Many secondary sources show Ann as born in 1818 and as a daughter of Margaret BEAM, but was this date biased by not recognizing that Jonas had a prior wife?

1.  LDS.  Family Search: Internet Genealogy Service: IGI - International Genealogical Index (online at FamilySearch.org).

Jonas RUDISILL Spouse: Mary "Polly" SEAGLE Marriage: 07 Jul 1812 <North Carolina> Source: patron submission

Jonas RUDASALL Spouse: Margaret BEAM Marriage: 04 Feb 1817, Lincoln, North Carolina Source: An Index to Marriage Bonds Filed in the North Carolina State Archives. North Carolina. Division of Archives and History.

Mary M. RUDISILL; Birth: 11 Dec 1819; Death: 30 Dec 1894 Lavina RUDISILL; Birth: 22 Aug 1825; Death: 24 Jun 1905 Jonas Eli RUDISILL; Birth: 11 Apr 1829; Death: 25 Nov 1897 Location: Lincoln, North Carolina Father: Jonas RUDISILL; Mother: Margaret BEAM Source: patron submissions

2.  1820 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #22 of 27; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1820

NC

Lincoln [now Gaston] Co.

West of the South Fork of the Catawba River

Roll M33_83

p. 332

Ln. 6

Jonas Rudisale

200010-30100-0-000

no slaves

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
2 males	9 or under	1810-1820	= Son A
1 male	26-44	1775-1794	= Jonas
3 females	9 or under	1810-1820	= Mary (b. 1819) = Ann (b. 1812-17) = Daughter A
1 female	16-25	1794-1804	= Margaret (b. 1794)

He is the only Jonas RUDISILL (or variation) in North Carolina.

3.  1830 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #117-118 of 214; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1830

NC

Lincoln [now Gaston] Co.

Roll 122

p. 213

Ln. 25

Jonas Rudisell

111 100 100 - 122 101

no slaves

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 male	4 or under	1825-1830	= Jonas Eli (b. 1829)
1 male	5-9	1820-1825	= Son C
1 male	10-14	1815-1820	= Son B
1 male	15-19	1810-1815	= Son A
1 male	40-49	1780-1790	= Jonas
1 female	4 or under	1825-1830	= Daughter B
2 females	5-9	1820-1825	= Lavina (b. 1825) = Margaret (b. 1822)
2 females	10-14	1815-1820	= Mary (b. 1819) = Ann (b. 1812-17)
1 female	15-19	1810-1815	= Daughter A
1 female	30-39	1790-1800	= Margaret

The only other Jonas RUDISILL (or variation) in Lincoln Co., NC, is the younger one who married Anne BEAM.

4.  1840 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #42-43 of 139 — number pages precede the name pages; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1840

NC

Lincoln [now Gaston] Co.

Upper Regiment Militia

Roll 364

pp. 49A-49B

Ln. 25

Jonas Rudisell

001 000 100 - 011 110 100

310000-201000

0300000

These data indicate:

No. & Sex	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 white male	10-14	1825-1830	= Jonas Eli (b. 1829)
1 white male	40-49	1790-1800	= Jonas
1 white female	5-9	1830-1835	= Susan (b. 1833/4)
1 white female	10-14	1825-1830	= Daughter B
1 white female	15-19	1820-1825	= Margare (b. 1822) or Lavina (b. 1825)
1 white female	20-29	1810-1820	= Daughter A or Mary (b. 1819)
1 white female	40-49	1790-1800	= Margaret
3 male slaves	9 or under	1830-1840	= ? ? ?
1 male slave	10-23	1816-1830	= ?
2 female slaves	9 or under	1830-1840	= ? ?
1 female slave	24-35	1804-1816	= ?
3	persons employed in agriculture

The only other Jonas RUDISILL (or variation) in Lincoln Co., NC, is the younger one who married Anne BEAM.

5.  1850 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #105 of 145):  Gaston Co., NC, Roll M432_630, p. 443B, 790/790, enumerated 1 Nov 1850, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1850 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

James Rudicel	56	M		Farmer
J Eli__	21	M
Susan C	26	F
Margaret	56	F

I've no explanation for the anomalies in this record, but I'm convinced it's our subject.  In addition to the obvious, he has roughly the same neighbors in 1850 as in 1860.

6.  1860 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #24 of 182):  White Pine P.O., Gaston Co., NC, Roll M653_898, p. 24, PN 24, 188/165, enumerated 20 Jun 1860, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1860 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Jonas Rudasil	69	M		Farmer	1818	8379
Margt    "	69	F

Listed next to married son, Eli RUDASILL (æ 31).

7.  1870 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #37 of 51 — indexed "James"):  Cherryville P.O., Cherryville Twp., Gaston Co., NC, Roll M593_1138, p. 673A, PN 301/37, 293/293, enumerated 17 Aug 1870, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1870 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

Rudisell Jonus	76	M	W	Farmer	500	200	NC
"     Margaret	76	F	W	Keeping house			"
Lusk Sarah	23	F	W	At home			"
"  Allen	16	M	B	Farmer			"

Listed next to their married daughter, Susan (RUDISILL) BIRD.

8.  1880 Census Every-Name-Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #43 of 48):  Cherryville Twp., Gaston Co., NC, Roll T9_964, p. 22C, PN 43, SD 3, ED 85, 394/422, enumerated 23 Jun 1880, official enumeration date 1 Jun 1880 (extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1880:  for an explanation of the column headings, please see What the Numbers in the Federal Census Mean (missing columns contained no data).

1

2

3

4

5

6

8

9

10

11

13

23

24

25

26

394

422

Byrd Prior

W

M

43

/

Farmer

NC

NC

NC

____ Susan

W

F

46

Wife

/

House keeping

NC

NC

NC

____ Margaret

W

F

20

Dau

/

NC

NC

NC

____ Mary

W

F

14

"

/

NC

NC

NC

____ July Etta

W

F

12

"

/

NC

NC

NC

____ Barbara

W

F

10

"

/

/

NC

NC

NC

Rudisill Margaret

W

F

86

"

/

NC

NC

NC

Margaret RUDISILL is Susan (RUDISILL) BYRD's mother, not her daughter (obviously).

9.  1890 Census:  the 1890 Census Population Schedules were destroyed.

10.  WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).