We are double cousins - through our 4g-grandparents (the unidentified parents of David and Jane Bunch), and through William Roberts and Ann Vandergriff (my 4g-grandparents, David Bunch's first wife Lucy Roberts' grandparents). Lucy Roberts being David Bunch's first wife is supported by the will of her father Jacob Roberts/Roberds listing "the heirs of Lucy Bunch", the published biography of her brother William G. Roberts showing her as a sister, the 1840 census listing David Bunch next to his father-in-law Jacob Roberts, and an old letter from a descendant of Mary Ann Bunch (Myers) listing Elizabeth Jane as her sister and their mother as a Roberts.

I actually just finished a temorary job in Texas and am headed home, but am stopping along the way to do some research in Rusk and Grayson counties. I started over 10 years ago knowing only that my 3g-grandmother was Jane Bunch and my 2g-grandfather William Mattison Roberts/Robbirds/Robirds stayed with an uncle in Grayson County, Texas during the Civil War. Trying to dismantle this brick wall has been a huge challenge. David Bunch is somehow related to the Howeths, but I can't confirm how. The Roberts/Vandergriffs were Howeth neighbors in 1800 Grainger County, TN and again in the 1830s in Hamilton County. David Bunch moved to Texas with the Howeths, and followed them to Rusk County, Texas and then to Grayson County. If you check the 1870 census for Cooke County, Texas you can find David Howeth (son of John Howeth and his second wife Eunice) near Jane (Bunch)(Blue) Jones, and her sister Malinda "Buch" in the houshold of William W. Howeth who is listed next to his uncle John Howeth.

Any information you would like to share would be much appreciated.

Dan Robirds
(myname) (at) yahoo.com