Dear Cousins, Before we "go off the air" for awhile today, I thought I would send you this webpage's URL: http://www.trellis.net/steel/steelman/essayon.htm This site has a thoughtful recitation of the details on a Steelman family from Kent County, DE in the mid-1700's, who ultimately moved to Surry Co., NC. The Steelman name was Swedish, and they were remnants of those Swede-Finns who had settled along the Delaware long before William Penn was of age. The Steelman genealogy is complicated by the use of patronymics, and the difficulty of identifying which generation used them, which individual didn't, etc. However, these searchers have looked at Kent Co., DE and upriver in NJ where the origins were. Where they haven't looked is Cecil County, MD where Hans Steelman was apparently a friend of Abraham Pennington. He and Henry Hollingsworth witnessed a deed from William Teague to Abraham Pennington. From land records I have abstracted: "p. 284 14 May 1714 William Teague of Baltimore county, planter to Abraham Pennington. 160 acres taken up by Edward Teague, William's father. Saw Branch running into Hunago Creek on the east side of the Susquehenna River. Wit Hans Steelman Henry Hollingsworth" Both Henry Hollingsworth and Hans Steelman's migratory paths followed Abraham Pennington's, for Hans Steelman also witnessed another deed for Abraham when he was along the Monocacy in Frederick county MD, and Henry Hollingsworth and his family moved to Orange/Frederick County VA, as did Abraham's family. This makes a good case for the Steelmans of Kent Co., DE to be part of the Steelmans of Cecil Co., MD, which is right beside Kent Co., DE. Additionally there are names that suggest links to the Matson/ Mathiason family of Cecil County, who renamed themselves Freeman, and were linked to the Penningtons. What I hope is that by examining perimeter identity, kinship, locality and history, rather than just a part of the picture we can solve big puzzles for all the families who were living together in a particular time. Solving puzzles about the Steelmans and the Hollingsworths (and other Philadelphia Perimeter families) help us solve puzzles for Penningtons, Smiths, Watts, etc. More when we're back online! Love, Your Cousin, Carolyn Carolyn McDaniel cmacdee@teleport.com ========================================= --- Visit American Crossroads --- http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~amxroads