Dear Robert,
Thanks for your reply to my message this morning in response to Anna's forwarding of the link to me. Unfortunately, I did not retain a copy of my message assuming it would appear on this forum. It's out there somewhere but pm on another link. To reiterate and to establish a information trail so that my cousin Ana can be plugged in on this forum, James Carroll Napier is cited as an Uncle to my Great Grandmother Sophia Napier Watkins. Sophia's mother was Chaney Napier who is reported in the 1870 Census as living with the John Nance family, Courtland AL. On this census data she is listed as a widow with her two daughters (Sophia and Laura Napier, who I know nothing of at the moment. John Nance, according to the 1870 Cenus data was head of household, with his wife, Francis and children (Alfonso, Mary and Johnson Nance) listed.

Subsequently 1880 census data (now Limestone AL) lists Nance family members as :HHH- John Nance, wife: Francis children: Alfonso, Johnson, Mary, Emma, Robert and Sama or Sara (??.)So the Nance, Napier and Watkins family are connected.

According to the 1880 Colber County (Tuscumbia) AL census, Sophia Napier Watkins (now married to my Great Grandfather Reverend Fred W. Watkins, Tuscumbia AL) of which GGGmother Chaney (Fred's mother in law) is living with them and resided with them until her death sometime between the 1880 and 1900 census (as you know there are no 1890 census data which was lost to fire at federal level. With Rev. Fred and Sophia Watkins having had 13 children of which more than half died in Louisiana to swamp fever, one of the daughters of this union Ella Victoria Watkins (my late Aunt) passed info down to her daughter who subsequently forwarded family history to her nephew citing James Carroll Napier as Sophia Napier Watkins' Uncle. So I am assuming that one of James C. Napier's brothers married GGGmother Chaney. But who her husband is still a mystery to me. One other interesting fact is that Great Grandmother Sophia Napier Watkins had a brother- Tom Napier who died in Pleasant Hill Missouri in 1901. There is a Hattie Napier who is part of this equation who is probably a GGGGrandmother which is where my Grandmother received her name (one of the daughters of Rev Fred and Sophia Watkins). She was named Hattie Missouri Watkins before she married and became a Snyder. Our ancestors assigned geographic markers part and parcel of the naming ritual thus, my Grandmother, Hattie Missouri Watkins was named after a Hattie Napier who also lived in Pleasant Hill Missouri. No more information on her however is available at the moment.

Based on Anna's forum input, Jane E (Elizabeth) Napier, wife of William Carroll Napier was formerly a Watkins. As per the 1870 Cenus (Davidson County TN) there is an 85 year old Rebecca Watkins living in the household of William C. and Jane E Napier. Mother Rebecca Watkins is listed as originating from Maryland.

James Carroll Napier, one of the sons of this union married Nettie Langston whose father was John Mercer Langston, Dean of Howard University's Law School. Now the question for me is who is Carroll Napier Langston and what is the connection to the rest of the Napier/Watkins/Nance puzzle?

Apologies for the information overload but when I've got some facts I share it as extensively as I can as it might just be the pieces that bridge genealogical gaps. In the end we all benefit. Grateful for your thoughts and how we can look at the pictures and any other pieces of data that might solve these mysteries thrust upon us. thrust upon us.

Thanks and best regards. Tom McKnight

P.S. If the responses become too voluminous, you can also copy me on the following email address: tom_mcknight@hotmail.com