Thanks for the quick reply, I really appreciate it. Frankly, I've been away from my genealogy stuff for so long that I can't answer your question about "Robert Haills" withj any degree of certainty. The identification may have been a piece of guesswork based on a combination of a bit of research and frustration! Frankly, I like your information about the probate records.

I have a copy of the guardianship record for John Haills, Sr. in Warren Co., MS, dtd 1840. Thus, John had to be under the age of 21 which would give him a DOB circa 1820. Not knowing who his father or mother were, I assumed a DOD about 1820, or so. With that in mind, your probate record for John Haile in 1816 fits rather well. It appears likely that "William Robertson" probably moved from SC to MS and subsequently renewed the guardianship there.

Based on the literacy and spellings of the time, the "Haile" name is okay: "John Lyde" was John and Ruth Haile's son. That surname could easily have been corrupted -- if when written in cursive and the "e" were elongated to look like an "l" and an apostrophe overlooked -- the name "Haills" comes about, a perfectly good English name. This, of course, is pure conjecture on my part.

There was a "Robert HAILLS" in the Lumberton, NC area in the last 1790s, however. He was the High Sheriff as I recall. His name appeared in the 1790 census (I think) and the enumerator of that census was a young man who was going to college. From that bit of history I inferred the "HAILLS" spelling was probably correct. I probably (incorrectly) linked "John Lyde" lineage to "Robert." Who knows? As I wrote before, I like your "facts" a lot better than my "assumptions."

I've bored you and whomever reads this missive in the future long enough. If you'd like to follow up further on some minutiae, why don't you give me a phone call at your convenience. My numbers are 501-922-5296 and/or 501-0209-0547 (cell). If you will be calling, please send me an e-mail to: harveymc@suddenlink.net. TGhat way, I'll be sure to be home to take the phone call. (By the way, that goes for whomever reads this message).

Thanks again for your rapid reply and also for your patience in plowing through this message.

Harvey