Steve- Yes, I also thought about the New London branch for Philo ATWELL but I don't know of any of them that had connections to Litchfield Co. Which is not to say none of them got up that way but as far as I can tell they all went from New London Co. into NY and beyond, though a few made it into Fairfield Co, CT. I suspect my own family will connect to those folks one day with some good luck and more hard work! I have most of the known New London branch in my D-base and, like you, I didn't find any reference to a Philo so I didn't mention them. While we're on the subject, though, another source for the family is the book "History of Montville" which has a whole chapter on the ATWELL family. The John ATWELL I mentioned living in Litchfield Co, CT does not seem to connect to either the Attleboro, MA branch, the New London Co. branch or the ME/NH branch (which is also the origin of the Attleboro line.) But John being such a common name, he could possibly connect to any of them and I just haven't found the key yet. There is also a Paul ATWELL who was living in Amenia, Dutchess Co, NY (a county which borders CT) in 1765. His origins are also unknown but only one of his children has been identified. Other sons would have been close in age to Philo ATWELL Sr. There are also several Irish ATWELL families who settled in NY and PA in the late 1700s to early 1800s, but I have never seen any evidence that these families lived in CT. Dan Atwell