, 1840 in Macon Co., Mo. Is this right? I wish you would check all my notes and then comment and add what you can. Check page 5 and let me know if you know any more than this. Check page 6 also. I was in Denver in 1915--Aunt Annie, my mother's sister, and I. If I had known you were there, we would have looked you up. You must have been born in Mo.--where? Am sorry I have been so long answering your nice letter. Mamma sends her love to her unknown cousin. Cordially, Nell Downing Norton 5/17/44 (Continued in Part 2)