I just found out that my g-g-grandfather, William Thomas, was born in Wales, St. Clair, Michigan. I have not been able to take this line back past him, but I was looking in Wales the country, so just re-focused. . I can't verify the Michigan angle, but I know that William Thomas was born in Sept 1827. In 1851, he married Rebecca Layton, who was a native of Pennsylvania. William had 4 children, John, Daniel, Polly, and Jordan (my great-grandfather). He joined the Union army, and died April 1864 at Fort Monroe in Virginia.

William is not in the Pennsylvania census until 1860, so it makes sense that he was elsewhere. I am thinking that sometime he came back east, but I have no clue as to family.

Any help or confirmation would be appreciated.

Gail (Thomas, Layton, Bourdess/Burdess, Oaks/Oakes)