Pax Pooh-- Jesse and Elisha Dodsons probably were ministers in the Primitive Baptist Church, since that's where their relation, Rev. Thomas Hanks (b. 1786 Pittsylvania County, VA) ministered. His grandfather Thomas Dodson, along with several members of his family, helped found the Broad Run Baptist church outside of what is now Warrenton, VA (Fauquier County) in 1762. The family moved en masse south to Pittsylvania County in 1765. There were a lot of Primitive Baptists in the family. Thomas Hanks owned slaves and lots of land as well as being a well known missionary in the church. Your ancestors probably farmed and led meetings "on the side"--being a pastor probably wasn't the major money-earning thing they did. But that doesn't mean being a minister wasn't the focal point of their lives. Thomas Hanks' brother, Elijah Hanks, was a well known minister in Maury County, TN for a very long time and wrote a memoir about his life. I'm still doing research on the Primitive Baptists, that's all I have off the top of my head. The names of your family members are familiar, but I haven't time right now to check the Dodsons of North Farnham yet. Hope this helps, Michelle Ule Robertule@aol.com Ukiah, CA