This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/3Y.2ADI/835.1.1.1.2 Message Board Post: Thanks for the reply -- one question on your other posting: I'm not familiar with "Stokely Stuff and Stock". I have Benjamin's memoir, but would be interested in seeing what other documents are there. Is it paper or electronic, and how does one get access to it? Regarding the John Stokely "problem": I currently have in my DB the same lineage that you do (Thomas -> John -> Oliver, Sr -> Woodman, etc.), but have serious doubts about its accuracy, in part because of the very facts that you stress in your posting. I assumed that John Stockley, son of Oliver, Sr, is the John Stokely, father of Thomas, for the following reasons: 1) his birth (11-13-1731) and death (April 1771) are quite close to those attributed to John Stokely (b. c1730, d. c1770), 2) his wife's name was Mary (probate records), and 3) his place of residence fits Benjamin's place of birth of "7 miles from [Lewes]". There is another version of his lineage that you have probably seen, that being that John's parents were Thomas and Rhoda Delastatias, but I have no hard facts on this lineage. Both versions, however, assume that Thomas was born in Sussex, Co. based the knowledge that his family clearly has strong ties to Sussex Co., he married Elizabeth Montford (also sp! elled Mountford, Mumphford, and Mumford) from Sussex Co., and the family lived there at the time of Benjamin's birth in 1766. Here's the problem: All published records that I have encountered (DAR, Comp. of Amer. Gen., Gen. Records: Early NC Settlers, Eulogy for George Wilson (Thomas' grandson) in Annals of Iowa - Jan 1901, and others) list his place of birth as Edenton, NC (or simply NC). There is no question he has strong roots in Sussex Co. and lived there during his youth. But John Stockley, son of Oliver, shows up throughout the 1750's in Sussex Co. land and probate records -- as you say, he was born and died in Sussex Co. and there was limited opportunity for him to be elsewhere. It may be possible that he removed briefly to NC around 1754 and returned shortly after Thomas' birth (I haven't yet mapped out all the county records of his whereabouts to see whether this was possible) -- he had relatives in NC (notably, his father's 1st cousin, Joseph b. c1692, settled in the Elizabeth City area (30 mi. east of Edenton) in the early 1700's and had at least 3 children around John's age; and hi! s Aunt Elizabeth on his father's side moved to New Hanover Co., NC -- but that was probably around 1760). I haven't yet sorted all this out -- it is of course possible that the Edenton birthplace was an error by an early (19th century) researcher that has proliferated, but I doubt that. Anything that you (or others) have that might shed some light on this topic would be greatly appreciated!