MAY 9, 2008 - THIS IS VERY INTERESTING!!

That is very interesting. Is Margaret Elizabeth Mayberry a half sister of Rebecca Jane Peal or of her mother Mary Ashley Withrow? Rebecca Jane Withrow was born to Frederick Withrow & Mary Ashley. Census records puts Mary's birth at about 1830 in Kentucky. Mary Ashley's parents are listed as being born in Mississippi.

If Margaret & Jane Rebecca are indeed half sisters...are they through the father or mother. If they were paternal half sisters then they would share the same maiden name. They have different surnames...Mayberry & Withrow. If they were maternal half sisters through Mary...then Mary had to be 14 or younger married a Mayberry and had Margaret. Not uncommon back then in that area since Margaret Mayberry would have been 15 when she married James Shay.

Also do we still want to assume that the Margaret listed with Frederick & Elizabeth Mayberry in the 1850 census is the same Margaret that is our ancestor? We are getting more answers to our puzzle yet it seems like I have even more questions.

Also I noticed in the census records for Nancy Owens, it lists her father being born in Pennsylvania and mother born in Kentucky. I guess perhaps our James M Shay isn't the son of David Shay & Sarah Warden. Now once again I wonder if they are tied into the Shay family of Sweden Township. If James & Margaret were married in 1859, then they must be in a census somewhere. I will have to search all 1860 census for the surrounding areas of Ballard Co., KY & Scott Co., MO. I wonder why the 1870 & 1880 census has him listed as being from Ohio under his children's details. The census records raises more questions for me than providing me with answers.

Also what is the legal name of our ancestor Jane Shay Heath. Was she born Rebecca Jane Shay and chose to go by her middle name when she reached adulthood. She is called Rebecca when she lived in Missouri and then she was called Jane when she lived in Pennsylvania. The same goes with her step-mother. Was she born Rebecca Jane Withrow or Jane Rebecca Withrow. She also uses alternate names throughout her life. This could get very confusing. However it does make sense on the names being so similar that they were probably related. The 1947 death certificate lists her as Rebecca Jane.

I have more digging to do and look forward to reading the rest of the pension details.