Most of the following information was compiled from WWW sources - until recently. Great gaps in my information began to be filled in by people - wonderful, e-connected, and helpful people - who responded to the posts I left - especially onI guess I never expected getting into genealogy studies was a great way to meet people - but it certainly is! Thanks so much for all who have guided and informed me in my adventure. 

The other aspect about genealogy study I didn't grasp right away is - it never ends. That "related lines" story just keeps on going and going. Every marriage is a new adventure - and just where do you stop? One never knows, and for the time being, I couldn't care less. 

It's just a lot of fun, and I'm making new friends and acquaintances.  - David

1. "Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and give her a house."  - Lewis Grizzard

1) from: http://www.hypervigilance.com/ged2html/notes.html

[NI0537] 6. John Pickens born 1710, (LDS has b. 1705) Ireland (or b. 1705 per LDS); died 1771 Abbeville Co., SC - He married Eleanor KERR abt. 1735 in PA. (NOTE - per Sandy London, John is shown in LDS records to have married twice: first to Eleanor, and a second time to a woman named Elizabeth, who first married his older brother William...) Note - John Pickens and wife Eleanor came from Ireland to PA to Augusta Co., VA and finally to 96th Dist. in SC about 1754. Their children were: 
.....(1) Frances, mar. William Gillespie; 
.....(2) William Gabriel Pickens, b. 1742? ; died abt. 1831, KY; 
.....(3) John, born b. 1737, died 22 Sept. 1795 in Anderson Co., SC - he married Sarah Sweringen; 
.....(4) Lucy, b. abt. 1740, mar. James Laired; 
.....(5) Elizabeth, b. Jan. 1740/41 in Augusta Co., VA, mar. James Cannon?; 
.....(6) Israel, b. 24 Aug. 1744 in Augusta Co., VA; d. 11 Feb. 1828 in Anderson Co., SC. He mar. 1st to Sarah Hall,  mar. 2nd to Lucinda Walden, mar. 3rd to Sarah Williams and mar. 4th to Elizabeth Baskin 6 March 1768 in Abbeville Co., SC. Israel and Elizabeth Baskin Pickens had the following children: (i) Eleanor Pickens; (ii) Mary Pickens; (iii) Matilda Pickens mar. David Boyd; (iv) Elizabeth Pickens, b. abt. 1770 mar. John Stewart; (v) John Pickens, b. 3 June 1774, VA,  d. 23 Oct. 1844 in DeKalb Co., GA mar. Elizabeth Harkness; (vi) William Pickens, b. 1780, Anderson Co., SC had a son named John Sidney Pickens, b. 1 Dec. 1818 in SC, d. 10 Feb. 1880 in Union Parish, Louisiana, mar. Eliza Ann Smith 6 Aug. 1844 in Shelby Co., AL; (vii) Israel Pickens, Jr., b. 1785, d. bef 1820. 
.....(7) Eleanor, b. abt. Dec. 1746 in Staunton, Augusta Co., VA; died 1 Nov. 1803 in Anderson Co., SC - *Note - I believe there is some confusion that this Eleanor may have been the dau. of Robert Pike Pickens and wife Miriam (see above)...who married John COUCH, Sr. 
.....(8) Robert Pickens, b. 1749; died in Fayette Co., TN. 
.....(9) Andrew Pickens, b. 1753; died in Fayette Co., TN - married Margaret Gillespie. 
.....(10) William Gabriel Pickens, b. 18 Oct. 1760 SC (the first of the children born in SC?) in Dist. of Camden, SC; died aft. 1833 in Livingston Co., KY. He
married Rebecca Caldwell abt. 1781. 

 2) Source: Posted by Shirley Gillespie Hull on August 28, 1998
Am told Mathew Gillespie traveled from Ireland to PA with Pickens family. Lucy Pickens m. Mathew Gillespie-1722 in Presby.Church, PA. Mathew died. Lucy m. John Carr (Kerr). Records of Tinkling Spring Presby.(Beverly Manor),VA show importation in 1740 in Orange county of John Carr, his wife Lucy, his wife's children Mathew & Margaret Gillespie, and four Carr children. 

Terry McLean      calgrups @ netscape.net

Andrew PICKENS, born 1873, died 1844 and was the son of John and Eleanor PICKENS. 

Most records state that Andrew had 2 marriages - one in about 1775 and another in 1790 to Margaret GILLESPIE; and that as many as 3 to 6 of his children were from the first marriage. If he ever had a previous marriage, the wife apparently died soon after, and there is no record of children. The confusion apparently stems from the following miscalculation: 

Andrew died in 1844 and his obituary stated he had married Margaret GILLESPIE, with whom he lived for 55 years. Subtracting 55 years from 1844, you get 1790 - the date some have attributed to his mg. with Margaret. Having had several children before 1790 led to the assumption that Andrew must have had a previous marriage. However Margaret died 14 years BEFORE Andrew - in 1830. If you substract 55 years from 1830, you have 1775 - a date prior to the birth of any of Andrew's children, and consistent with the statement, also to be found in his obituary, that he married Margaret in 1774. 

The only problem to be found now with this couple is that it would have made Margaret a bride at about age 12 - although very young, not unheard of. It is also quite possible we do not have an accurate date of birth for Margaret. The only reference I have seen is in an article about her son, which states that Margaret lived to be 67 when she died in 1830. Newspaper accounts can have errors, and those transcribing them can make mistakes. We do know that there are some  discrepancies with infomation regarding some of Andrew's children, so an open mind in regard to unproven dates is necessary.

Terry McLean - 1996

SUPPORTING NOTES:
=================
OBITUARY: unknown newspaper:

"Dateline Lebanon TN, Friday May 2, 1845 'Died at residence of W. C.Baldwin, Fayette Co TN, in 9/1844, Andrew PICKENS, a Rev. War soldier - age 91. Born in VA 12-10-1753. In 1765 he went with his father to South Carolina. In 1774 he married Margaret GILLESPIE of Abbeville Dist South Carolina, with whom he lived for 55 years. He removed to Tennesse about 1807. His wife died 8-13-1830, and he then lived with his sons, Israel and Robert Pickens, alternately. The last six years he lived most of the time with Rev. Israel S. Pickens. He was taken sick at residence of Mr. Baldwin, a grandson-in-law."
===================
E. M. Sharp, PICKENS FAMILIES OF THE SOUTH (author, Memphis TN 1963, copy in possession of Terry McLean, Anaheim CA)  p. 58.  NOTES FROM A PUBLISHED BIOGRAPHY OF REV. ISRAEL SIDNEY PICKENS, PUBLISHED SHORTLY AFTER HIS DEATH IN 1876 - FURNISHED BY THE LATE MR. IRA PICKENS OF NEWPORT, ARK. 1941.

"Mr. PICKENS (Israel Sidney)...[was the son of] Andrew and Margaret PICKENS ...  The fruits of [Andrew's] marriage with Miss Margaret GILLESPIE was twelve children, eight sons and four daughters ... Andrew PICKENS, Esq. lived to the great age of ninety-one years and departed this life Sept. 15, 1844. His wife lived to the good age of 67 years and died August 13, 1830. Their home for many years before their death was with their youngest son, Israel Sidney."
 

Laura Rosalee Martin was the daughter of Rev.John Isom (Itty) and Lee Anna Barnes Martin. She was born in Charlotte, AR 1/21/1890 and died 6/6/1952. She married Joseph C. Pickens at the home of the bride Rt. 1, Hominy, OK with the Rev. W. P. Jackson presiding. 
 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

A starting outline of the Pickens side of my family tree was found - to my pleasant surprise - from a post by my cousin Jay Glidewell. You can find the post - and a list of Pickens Cousins - here:

With this information in hand, I began a web search. Part of the information in Tables 1-4 was obtained from a GED2WWW version 0.22 database maintained on Barbara's Home Page.

Later I discovered Terry McLean's huge database of all the known descendents of Robert and Esther Pickens at The Pickens Family National Database

Tons of interesting information on the children of Robert Picon and Esther Bonneau can be found on the

http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~tmclean/Pickens_Pipeline.html

Pickens Family Home Page.

Discover - where you can search for and find many people interested in the Pickens family line - and YOUR family line, too - trading notes and helpful information. This is a terrific interactive WWW resource. Check it out. 

Release Note August 11, 2003:

Format changes and checked and updated all links.

Release Note from March 16, 2000: 

Per conversation with Terry McLean, I have deleted the reference to McGrady Pickens under Table 6, Children of Andrew Pickens and Margaret Gillespie. Apparently, there is no supporting documentation that McGrady was their child.

Release Note from February 24, 2000: 

Much to my delight, Charles Pickens of http://www.pickensplace.com, had an original of the biography of Rev. Israel Sidney Pickens, and graciously sent his hand-made electronic document to me and allowed it to be posted here at ruhamah. This has sent me on a new adventure, trying to understand the dynamics of the Cumberland Presbyterian movement. That's what I keep discovering, that each new piece of information in geneaolgy research seems to lead to new adventures.

Release Note from October 26, 1999: 
Finished basic table structures tracing my family line. I'm going to post this soon. As time goes by, I will add missing information from other sources. However, since there are so many wells of information (listed above) on the Robert Pickens / Esther Bonneau line, to avoid duplication of effort, my work here will tend to focus on collecting information on individuals and their descendants who are close to my direct line, in particular, Rev. Israel Sidney Pickens (son of Andrew Pickens and Margaret Gillespie) and Sallie Rutledge, Israel Mcgready Pickens and Harriet Churchill, John William Pickens and Phebe Summers, Joseph Columbus Pickens and Laura Rosalee Martin (my great grandparents). I understand a biography of Rev. Israel Sidney Pickens exists; if anyone has this document, in paper or electronic format, and is willing to give me a copy, please contact me! [P.S. - this biography was found and is now posted here.]