Dear Cousins, I got a nice catch-up from Barb last night, who has been on vacation in Kentucky. And researching, of course! She knew that "Kith" is the other side of the kinship coin when referring to one's neighbors and friends. "Kith and Kin" is an old style way of denoting the more modern term "community." It's what is meant by the African concept of "it takes a whole village to grow a child." Our ancestors quite literally depended on their Kith and Kin for survival. Relatives were called in to witness wills and at the same time reassured that the interests of the survivors were protected. Even on the husband's deathbed, a wife's dower interests were looked to by her male relatives or close friends. Orphaned children were taken in by their Kith and Kin. Trips and migrations were rarely undertaken without an accompanying contingency of Kith and Kin. Neighborhoods literally moved from a poor locality to one that offered more hope down the road -- or across the "crick," or over the mountain. My great-grandfather, William Marion Pennington was taken in and raised by relatives. I believe the relatives were Samuel and Rachel Baker, shown on the 1860 Johnson County, IA census with an older John Pennington, b. MD and a young James Pennington, b. OH -- allliving together in Washington Township. I ultimately determined that this John Pennington was my William Marion's grandfather, and I now believe James and Rachel were John Pennington's son and daughter, and that Samuel Baker was his son-in-law. Other familiar surnames among their Kith and Kin are Chapman, Briggs, Stewart, Randall, Bales, Gist, Harrison, Owings, Gorsuch, etc. etc. This Pennington family is shown quite early in MD, but establishing identity has been very difficult because they are referred to in most early Baltimore county records as Pemberton. Later MD identity is difficult because they split into two factions and were known as Pennington in the Upper Delaware Hundred and Pemberton in the Soldier's Delight Hundred. Still later, these elusive Penningtons seem to vanish for awhile (I believe to Virginia) and then return to the Upper Delaware Hundred, where John and Jesse Pennington fought in the war of 1812. Shortly thereafter, they moved to the area along the border of Guernsey and Belmont County, OH. Susanna Pennington married Allen Baker in Baltimore County in 1797. In 1803 they gave ground from their property for a church. They died in the 1850's and are buried in the church yard. Susanna is likely a sister of John and Jesse Pennington who served in the War of 1812. Allen is likely a brother of Samuel Baker. Susanna and Allen are those who stayed put while the others rode on. The Baker family is detailed in Robert Barnes' magnificent "Baltimore County Families: 1659-1759." Family names include Samuel, Charles, Maurice, or Morris, AND INDEMNION! Now, even though this name can be spelled at least 50 ways, it is a grand clue, especially when used in conjunction with Penningtons and Bakers. Bakers and Penningtons are found allied in many, many localities, as are Moores and Davises. I find Bakers and their Kith and Kin on 1807 and 1818 Clay County, TN tax lists. The Penningtons -- Welcome, Efrom (Ephraim), and Drinan, Dem, Demion, etc. are on the Jackson County, TN census indices. I believe this latter Pennington name is Indemnion. There is an overwhelming representation of Maryland surnames and Pennington and Baker connected names in these same localities. I have been collecting and listing these and will put them on the website. (it is still down for repairs) Names include Sizemore, McDaniel, Sims, Carter, Randall, Beall/Bales/Bell/Ball, Amis (attn: Cousin Leigh,) Minatree Pennington, etc. etc. When you start doing genealogy you soon see the oneness between all of us. Many of these lines connect with both maternal and paternal sides of my family. If anyone is interested in some of these files before the website is back up, I will e-mail them to you. BUT please, write via the list. Let us share our Kith and Kin, and our oneness! That's what we are about here, you know -- amid the peaks and valleys -- to help and love one another, as our ancestors did with their Kith and Kin. Our cousin Tom is recovering from additional operations on his eyes, and is doing well. Welcome home Barb, and a special Welcome Home to Jim, who has resettled across the country in his ancestral homeland. What a wonderful homecoming! How we envy you! Now, we expect some real good data from you! I am working toward a clearly defined format for family group pages, and will want to present it once our website is back up at Rootsweb. In the meantime, you might want to take a look at Diana Gale Mathieson's pages. http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/ Her group sheets are set up in ways that we can emulate. Love, Your Cousin, Carolyn Carolyn McDaniel cmacdee@teleport.com ========================================= http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~amxroads