Thanks to the efforts of Janet Gerringer, a handwritten copy of the original marriage bond between John Cook and Hannah Helton in Orange County, NC in 1796 has been found. This is an "official" handwritten reproduction of the original record. The printed version of the North Carolina marriage bonds usually lists the information in this bond as follows: "John Cook and Hannah Kelton. Married: December 17, 1796. Bondsman: Martin Shofner. Witness: M. Hart." While the handwriting is difficult to read, it appears that the above information is incorrect on several points. The name "Kelton" should be "Helton", which is a conclusion that a number of researchers had already reached. The date of the bond actually appears to be December 27, 1796 and presumably the marriage took place on that date or a later one. The name "M. Hart" could also easily be read as "H. Hart". These four families are interconnected in NC and elsewhere. Martin Shofner's wife was Catherine Cook. Some Shofners married Harts. And the Heltons (Hiltons) lived near the Shofner's in NC. Does anyone have any information on the ancestry of John Cook and Hannah Helton? Robert Nicholson