In a message dated 10/9/2000 11:42:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mgrbill@bellsouth.net writes: << Just a thought ... since there is a town called Blankenburg in Germany, do you think any relatives settled there? >> I know I am going off on a wild horse with this one, BUT yes I think it is possibly that Ralph could have lived in Germany. My thinking for this is: I have been told that he could not read or write English, this leads me to believe that he was of another nationality other than English. The Germans are known for the shape of their noses. I for one have the big nose. One other thing is that the Germans tend to have a darker skin coloring that the people in England. This could ask the question of the dark skin in our families today. I have found out through all of me research and with the help of the great people here on the posting board that Ralph may have been a weaver by trade, he also could have been a tinsmith. Going on this information I would guess again that he would have to have some kind of reading or writing background. I have seen where Hudson Blankenship, son of John B. Blankenship, son of Ralph Blankship, opened trade between many cities in Virginia. You do not do this type of work without some type of reading or writing. I think Ralph and Martha both could read and write in some language, I am just not sure at this point which on that was. I am also thinking that Martha taught her boys to read and write and they would have taught their children. OK enough of my thinking and I will be quite for a little while. I will not answer any rebuttals to this because all of this is just me thinking out loud. I do not have any proof of any of this. Sue B. Altice