Heather wrote: "As for country of origin, I am continually fascinated that the American DEANS rarely trace back to pre-immigration documents in the British Isles ( where I assume all the DEANS originally came from)." If only we could! In my case, I'm stuck with a Richard Dean who appeared in Georgia around 1800, was probably born about 1760, but where? We believe he served in the Revolution, but can't positively identify him with any one Richard Dean whose military records exist. Did he come from Britain? Did his father? Or was it further back? Until we know who in the line first reached America, and where, there is no point in looking in England, Ireland or Timbuktu! Margaret Lindsey Smith