This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: frostfreedet Surnames: Willey, Tilney, Burroughs Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.delaware.counties.sussex/1309.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: You wrote, "Tax lists are not much help in determining relationships and at this point in time notebooks full of copies of land records, orphan court and estate docs have not solved my relationship problems." Tax lists can be useful when the assessor makes notes to try to distinguish who owed for what. There may be notations such as 'Absalom son of John', 'Margaret wid.', 'William (minor)'. Residence may be given if in a different Hundred than the land or chattels to be taxed. I have not found a specific 'connection' between my SXDE emigrants and any Willeys. I don't doubt that they all crossed paths and knew each other to some degree. It is possible that the land owned briefly by a William Willey (purchased from one of the heirs of Nehemiah Tilney in 1769), sold by William Willey and Ann his wife to William Burroughs, was adjacent land of William Poynter who d. in 1781. I think but have not proved that the purchaser, Wm. Burroughs, was of Kent Co., DE and was one of the sons of the John Burroughs who moved to West's Run, east of what became Morgantown, about 1769/1770 and died there by the early 1790s; that William Burroughs is mentioned as deceased during the proceedings on the estate of John's son Elijah ca. 1796-1804 in Monongalia County WV. But William Burroughs' ownership of that parcel in SXDE doesn't appear to be connected with that William Willey in any way other than the purchase agreement in SXDE Deeds K:347. I have had a moderate ! interest in relationships among the DE emigrants to Monongalia Co., WV, but no more interest than that in the Burroughs'. Good hunting, Jade Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.