Hello, Donna - Glad to hear from you! I'm posting this reply to the whole list because yours was the second message from someone I'm unable to help. This time I'm going to be more specific, with apologies to Arnie who has heard it all before. The AUSTINs I know weren't adventurous enough to leave England. At least, I know of none who DID leave. If they left the area I searched, I've lost them for good unless someone tells ME. My AUSTINs connect in Oxfordshire back in 1872, when Hannah AUSTIN married (as his second wife) John EAST - my great-grandparents. I have seven generations of them back from Hannah in that tight little area west of Banbury, plus cousins, most having fairly large families, starting with three brothers: John AUSTIN, b c.1573, yeoman of Tadmarton, self-styled "gentleman", the eldest of the three and the one with most of the inherited property. His line wasted the cash and ended before 1800 (I think). Thomas AUSTIN, b c.1578, yeoman of Tadmarton, undoubtedly had descendants but I lose them about 1700. William AUSTIN, yeoman of Swalcliffe, b c.1580, had seven kids, including Nicholas AUSTIN, b 1615, assessed 2 hearths 1665, father of 8 and latterly of the Quaker persuasion. He had Mathias AUSTIN, b c.1655, apparently Quaker until 1683, had 3 sons, Richard, William and John. The 2nd son, William AUSTIN, b 1684, had 10 children by his 2nd wife, including Robert AUSTIN, b 1727, yeoman of Tadmarton, father of William, Robert & John. The 2nd son, Robert AUSTIN, b 1769, maltster & farmer, m his 3rd cousin, Hannah, dau of John AUSTIN of Upper Tadmarton, & had 9 children. Their 2nd son, Robert AUSTIN, b 1796, carpenter of Tadmarton & later of Shutford, was father to 11 kids, including Hannah AUSTIN, b 1833, who m John EAST as above. Presently, it looks like those three brothers first mentioned were sons of Thomas AUSTEN of Tysoe, Warks, b c.1550, one of at least four children born to Matthew AUSTEN of Wigginton, Oxf, who left a will dated 1557. If so, the family was "well connected" in the area. George AUSTIN, the grandson of the first above-mentioned John AUSTIN, was assessed for 8 hearths at Hook Norton in 1665 but left a will and inventory listing more debts than assets when he died in 1666. There are, as you can imagine, many more names in my database; and I've had correspondence that could link to many more. One such is trying to put together a research paper on all the better-known 16th and 17th century families of the area for publication in the journal of the Banbury Historical Society. Donna, I do have a Nathaniel AUSTIN in the bunch, belonging to the line that managed to waste the best part of the AUSTIN inheritance. He was born 1660 at Hook Norton, Oxf, and died there in 1728 leaving a son John AUSTIN "of Drayton", the last of that line that I have. But, as I mentioned before, if you haven't got a name and a location for me in this Oxfordshire area, nothing I have will help. AUSTINs are thick on the ground in the Old Country; maybe that's why many left! Happy hunting, Ray ---------------------------------------- Raymond East, 100 Mile House, BC, Canada [email protected] ----------------------------------------