Jim: Am I to understand they changed Balthaser Metzger to " Paulser Butcher"..immigration? I know a USN MD desc from granpa 's 1890 Ellis Is entry whose Italian name was chg from Iacavone to "YACAVONE" That will give geneo in the future "fits" -- I to Y! I wonder if we are from Paulser in VA... my Decatur Co, IN census: William Butcher b 1803 VA. Alicia in FL

In answer to the Georg Valentin Metzger becoming Valentine Butcher in several queries. The research of two of my cousins, Jeff Carr and David Armstrong - revealed that "the German name of Metzger evolved into Butcher in an English translation. Occupation of a butcher was known as a fleischer, schlacter and metzger. When Anglicized, these names became flesher, slaughter and metzger." It had nothing to do with emigration. Also the name of Metzger would be misspelled so many different ways and phonetically from Mitcher, Mitscaw, Matzger, Mischarles and Mitchkar. Some records showed our Valentine "Melchoir" Butcher of Augusta Co., was really George Valentin Metzger. He came from Niederlinxweiler, Germany, which is between St. Wendell and Ottweiler, some 15 km ne from Saarbrucken. (Southwestern Germany - Saarland area.) Georg Valentin Metzger settled in Frederick Co., MD with his wife and two daughters. He is named in a court case in the June 1750 court of that county. Records at the Frederick Evangelical Lutheran Church in Fred. Co.,MD, - they had a son, Bathasar Metzger, b.26 Jan 1753. The child's named sponsors were Balthasar Bach and the "single daughter Maria Elisabeth Fautin". This son turned out to be Paulser Butcher. Balser and Paulser were nicknames for the more formal Balthasar. In German, the "b's" and "p's" have the same pronunciation. David Armstrong documented that Paulser was referred to as "Balser Butcher" in several reports. Bette -- Bette Butcher Topp - Please use my new email toppline@home.com and be sure to visit me at - http://www.members.home.com/toppline/homepage.htm My ahnentafel chart may be found at http://www.members.home.com/toppline/antafl.htm