Acknowledgments

May I first thank each and every family member who participated in this arduous task through your responding with family records, lending your support through your interest, patience, forbearance, and encouragement, and showing many kindnesses, one of which has been a nominal sum of money some of you contributed to help with incidental expenses. All of you have helped to make this book a reality. Please accept a deeply grateful thank you.

We each owe Dorothy Edmonson a debt of thanks, who, after three years of research and a written account of her findings, has enriched our heritage by contributing our great grandmother's (Mary Crews Bell) paternal families; that is, the Claiborne Family, the Gooch Family, and the Crews Family.
Our eldest family members are appreciated for their "recollections" and "reminiscences" and for the genealogical facts they related to be recorded for posterity. They not only have enriched our heritage they also have enriched my life.

An acknowledgment of deep gratefulness is expressed to Perry and Doris (Bell) McGlynn and to Leon and Peggy Bell for their many contributions; to name a few: for their support and encouragement, scouting for cemeteries and ferreting out tombstones and tabulating the data, for money contributions, and to Perry for mimeographing the numerous forms and letters sent to family members.

Another expression of gratitude goes to Bill Nance and Perry McGlynn for their research and the material they contributed for Part I, Chapter One and Chapter Two. Also, I am grateful to Bill Nance for contributing part of the Peter Bell family and the updated Thomas Bell land map.
A very humble and deep "thank you" is due my anonymous giver who has consistently mailed money twice a month for over two years. There has been financial need, and some months my anonymous giver afforded the "Manna" from Heaven! Thank you.

The compiler is indebted to the many people who gave advice and assistance with interest and patience: in South Carolina, the State Archives and the South Carolinian Library at Columbia, the Laurens County Library and County court house at Laurens; in Alabama the Genealogy Department of the Birmingham Public Library and the Genealogy Department of the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa; in Mississippi the Lowndes County Public Library and the Mississippi University of Women Library at Columbus; also, to the personnel of the other county court houses, newspaper offices, church offices, and the National Archives at Washington, D. C.

In addition, special thanks go to the persons who have graciously accepted the responsibility for the mechanics of preparing the book for publication. A thank you to Mrs. Rowena Blalock, whose supportive efforts and diligent work of editing this book have added to the finished product. A tribute of deepest appreciation to Mrs. Barbara (Parham) Wright who has typed the major portion of the book. Her patience and forbearance, in coping with the difficulties of typing genealogical facts and in deciphering my hand writing, and her moral support have been a crutch upon which I have leaned. Thank you, Barbara. A thank you, also, to the other persons who have contributed their time, effort, and support to this project. They are Mrs. Lyveta Barnes and Miss Barbara House, who helped type the first draft, Mrs. Penny Coleman and Mrs. Sarah Shelton, who typed part of the copy for the publisher, to Mrs. Robert (Beth) Waldrop for penning the title of the book (page i) and to Mrs. Neil (Lena Sue) Prater who gave her time, effort and expertise to help compile the Index.

An expression of gratitude goes to Mrs. Betty Wood Thomas, Certified Genealogist, and to Mr. Richard Lackey, Certified Genealogist, for their advice, suggestions, and encouragement.

To Mr. LOUIS CARR HENRY a special word of thanks is appropriate for his records of the early generations made this part of the compilation a reality. Carr's interest in genealogy for the most part was for his own pleasure and satisfaction, a hobby like unto a jig-saw puzzle searching, finding and placing missing links. He enjoyed swapping facts with other researchers and with interested family members who in turn made these records available to the compiler. Carr made available for this compilation a select number of his records, and gave guidance where to find specific documents. Throughout the years 1980 and 1981 he contributed many facts during telephone conversations; also, he suggested the Title for this compilation. Will each of the family members who is recorded in this book be assured we all owe Carr Henry a debt of gratitude for his generosity in sharing his knowledge.

Note: Louis Carr Henry died in January, 1983 (see Chapter Ten). He has left his footprints throughout this compilation, and he has left his stamp very deeply upon my heart. In his memory, thank you, Carr.

Following Carr's death his wife, Dorothy, has been most kind and generous with her time and effort in complying to this compiler's requests for specific information and documentation from Carr's records. Thank you, Dorothy.

To my brother, George Richard Williams, who contributed The Sacred Circle: Thank you, Buddy.

And my thanks to God for walking with me every step of the way. By my staying attuned and listening, God has given to me the strength and mental alertness to reach the goals as set forth at the beginning of this book. I believe He has blessed this Ancestral Book. We, most of all, owe God a prayer of Thanks.

To our printers, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Allmond, thank you for your interest, cooperation, and the painstaking effort you have made in giving our family a heritage book that does honor to our ancestors.