For those of you on the Cowan list only and not the Wigton-Walker list an explanation is in order about the "20 questions" that Bill Willis updates every so often. These 20 questions are an on-going genealogical exercise designed to encourage discussion and research on the unsolved mysteries of the Wigton-Walkers. At first I did not pay much attention to them because it seemed there was never any progress, but now I must admit the idea has merit. The questions and the attempt to answer them provide a focal point for discussion and when one of the questions is answered it gives everyone a sense of accomplishment. I would like to take this concept and use it to develop a "group" bibliography. Many of us have found obscure and important genealogical information during our quest and have filed it somewhere in our own personal archives. We often think that if we have access to a particular document then so does everyone else. This is simply not true, so I propose we develop a master list of resources so each and every member of both lists is aware what specific data is available for research. I will begin by offering my list of 20 BEST resource items and hope that each and every member of both lists contributes by adding to the list. There is no right or wrong here, the only goal is the accumulation of quality information. There are folks out there who have found really good sources and everyone needs to know what they are. So, here goes. 1. Albion's Seed. Four British Folkways in America, by David Hackett Fischer, Oxford University Press, 1989, 946 pages. 2. Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia, extracted from the Original Court Records of Augusta Co., 1745-1800, Lyman Chalkley, Genealogical Publishing Co. 1974 3 vols. 3. The Annals of Tennessee and Fain's Index, by JGM Ramsay Kingsport Press, 1926 832 pages (Still the best Tennessee history and a couple of Cowan's attended Doak's school with the author.) 4. Carolina Cradle, Settlement of the Northwest Carolina Frontier 1747-1762, Robert W. Ramsey, University of North Carolina Press, 1964, 251 pages. (A must for any serious researcher, available at Barnes and Noble for a few bucks) 5. The Tinkling Spring, Headwater of Freedom, a Study of the Church and her People, Howard McKnight Wilson, Fisherville, Va. 1954, 542 pages. (Still waiting for a reprint, hard to find and expensive but most good libraries have a copy.) 6. Genealogy of the Decendants of John Walker of Wigton, Scotland, ES White, Tiernan-Dart Printing Co., Kansas City, 1902 722 pages (I dare you to find an original copy at any price) 7. The Cowans From County Down, by John K. Fleming, Derrith Publishing Co., Raleigh, NC 1971 440 pages (I dare you to find an original copy at any price) 8. Maxwell History and Genealogy by Houston, Blaine and others, C. E. Pauley & Co., Indianapolis Engraving Co. 1916. (One of the most difficult family histories to find, available in photocopy format for about $100.) 9. The Reverend Samuel Houston V.D.M by George West Diehl, McClean Press, Ve rona, Va. 123 pages. This book has everyone we are related to in it. Offered by me to both groups so there is no excuse for not having a copy. 10. The Stirling Merchant Guild and Life of John Cowane, Founder of Cowan's Hospital in Stirling, David Morris, Town Clerk, Stirling, Jamieson and Munro, LTD 1919, 367 pages. (I may have the only copy in North America and will possibly offer it to the Cowan group later.) 11. The Laggan and its Presbyterianism and its companion book In The Days of The Laggan Presbytery by Rev. Alexander Lecky, Davidson-M'Cormack, North Gate Works, Belfast, 1905, 1908 (Both books previously offered to the group, invaluable if your kin are from Derry/Donegal) 12. The Overmountain Men by Pat Alderman, Overmountain Press, Johnson city, TN. 1970, 286 pages. (great stuff on King's Mtn., Lost State of Franklin, great maps and pictures) 13. Castle's Woods, Virginia Frontier Settlement: 1769-1799, by James Hagy, Masters thesis, East Tennessee State University, 1966, 141 pages. (If you do not have a copy of this its your own fault) 14. The Scotch-Irish, A Social History, James Leyburn, Chapel Hill, UNC Press, 1962 377 pages. 15. John and Ester Houston Montgomery, 1719-1973, Brazos Printing Co., Maryville, TN. 1974 512 pages (Cowan's and Montgomery's what else can you say. The town cemetery in Cowan, Tn is called the Cowan-Montgomery cemetery. Talk about marrying your first cousin) 16. A History of Ulster, by Jonathan Bardon, The Blackstaff Press, Belfast, 1992 914 pages. (The first six or seven chapters tell it all if you are from Ulster) 17. History of Dumbartonshire, by John Irving, Bennett and Thomson, Dumbarton, 1917, (one of my favorite books) 18. Irish and Scotch-Irish Ancestral Research by Margaret Falley, A guide to the Genealogical Records, Methods, and Sources in Ireland, 2 vols. Shenandoah Publishing House, Strasburg, VA. 1962 19. Nathan Bedford Forrest, A Biography by Jack Hurst, Random House, NY 1995, 433 pages. (Dr. JB Cowan was his Chief Surgeon and my cousin Mary Anne married the good General; he was simply the most remarkable man either side produced during the War. Not my words, those were Sherman's) 20. Clan Stewart Magazine, Minden Nebraska, LDS two films from the life long information gathered by a gentleman who went around the country on a bus and sought out every piece of info. on Stewarts. Priceless to the Cowan genealogist who is interested in Londonderry and Down. So there you go, my list of twenty books. I hope the list grows into a great bibliography for the Cowan and Wigton-Walker groups and everyone finds at least a couple of new "pearls" for their personal files. Regards, Robert Cowan