JD, Thanks for your message. Would you mind telling me "where" you read that John was adopted by Elisha? I think the hard thing is that there were several Elishas, as you have said, and my mind is always "boggled" when it comes to trying to sort out folks. Time is always a factor.... just wish I had a lot more of it, so that I could really get somewhere with the search. Do you have census records for each of these folks? Thanks, Jean At 10:25 AM 12/29/99 -0500, you wrote: >Jean, very interesting thing you reported. I have been called the following >(plus a few I won't mention) and received mail as: Bledsoe, Bedsloe, Bedsaul, >Badso, Batson, and Bedson, etc., etc. But, to get to the main question about >anyone have a connection to NJ. YES. Peggy and I have come across some things >, primarily about the Quaker Church, reflecting John Bedsole living in NJ, >where he was affiliated with the church. He later moved to NC (best guess >1740) and lived among a Quaker settlement. Then he moved to Chestnut Creek, >Va. where he lived with and among Elisha Bedsaul, with Elisha "adopting" him, >and he changed his name to Bedsaul, then he moved back to NC and became >Bedsole again. Then he apparently traveled back and forth from Va. to NC. >Keep in mind that none of these people back then apparently knew how to read >or write ( they signed with an X and was witnessed that was his, or her, >"Mark") Anyway, John was POSSIBLY born about 1720-30. As you know, we have >also come across a William and a Vincent Bedsole, living in the same area as >Thomas Sr. Well, Peggy and I have worked long and hard on trying to prove >relationships between Thomas Sr., William, Vincent and that John. We have >believed from the start that they were all 4 brothers, but never able to >PROVE it. It is my very strong intuition that John is the dad of Thomas Sr. >Anyway, a new face has appeared on the scene in the form of a Kyle Bedsole ( >Thomas Sr., Thomas Jr., Duncan, Larkin, Amos Jessup, William Ottis, Carlton >Thomas). Kyle lives in Cumberland County, NC. In his first email to me, >without any contact before about it, he says that all the old folks there >have always told him that Thomas Sr. was one of four brothers !!!. Well, I am >excited and asked him to see if he can find out any details AT ALL and let me >know. >Now, to get back to the burning question about the NJ connection. YES, there >is absolutely a connection through John. Its hard to know when you are >talking about one John and not another in this crowd. In the Bedsaul crowd, >there are AT LEAST 8 Elisha's. But , in any event, there is a connection and >now , when you say Pennsylvania Dutch, I can suddenly see the possibility >that THAT is where the story came from about the Bedsole's being from >Germany, but I have always been the only one around claiming that. As I told >you before, I went to England, Ireland and Germany TWICE and only in Germany >are there PLENTY of Bedsole's. They are spelled Betzold but pronounced >Bedsole. Jean, I think you may have come up with a vital area which may help >solve this question of Bedsole origin AND the Bedsole/Bedsaul relationship. >Now all we have to do is look some more.....Thank you. I think we all owe you >a big RC and a moon pie.......JD Bedsole