Thanks for the opportuntiy to post a query with a broad Wooten group because I recently learned that the Wooten family may be more important in my research than I had originally anticipated. My ancestor, Samuel Daniel, was from a family of eight children including Walter, William, himself, John, Martha, Sarah, Elizabeth Y. and Henrietta. Since his eldest brother Walter married in 1804 using the Daniel surname, his sister Martha (Patsy Wooten) married in 1803 using the Daniel surname, I had assumed that the William Daniel who married Elizabeth Wooten in 1806 was his second brother. All the children appeared to have been close in age with marriages being between 1803 and 1810, all in Mecklenburg Co., VA. However, I recently learned that there is the good possibility that the William Daniel who married Elizabeth Wooten was not a young man marrying a young woman but the supposed father, William Daniel, marrying a widow with eight children!! And, she died within the year. If this is the case, all eight of these children should have Wooten for a surname instead of the Daniel they used. The possibility exists that Elizabeth Wooten lived with William Daniel and his mother for many years before they married. (1) In 1792, William Daniel had a public apology to his neighbor Sarah Jones recorded in the deed books of Mecklenburg Co. (2) Obviously the children thought of themselves as Daniel as all those marrying used it as their surname. (3) Elizabeth Wooten died shortly after marrying William Daniel. Did she marry him to safeguard the children? (4) Was Elizabeth Wooten really a widow or was she an abandoned or divorced wife? A Wooten was married to the Brame that bought part of the William Daniel property in Mecklenburg Co., and a John Wooten bought another piece that sold. There were John, Samuel & William Wooten on the tax roll of 1787 in Mecklenburg Co., VA, but I can find nothing that fits this scenario either with Elizabeth as a daughter or as a wife. Any information, ideas, old stories, etc. will be greatly appreciated. Cecilia Michel