Mr. Fox, I can see from your postings here and at genforum that you are working diligently to clear up the Box family. So I do hope you can help me, too.

I wrote previously that I'm a Goodwin researcher, not a Box family researcher. There were at least two waves of Goodwins who moved from Laurens/Union Districts, SC to Franklin Co., TN. In both of these groups, there is an apparent connection of family members in Pendleton District, SC before the arrivals in Franklin County, TN.

Also,it seems there is a similarity in the documentable migration for Box families and of Goodwin families from upper SC to Franklin Co., TN around 1810, plus or minus a decade. It appears, from what I've seen here and from what I can determine with Internet searches, that Box researchers accept that a Robert Box married Jane Goodwin [time and place of marriage uncertain].

I guess I'm not understanding the postings above regarding Elizabeth Jones, with the old research involving a deed tying Elizabeth Jones of Laurens Co., SC to Elizabeth Jones in Franklin Co., TN [and identifying the said Elizabeth as being mother both of Jane Goodwin and of Sarah Goodwin.]

This is the quotation I don't understand--
"Deed Book A , page 340 Laurens Co. S. C. John Goodwin sold to Elizabeth Jones ( her first husband was a Goodwin and this John is probably her son) 70 acres for 5 shillings, love and indebtedness. Witnesses were : Robert Box, Samuel Neighbors, Robert Box Jr. dated 1786. Elizabeth Jones has been found in Franklin Co TN records and she was Robert Box Jr's mother -in Law. Her daughter, Jane Goodwin married Robert Box Jr. After the death of her daughter, Jane . Elizabeth Jones went with another son in law , David McLeroy ( Muckleroy) and his wife Sarah Goodwin McLeroy to Nacogdoches, Tex in 1837."

I posted earlier that there is extant documentation showing the Elizabeth Jones who was mother-in-law to David Muckleroy was the remarried widow of Jesse Goodwin of Franklin Co., TN.

Jesse Goodwin wrote his will in 1825, identifying his wife as Elizabeth Goodwin, and naming 3 of his sons, one of whom was James R. Goodwin. Other children were not mentioned by name. Then in February 1833, the widow, now the wife of John Jones, settled with her children and did NOT include a Jane nor a Box as an heir. She made no settlement on grandchildren, either. She did name in the settlement "Nancy Graham, wife of John F. Graham" and "Sarah Muckleroy, wife of David Muckleroy." She also mentioned, among other sons, James Goodwin [and included the names of the other 2 sons specified by Jesse Goodwin].

According to tombstone and census records in Texas, Nancy Goodwin Graham was born 1819, James R. Goodwin in 1820, and Sarah Goodwin Muckleroy in 1806 or 1807. Surely, if Mrs. Elizabeth _____ (Goodwin) Jones gave birth to James R. Goodwin in 1820, she must have been born, herself, in 1770 or later - and most women of that time lost fertility in their earlier 40s, so she more likely was born 1775 or later. The eldest woman in Jesse Goodwin's 1820 census listing was aged 26-45, agreeing with her birth being 1775 or later.

How could the woman who was mother-in-law to David Muckleroy and identified in the Muckleroy family records as the Elizabeth Jones on the migration to Texas - a woman born 1770 or later - have been old enough to be identical to the woman getting the Laurens County land in 1786?

Besides, according to the wording of the deed of conveyance to her children, the remarriage of the Muckleroy mother-in-law must have happened between 1825 and 1833, so how could the woman going to Texas already have been Elizabeth Jones in 1786?

This leads me to ask a second question.

Since I am not a Box family researcher, please bear with me for my ignorance. I know that the Robert Box of SC and TN left a will in Franklin Co., TN. That Robert Box will listed his sons by name. A few of the later names were a bit unusual, including Goodwin, Micajah, and Neely. The son named Goodwin might suggest that his given name came from a family surname. But what is the actual evidence used as proof that this Robert Box's wife Jane formerly was Jane Goodwin?

I would really appreciate any assistance in sorting out this tangle.