Melinda kindly looked up Abel in a book she has about Frederick. She sent me this: "The book 'In and Out of Frederick Town: Colonial Occupations' by Any Lee Huffman Reed and Marie LaForge Burns, 1985 there is a nice section about glass manufacturies. Included in this section is information about the Tuscarora Glassworks and the Abels. Joseph Doll opened an account for "Mister Aable at the Glasshouse," but the account shows no debits or credits, and it is the only one in the ledger that is not dated. The use of "mister" is unusual, for Doll knew the first names of his regular customers. Either Doll did not know Mister Aable well, or his position at the glasshouse was one of importance. The correct spelling of the name is "Abel", and three men named Abel possibly could have been the man in the ledger. Paul Abel and his family came into Frederick County from West Jersey. Though Paul Abel did not lease or buy land, he lived in the area near the glasshouse, for his daughter borrowed money from Joseph Doll and repaid the loan by working for him. Abel died at the age of forty-three in 1773. He was survived by a widow, three daughters, and a son, who may have been named John. John Abel married Magdalena Ditlow, whose family seems to have been associated with glassmaking. Her death, at the age of twenty-six, was attributed to the wrath of her husband in the burial record.(I have this also, and will send it)>>A John and Joseph Abel were working in a New Jersey glassworks in the early years of the nineteenth century.(I gave you the reference in the last e-mail.<< It does go on to mention Henry Abel and H.William Apel (the author thinks that they are the same person) listed in the 1790 census under Amelung's name with other New Breman workers." If anyone knows more details about Johannes Abel and the glassworks in Frederick please let us know. The Ditlos were also in glassmaking? I hadn't heard that before. Catherine Auvil Olympia, WA, USA