Hi, I've been saving your last e-mail meaning to reply but I got sick and didn't do anything for several days. Re: James B. Blackburn's relationship to the Benjamin/Mary line- don't give it up. There are several loose ends with those old guys and unaccounted children, etc.James B. seems to have had a brother named Samuel who stayed in NC and I think there may have been another brother. The characteristics of the two lines are quite similar-naming patterns, relatives in common and apparently religion. I believe James B. and family were Presbyterians as were the Benjamin line. This is significant as several of the most prominent Blackburn lines in NC were Methodists. Of course, religion changed on the frontier depending on the availability of churches. Good luck hunting. Miriam Blackburn