I am looking for anyone who can tell me something about Nancy Hiner and Alice Magby who lived in Palo Alto, Chickasaw Co., Mississippi at the time of the 1860 census.

Nancy Hiner is listed as a farmer, Age 57, and born in Georgia. In her household the only other persons are three children who had the Warren surname:

John Warren, Age 9, b. MS
Rhody Warren, Age 7, b. MS
Lester Warren, Age 5, b. MS

Next door is a family headed by an Alice Magby, age 58 and born in North Carolina. She is also evidently a widow as she is given the occupation of farmer. Alice has three of her own children--Vardry Magby, Age 35; Walter Magby, Age 22; and Kate Magby, Age 20. Also in this household are three more Warren surnamed children:

Vardry Warren, Age 19, b. MS
Lydia Warren, Age 14, b. MS
Alice Warren, Age 12, b. MS

Are these two sets of Warren's siblings? Note that the unusual name of Vardry occurs in both the Warren and Magby children.

I would like to know how both of these women came to be what appears to be guardians of the Warren children. There is no apparent trace of any of these people, except John Warren, in the 1870 and later cenusues. I am trying to establish the identity of the parents of John Warren.

Thanks