http://www.ajlambert.com/birdwell/bw_sn.pdf "Abraham Birdwell is recorded as settling in Virginia by 1716 and George Birdwell (b. circa 1721?) is recorded in the same State in 1760." This George Birdwell, my ancestor, did have a son named Abraham. It may be that George was a son or nephew of the earlier Abraham, but I don't know that. Some family historians used to say that George's father was named Benjamin, but I never knew where that name came from. Berdewell Hall of Norfolk is not the same as Berdewell Manor in Suffolk, which belonged to Ralph de Berdewell in 1070: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/jglanville/roanhg9.htm At Berdewell Hall, in West Herley, Norfolk, which was a fine specimen of an old manorial house. When it was pulled down in 1725, there was a family chapel, and in the parlour and other windows, amongst numerous Coats of Arms, were those of Glanville, Argent, a chief indented Azure, and Southwell." (Blomfield's 'Norfolk,' 307.) Glanville Arms to be seen at Ash, in co. Suffolk. (Davy's 'Suff. Col.') http://www.horsecity.com/ubb/Forum29/HTML/003990-3.html http://www.genealogysource.com/hawsted_chapter_3.htm CHAPTER III: Lords of the Manor, and other Proprietors of Land: ...Willielmo Berdwell ... (had a coat of arms in 1430) http://apling.freeservers.com/Villages/WestHarling37.htm West Harling About 1564 the estate was purchased by Bassingbourne Gawdy, esq., of Mendham, Suffolk, from whom it descended to the family of Berdwell*** and was held by them for many years, .... The Forestry Commissioners are the principal landowners. In the park of the Bardwell Hall*** estate is the site, now indicated by a circular plantation, of the church of St. Andrew, Middle Harling, demolished in 1543 http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/i/r/Lester-A-Birtwhistle/?Welcome=1037167028 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=DESC&db=maclaren&id=I00664 http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=maclaren&id=I00355 http://home.cinci.rr.com/ancestry/bordwelllink.html "Some of the spelling variations of this surname include: Bordwell, Bardwell, ... Berdwell." http://genforum.genealogy.com/bardwell/messages/58.html http://genforum.genealogy.com/bardwell/messages/59.html According to the book "Bardwell/Bordwell Descendants" published by the Robert Bardwell Descendants' American Ancestry Association in 1964, the name Bardwell traces back to the village of Bardwell in Suffolk, England. The earliest record of is of Ralph de Berdewelle of Berdewelle Manor in about 1070. NOTE: BERDEWELLE OF BERDEWELL MANOR is also the origin of BIRDWHISTLE FAMILY) http://genforum.genealogy.com/bardwell/messages/282.html The name was also Berdewelle(.) I have also seen the original name as Bear De Welle - Which dates back to Sir William the Warrior - who is buried under the church in Bardwell Village, England. http://genforum.genealogy.com/bardwell/messages/60.html http://genforum.genealogy.com/bardwell/messages/62.html _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail