I'm interested in the recent thread about Carpenters from Virginia. I have a family whose names seem to correlate to the children of John and Mary of Stafford Co., but the birth dates are different, the parents different, and the county different. Ordinarily I would think this means there's no connection -- but then what Laurie said about Benjamin of Amherst Co. caught my eye: She wrote, "What has drawn me to researching John and Mary of Overwharton Parish, Stafford Co., Virginia, is the conclusion that the CARPENTER Y-DNA project (see Carpenter Southern Cousins Y-DNA project by Terry Lee Carpenter) has found there to be an exact match between Stephen of NC, GA and TN to that of Benjamin Carpenter of Amherst Co., Virginia. It is also assumed that Benjamin of Amherst was the son of John and Mary as well born Oct. 5, 1746." I'm confused. Here is the family I have: 1 Thomas CARPENTER b: Bef. 1730 in Virginia or England d: Abt. 1794 in Amherst Co., Virginia ...... 2 Rebecca CARPENTER ...... 2 Son CARPENTER ...... 2 Thomas CARPENTER, Jr. b: 1750 in Prob. Virginia d: July 1781 in Amherst Co., Virginia .......... +Sarah UNKNOWN ...... 2 John CARPENTER b: 1752 in Amherst Co., Virginia d: 1828 .......... +Sarah UNKNOWN m: in Amherst Co., Virginia ...... *2nd Wife of John CARPENTER: .......... +Mary O'NEAL ...... 2 Benjamin CARPENTER, Sr. b: March 1, 1755 in Rockfish River, Amherst Co., Virginia d: January 12, 1840 in Knox Co., Illinois .......... +Sarah UNKNOWN m: in Amherst Co., Virginia ...... 2 James CARPENTER b: Bet. 1760 - 1770 in Amherst Co., Virginia .......... +Susan HILL b: February 14, 1798 in Amherst Co., Virginia ...... 2 William CARPENTER b: March 19, 1761 in Rockfish River, Amherst Co., Virginia d: September 14, 1835 in Adair Co., Kentucky .......... +Mary STRICKLING aka: Mary Stricklen m: January 9, 1789 in Rockfish River, Amherst Co., Virginia ...... 2 George CARPENTER b: 1771 in Amherst Co., Virginia d: Aft. 1850 in Arkansas while visiting brothers .......... +Jane PHILLIPS m: November 3, 1797 in Amherst Co., Virginia Are we talking about the same Benjamin Carpenter? Thanks, ~~Anne Wityk