I have some fun news. I am happy to report finding a solid prospect for the family and / or father of our George Birdwell (c1720-1781) of Virginia ! However, before going into the details I want to clearly state that it is NOT PROVEN yet that our George was even related to these new prospects. The folks we have here are very promising but we need to find some evidence linking them before we can add a new generation to our family tree. Still I believe most of you will agree this find provides our most likely lead on the origins of our common ancestor George Birdwell (c1720 to 1781). Records show a “George BIRDWELL” on the 1726 tax list in Kent Co., Delaware. This was not the same George who lived in Augusta & Botetourt Counties in Virginia. The records show this older “George BURDWELL” died in Kent Co, Delaware during 1750 ! Another Birdwell was also listed in early Kent Co., Delaware records. The tax levy for 1730 listed an “Alexander BIRDWELL”. Unfortunately this is the one and only record I’ve found so far for this Alexander. Upon finding this Delaware line, my first question was to confirm if the BIRDWELL surname was correct as opposed to one of the other similar names (Bedwell, Bidwell, Bardwell, Bridwell, ect ...). After looking at the Kent County records with his estate papers, a deed, and the tax rolls I am certain these men were named Birdwell and/or Burdwell. While it is not proof of a connection, note that these are the same two variants we find in the records for our George Birdwell (c1720-1781) of Virginia. A rather prominent BEDWELL family was also living in Kent County from about 1680 until well after the Revolution. Yet the Kent Co. records never spell George’s name as “Bedwell” while they consistently show members of that family spelled Bedwell. Some tax lists even listed George “Birdwell” on the same page as one of the Bedwells. Therefore, since the same tax collector was writing both names there is no reason to believe that George’s name was a spelling error for this Bedwell family. The single entry found for Alexander spelled his last name “BIRDWELL”. Then in the 17 records I’ve found naming George; his name was spelled “BIRDWELL” eight times, spelled “BURDWELL” seven times, and was spelled “BORDWELL” and “BIDWELL” once each. These two cases of Bordwell & Bidwell were from the tax levies which otherwise spell his name as Birdwell or occasionally as Burdwell. As far as I know, this is the earliest confirmed case of ANY Birdwell (or Burdwell) in America. As noted in the other email posting, there might have been a Mary Birdwell who married in Connecticut in 1671. However, I don’t believe anyone has looked at the actual Connecticut records to confirm if her name was in fact “Birdwell” and not Bidwell (which was rather common up there). I am still reviewing some of the microfilmed records. Yet thus far I have only found a son in law named “John Vicory” and the possible name for this George Birdwell’s daughter “Elisabeth”. The Kent Co, Delaware tax rolls prior to 1726 were not filmed so I can’t say just when this George Birdwell arrived there. Nor have I found out where they came from. Alexander & George Birdwell may have been immigrants from the British Isles or from another colony (perhaps even Connecticut). It is a familiar story, our new prospects have raised an entirely new set of questions. We have not yet found proof of a connection to our family. But it is exciting to find two Birdwell men who could theoretically be the father of our George Birdwell (c1720-1781). I am not convinced that either was his father. Yet considering how uncommon the BIRDWELL name is in the early records I have to believe that we have at least discovered some of our George Birdwell’s family. I will follow this with two other postings to provide a quick sketch on what is known about Alexander & George Birdwell of Delaware and why I feel there is a likely connection. More to come... Weldon J. Birdwell, in Montana