This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DFC.2ACI/2212.1 Message Board Post: I have that Elias Richards was born about 1835-1838 in Wood County, (W)VA m Martha P Sprouse on 20 Feb 1868 in Wood County, WV. From the 1880 Census of Wood County, WV I have that Martha was born in 1846 and they had the following children: Josephine b 1869 Nancy b 1870 Absolom b 1872 Laura Virginia b 1873 Amos G b 1874 Martha E b 1876 Hester E b 1877 Stephen S b Sep 1879 All children were born in WV indicating their parents were born in VA (which was probably the area of VA before 1863 that is now WV). Elias was the son of Otho Richards b 1783 d aft 1850 and Rebecca M Dotson b 1814. I do not know the ancestry of Otho Richards, but I believe (not proven) that Rebecca M Dotson was the daughter of Emmanuel Dotson b 1784 and Mary Redick b 1765-1784. Emmanuel Dotson was the son of Richard Dotson b 10 Jan 1752 and Mary Franks. Richard Dotson's ancestry is not certain at all. Some say he was a son of Thomas Dotson b 4 Nov 1731 in Northumberland, PA and Frances Minor. There has been a lot of disagreement about this connection. If it is correct, then our ancestry goes back into the Washington Family of VA where President George Washington connects. This is because Frances Minor is a daughter of John Minor b 22 Feb 1697/98 and Anne Washington b Sep 1659 d bet 1697-1698. Hope this might be of some help. Wayne