Many thanks to the researchers who went well beyond the call of duty in responding -- on and off list -- to my request for an 1850 census lookup. By creatively expanding the search, they confirmed pretty conclusively that I have the right family even though I still have a troublesome initial in the transcriptions. (That is very likely a transcription error.) If anyone else comes up with something on the NICKELL-ASHLEY connection in Fayette County, I will be grateful, but I won't be able to respond for about a week. Good hunting. Alexander Higgins