To those descendents of ole George Campbell's son James Campbell, (who married Mary Smith) (The Ramsey and William Campbell families), let me present the following: For years sresearchers and descendents of Mary Smith's family figured that her parents Abraham and Elizabeth Smith came out of the St George Parish (Baltimore County) Maryland. That Abrams wife was a Miss Elizabeth Burchfield and that they were married in the St George Parish sometime around 1750-55. (Their first son John Smith was born in 1754). It was thought that John Smith and Mary were the parents of Abraham Smith based upon a Parish record detailing the birth of an Abraham Smith in 1727 in the St George Parish. Yesterday. Kenny Allen, Hilda Austin and I spent most at the day at the Hall of Records Facility in Annapolis. Hilda works for the Maryland State Senate and introduced us to the Maryland State Archivist who provided us with a dedicated Archivist who provided us with everything we ask for and assisted our ever move. Our own personal professional Archivist who knew the ins and outs of the Maryland records!! How great!! In short; If our Abraham Smith and his wife Elizabeth ? were ever in Maryland between 1693 and 1770, they never left a foot print that we could find. As you may know Maryland did not start maintaining marriage licenses or bonds until 1910. That responsibility was delegated to each individual Church. However, during the years there was a requirement for each Church to provide to the State Government the records of birth, death and marriages that occurred in each Church family. The Hall of Records has a card file -(detailing marriages) in addition to their Parish and Church Records that record marriages through out the state. There has not been a Abraham Smith nor a Elizabeth Burchfield Marriage in Maryland during the Colonial period - that we could find. Marriage by banns was an authorized and legal procedure and practiced through out the state during this time period. Wills. The records office has available a copy of all probate documents during the colonial period for the state of Maryland. Found two John Smith's from Baltimore County with a probate document and neither listed a child named Abraham nor a wife named Mary. Both were dated in the 1720-21 period prior to the estimated birth of Abraham: Ref Liber 2 folio page 178 and Liber 3 folio page 449. The records office has a clean and complete book of the St George Parish Register for the period 1689-1793 (by Reamy. They also have a similar book that includes the Register consolidated for St George and St Johns Parish. Nothing was found of significance within the consolidated book including St Johns but pages 33 and 87 (of interest) in the St George book are attached - nothing new just in a different format. The most difficult process was the microfilm in the special collection section that we searched between 1730-1760 - looking for anything we could find on Abraham Smith, Elizabeth, Susan, Margaret or John Burchfield (Birchfield), William Deaver/Dever, or a Whitehead. In the birth records, we search between 1750-1760 for John, Mary, and Elias Smith (children of Abraham)without finding anything. The microfilm is very difficult to work with and or read - handscribed register. Deeds and land transaction. During the colonial period, these records are accessible on line. They "showed" me how to go from the deed register to the actual deed. So we did not spend any time looking for land records or tax records. If I remember correctly, Abraham had his first land grant on Hatt Creek (in now Nelson County)surveyed in 1755 when the land was actually in Albemarle County. I will next venture into Albemarle County and review not only the patent plat document but re-check all other Albemarle legal documents in that county for our Smith family. The state of Virginia now has a computer file (loaded on our genealogy file in our Staunton library that consolidates all state marriages in Virginia during the Colonial period. Abraham Smith and Elizabeth ? did not get authorization to marry by Va State Licenses or bonding nor did their children John who married Mary Whitehead, Mary who married James Campbell or Elias who married Frances ?. Perhaps the kids thought if our mother and father can get married by banns we can too!! Suggestions and recommendations are solicited!! Regards BH