Dear Belinda and other Wooten researchers: <James Shadrach Wooten 1816/1861> <Martha J. Hardy 1825/1902> <Their children:> <John Sutton Wooten (1856/1947)> <Martha F. Wooten (1859/****) m.Sansing> <Rosa Wooten (****/****) m.Aycock> When I saw the name Sutton in your query regarding MS, I started thinking. I’ve done a great deal of research on MS for my Durley/ Tarkington lines. There are numerous reels of microfilm held in the permanent file at the LDS/FHC. I’ll scan them when I have some free time. The Hardy surname was quite often listed in connection with my other ancestors. I found a Sutton Hardy, as well as a Hardy Sutton, who could be the same person. In fact, the man mortgaged every slave he had to start a bank c1830*40. He was also in a slightly shady land deal under cover of the New York & Mississippi Land Company. He bought many hundreds of acres of land from the Chickasaw Indians for a penny an acre and resold it for a huge profit. I’m always going off on these wild-goose-chases. There were no early Hardy wills probated according to my Mississippi Index of Wills covering 1800/1900. <A.H.1883/John H. 1873/ Mumford 1891> Betty Wiltshire, who compiled the book, noted that it was often the practice in Mississippi to file the will in the state and county of the heir instead of the testator. Weird, huh? Just a guess, but I’ll bet the parents of Martha J.Hardy were from NoCar. Here are the results of my search of Johnston County NC. I was disappointed because the films only yielded one bona fide find--Jesse Wooten’s 1812 will. If anyone would like a photocopy of this LW&T, I have it. It's short and to the point. JOHNSTON CTY NC #975.641 1752*59 James bot land 1759 Jessey witnessed 1764 Dempsey witnessed 1767 James & Faithe witnessed Speight deed 1769 Thomas of Orange Cty bot land 1770*71 Thomas mentioned 1775 James and Faithe his wif deed 1787 Mary md.Benjamin Hill 1808 Berry Wooten bondsman for marriages 1809 Wm. md. Winifred O’Neal 1812 LW&T Jesse Wooten-w.1806. Wife not named, presumed dead. Sons: Wm., Benny/Berry, Sherrod. 1815 LW&T Wm. Wooten-proved Note-this document mentioned in court minutes, but can’t find actual LW&T 1825 Sarah md.Dan’l Whitley 1845 Sarah md.Thomas Egerton #59. Jesse Wooten b. ****/d.1812-Johnston NC m. May Berry (d.prior 1806) wife not proved in LW&T LW&T (w.1806/p.1812) wife not named, sons: William, Sherrod & Benny/Berry Children of Jesse Wooten & May Berry: i. Jesse Jr (not named in father’s will) ii. William iii. Sherrod iv. Berry v. Mary (not named in father’s will) -- Sharleen Johnson Rhinock Ooltewah (a suburb of Chattanooga) TN [email protected]