I am trying to find out if the Charles McClain in the 1856 Iowa Census and 1860 US Census is really the son of Joseph and Sarah (Bebout) McClain of Mercer and finally Lawrence Co. in Pennsylvania.

This Charles is most likely the man who is shown in West Lackawannock Twp., Mercer Co., PA in 1850, age 38, a lawyer, with wife Ann, and daughters Olive, Minerva, Lorane, and Lorian. There is a marriage record in Trumbull Co., Ohio for Charles McClain and Anna Acheson of Weathersfield, Jan. 1, 1838. The 1856 Iowa State Census shows this family in Albia, Monroe Co., with Charles 43, farmer, Anna 40, Olive T. 15, Minerva C. 19, Laurena M. 10, Laura A. 7 and Florence E. 4 and states that the family has been in Iowa 1 year.

The 1860 Federal Census reports them still in Albia, Charles, farmer, 46, Anna 44, Minerva 15, Lorain 13, Lucy 11 and Ester 8. However, I have been unable to find any of this family after 1860 or establish the parents of this Charles.

Is anyone else researching this family? I do know that other descendants of Joseph and Sarah (Bebout) McClain were in Albia, Iowa before 1880. Any help would be appreciated. Nancy Smith