Hello to all and thanks for all help given. On the census records from Benton Co (Hernando)1870 Florida, there is my great, great great, grandfather. His name was Lewis and his wifes name was Sarah. He was 48 at the time and she was 40. They were white and had three children: James (14)called J.D. in 1880 census, Jackson (9) called Jack, and Elizabeth (6). According to the census Lewis and Sarah were from Georgia (however the 1880 census put Lewis from South Carolina). Each of the three children was born in Florida. Which places Lewis and Sarah in Florida in 1856.
I need to place family members in Florida in 1845 in order to be eligible to to get a Pioneer Certificate from the State of Florida. Any help anyone can give me would be appreciated. Do you know of any GASKINS (white) in any surrounding areas (central to north Florida) prior to 1856? I would surely appreciate any help you could give. Thank you Faye Gaskin Smith