Dear Cousins, Tom King was asking if any of us had copies of Charles Breedlove's signature. I thought surely I must have, but I only have transcribed records. Places to check: Essex, VA Deed Book 13, p. 147. 1708 Sept. 9. Charles Breedlove signed as a witness to Susanna Smith's power of attorney to Edward Gouldman. The other witness [Daniel Tucker] made a mark. Essex, VA Deeds & Bonds #17, pp. 321-24. 1724, 1st & 2nd May. Thomas & Constant Edmondson & Charles & Mary Breedlove sold land that Constant & Mary inherited from Mary Webster. Essex, VA Wills, Bonds, etc. pp. 287-88. 1729, March 31 Charles Breedlove signed as one of the appraisers of the Inventory of the estate of William Brizendine. Essex, VA Wills, Bonds, etc. p. 357. 1730, April 20 Charles Breedlove signed as one of the appraisers of the Inventory of Abell Ward. Essex, VA Will Book 6, pp. 323, 324. charles Breedlove one of the appraisers of the estate of nico. Smith Jr. Essex, VA Probate Vol. 7, pp. 466-468. Charles Breedlove signed as one of the witnesses to the will of William Tribble. Then Charles Breedlove and Nathan Breedlove signed as Securities of the Administrators bond for Kindness Tribble to administer the estate of William Tribble. [3rd entry] Kindess Tribble, Charles Breedlove & Nathan Tribble acknowledged their bond. re: origin of Charles Breedlove. I agree [and have understood that others do too] that Charles Breedlove may have made up his name when he came to Virginia. Those were times of political unrest, and many settlers on the "wrong side" of the group currently in power, often took an alias. When you read the old court records, you sometimes find where a person "takes back" his former name, after a change in the political climate. Charles Breedlove just seems to pop up in 1708 in Essex Co.--he has no relatives until he marries. Another possibility is that his name was "foreign" [such as German] and was anglicized in the Essex records. Still, there were no others in the area, or in the COUNTRY, with the same name. Marilyn