This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: caudill, cordill, et al Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/EFI.2ACEB/136.200 Message Board Post: Your question may not have an answer but here is just a hint at the problem. From the Reconstructed Census: Virginia, 1720: Thomas Caudwell, Middlesex Co. 1740 Census: John Caudle, Amelia Co., Sampson Caudle, Brunswick Co., John Cawdle, Jr. and Sr. and william of Amelia. 1760 John Caudle, Amelia Co. 1790 John Caudle, Nicolas Cordill and John Cordill There are more contemporary records which list family members with surnames of a different spelling. When I was in Ohio they pronounced the name as Caudle when I was south of Dayton and as Caudill to the north.