The final sentence of my original message (below) should have read as follows: "William Wallace Colby had a 1st cousin named Wallace Colby (b. 1835), and it is possible (though not proven) that it was the maiden name of one of his grand aunts (Mary, the wife of his grandfather's older brother Abraham)." My apologies. Guy I. Colby IV Irving, TX -------------- Original Message: -------------- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [COLBY] William Wallace Colby Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 21:34:47 +0000 Ron -- William Wallace (1270-1305) was the national hero of Scotland -- he led the resistance to Edward I of England and prepared the way for Robert de Bruce to become King Robert I of Scotland in 1306. However, it is by no means certain that my 2nd great grandfather, William Wallace Colby, was named after this man. I consider it far more likely that Wallace was a family name, though I have not identified its origin. William Wallace Colby had a 1st cousin named Wallace Colby (b. 1835), and it is possible (though not proven) that it was the maiden name of one of his aunts (Mary, the wife of his father's older brother Abraham). Guy I. Colby IV Irving, TX