Hello Members: My Uncle recently emailed me this message. He gave me permission to post it on the Blanchard-L group. We hope to hear other members comments....on the subject of Benjamin Blanchard (1719_ Chowan Co, NC) He does not believe that this Benjamin is the same Benjamin of the MA Blanchards as previously discussed on this list. We would like to see this topic discussed if anyone is interested. Thank you. Renee Haynes George Blanchard wrote: There is a book that was published in about 1987, COMPLETE BOOK OF IMMIGRANTS, 1607--1660. It describes the departure of the ship, "Margaret," from Bristol, England, carrying men to Virginia for the Virginia Company. The ship was owned by Henry Penry and under the command of Captain Woodleefe. Among those listed was John Blanchard, Gentleman. On the American side, his arrival was recorded by Captain John Smith who wrote that John Blanchard settled near Berkeley on the James. Research will show that there were a number of immigrants in this time period who were French Huguenots and who settled in this precise area. The visitors center at Colonial Williamsburg has (or used to have) a description and recognition of the French Huguenot settlement. (As a side note, it also has a plaque recognizing Robert de Vere, Signer of the Magna Carter and ancestor of the Hintons - probable, great grandmother). In the 80 odd years between the arrival of the first Blanchard to Virginia and the arrival of Benjamin, Aaron, and Ephraim in North Carolina, Blanchards show up sporadically in records that still exist. The land distance from John's original settlement in what is now Charles City County to Nansemond which borders Gates is about 40 miles. But if one were to float down the James and settle on the opposite shore, the total! travel would probably be less than 3 hours. Benjamin, Sr.'s will filed in Gates County, NC, asserts, "I, Benjamin, of Nansemond County, Virginia." Other records indicate that his brothers also lived there. The Protestant inclination would have been an encouragement to move toward NC as the Anglican faith became increasingly the State sponsored and legal religion of Virginia. Land had to have been another encouragement. Unless proven otherwise, I have to believe that based on all the circumstantial indicators, our ancestry came out of the Virginia lineage; not Massachusetts. However, the Blanchards of Massachusetts and those of VA/NC may have been related at an earlier point.