This is off topic but every once in awhile someone emails me they are descended from the Magna Charta sureties. I am skeptical and they get upset. Here is a list of 17th century descendants of Magna Charta sureties. I don't want to say it is perfect but if you don't descend from one of these you probably take a second, third and fourth look at that line that says you are a descendant. Abbott, Anne (Mauleverer), of Nottingham Township, Burlington Co., NJ Abell, Robert, of Weymouth & Rehoboth, MA Abney, Dannett, of King William & Spotsylvania Cos., VA Allin, Katherine (Deighton), of Roxbury and Dedham, MA Alsop, Elizabeth Alsop, Timothy, of New Haven, CT Alsop, George, of Milford, CT Alston, John, of Berkeley Co., SC Argall, Sir Samuel, deputy Governor of VA Asfordby, William, of Kingston & Marbletown, NY Aston, Walter, of the West Indies Aubrey, Barbara Baldwin, Elizabeth (Alsop), of Milford, CT Ball, Elizabeth (Harleston), of St. James Parish, Berkeley Co., & Charleston, SC Barclay, John, Governor of New Jersey Barclay, Robert, Governor of East Jersey Barham, Charles, of Surry Co., VA Barnes, Charles, of Long Island, NY Batt, Anne (Baynton), of Boston, MA Batt, Christopher, of Boston, MA Batte, Henry, of Charles City Co., VA Batte, Thomas, of Charles City & Henrico Cos., VA Batte, William, of Charles City Co., VA Baynard, John, Gent., of Talbot Co., MD Baynton, Anne Beckwith, Sir Marmaduke, of Richmond Co., VA Berkeley, Sir William, Governor of VA Bernard, Anna (Cordray), of York Co., VA Bernard, Richard, of York Co., VA Bernard, William, of Isle of Wight Co., VA Bevan, Barbara (Aubrey), of PA Bevan, John, of PA Beville, Essex, of Henrico Co., VA Bickley, Joseph, of King William Co., VA Bladen, William, of St. Mary's & Anne Arundel Cos., MD Blakiston, George, of St. Mary's Co., MD Blakiston, Nehemiah, of St. Mary's Co., MD Blunston, Hannah (Levis), of Darby, Chester Co., PA Bolles, Joseph, of Winter Harbor & Wells, ME Booth, Thomas, of Gloucester Co., VA Bosvile, Elizabeth Bourchier, Mary Bradshaw, Sarah (Levis), of Darby, Chester Co., PA Brent, [Capt.] George, of Stafford Co., VA Brent, [Col.] Giles, of Kent Island, MD, & Stafford Co., VA Brent, Robert, of Stafford Co., VA Bressey, Thomas, of New Haven, CT Brooke, Mary (Wolseley), of Calvert Co., MD Browne, Nathaniel, of Hartford & Middletown, CT, & Springfield, MA Bruen, Obadiah, of Marshfield & Gloucester, MA, & New London, CT Bulkeley, Elizabeth Bulkeley, Grace (Chetwode), of Concord, MA Bulkeley, Martha Bulkeley, Rev. Peter, of Concord, MA Bull, Stephen, of SC Burnet, William, Governor of NY Burnham, Alice (Eltonhead), of York, Lancaster, & Middlesex Cos., VA Burrough, Nathaniel, of Calvert Co., MD, & Roxbury, MA Butler, Elizabeth Butler, John, of Kent Island, MD Calthorpe, Col. Christopher, of York Co., VA & NC Calvert, Charles, Governor of MD Calvert, Jane (Lowe) (Sewall), of St. Mary's Co., MD Calvert, Leonard, Governor of MD Campbell, Lord William, Governor of SC Carleton, Edward, of Rowley, MA Carleton, Ellen (Newton), of Rowley, MA Carroll, Dr. Charles, of MD Carter, Eleanor (Eltonhead), of Lancaster Co., VA Carter, Sarah (Ludlow), of Lancaster Co., VA Cartlidge, Mary (Need), of Darby, Chester Co., PA Chauncy, [Rev] Charles, of Scituate and Plymouth, MA Cheseldine, Kenelm, of St. Mary's Co., MD Chetwode, Gracy Claiborne, Elizabeth (Butler), of the Isle of Kent, Chespeake Bay, & New Kent, VA Clarke, Jeremy, of Newport, RI Clarkson, Matthew, of New York City, NY Claypoole, James, of Philadelphia, PA Claypoole, Norton, of Lewes, DE Clopton, William, of York & New Kent Cos., VA Codd, St. Leger, of Lancaster & Northumberland Cos., VA, & Cecil Co., MD Conway, Martha (Eltonhead), of Lancaster Co., VA Cooke, Elizabeth (Haynes), of Cambridge, MA Corbin, Alice (Eltonhead), of Middlesex Co., VA Corbin, Henry, of Middlesex Co., VA Cordray, Anna Coytemore, Elizabeth Crowne, Agnes (Mackworth), of Boston, MA Cudworth, James of Scituate, MA Culpeper, Katherine (St. Leger), of VA Culpeper, Thomas, of VA Culpeper, John, of VA Dade, Francis, of Warwick Co., VA Dale, Diana (Skipwith), of Lancaster Co., VA Davie, Humphrey, of Boston, MA, & Hartford, CT Deighton, Frances Deighton, Jane (see Lugg) Deighton, Jane (see Negus) Deighton, Katherine Derehaugh, Anne Digges, Edward, of York Co., VA Dudley, Katherine (Deighton), of Roxbury & Dedham, MA Dudley, Thomas, Governor of MA Dunlop, Archibald, of CT Eddowes, Ralph, of PA Eddowes, Sarah (Kenrick), of Philadelphia Co., PA Edwards, Agnes, of Cambridge, MA and Hartford, CT Elkington, George, of Burlington Co., NJ Ellis, Rowland, of Bryn Mawr & Gwynedd, PA Eltonhead, Agatha Eltonhead, Alice Eltonhead, Eleanor Eltonhead, Jane Eltonhead, Martha Farrar, William, of Henrico Co., VA Farwell, Olive (Welby), of Concord & Chelmsford, MA Fenwick, Jane (Eltonhead), of St. Mary's Co., MD Fenwick, John, of Salem, NJ Filmer, Henry, of James City & Warwick Cos., VA Fisher, John, of Northampton Co., VA Fitz Randolph, Edward, of Scituate and Barnstable, MA and Piscataway, NJ Fleete, Henry, of Lancaster Co., VA Foliot, Edward, of York Co., VA Fowke, [Col.] Gerard, of Westmoreland Co., VA and Charles Co., MD Gerard, Thomas, of St. Mary's Co., MD, & Westmoreland Co., VA Gill, Mary (Mainwaring), said to be of MD Goddard, William, of Watertown, MA Gordon, Thomas, of NJ Gorsuch, Anne (Lovelace), of VA Gurdon, Muriel Gye, Mary Hackburne, Katherine (Deighton), of Roxbury & Dedham, MA Hamby, Katherine Harlakenden, Elizabeth (Bosvile), of Cambridge, MA Harlakenden, Mabel Harlakenden, Roger, of Cambridge, MA Harleston, Elizabeth Harleston, John, of St. James Parish, Berkeley Co., SC Harris, Agnes Haugh, Elizabeth (Bulkeley), of Cambridge & Boston, MA Hawes, Edmund, of Duxbury & Yarmouth, MA Haynes, Elizabeth Haynes, Mabel, of Hartford, CT Henry, John, of VA Horsmanden, Warham, of Charles City Co., VA Houston, Sir Patrick, 5th Baronet, of GA Hoyle, Edward of VA Humphrey, Anne Humphrey, Daniel, of Haverford, Delaware Co., PA Humphrey, John of PA Hunter, Robert, Governor of NY & NJ Hutchinson, Anne (Marbury), of Boston, MA, RI, & NY Hutchinson, Katherine (Hamby), of Boston, MA Iremonger, Corderoy, of Northumberland Co., VA Iremonger, Francis, of Gloucester Co., VA Iremonger, Martha Iremonger, William, of Lancaster Co., VA Isham, Henry, of Henrico Co., VA James, Rev. Thomas, Jr., of Southampton, NY Jennings, Edmund, of York Co., VA Jones, Martha, of Northumberland Co., VA Keayne, Anne, of Boston, MA Keith, Sir William, Governor of PA & DE Kempe, Edmund, of VA Kempe, Edward, of VA Kempe, Matthew, of Lancaster & Gloucester Cos., VA Kempe, Richard, Esq., of James City Co., VA Kenrick, Sarah Launce, Mary Levis, Hannah Levis, Samuel, of Chester Co., PA Levis, Sarah Lewis, Elizabeth (Marshall), of ME Ligon, Thomas, of Henrico Co., VA Littleton, Nathaniel, Esq., of Northampton Co., VA Lloyd, Thomas, of Philadelphia, PA Logan, James, of PA Lovelace, Anne Lowe, Henry, of St. Mary's Co., MD Lowe, Jane Lowe, Nicholas, of Talbot Co., MD Lowe, Vincent, of Talbot Co., MD Lowell, Percival, of Newbury, MA Ludlow, Gabriel, of New York City, NY Ludlow, Roger, of Dorchester, MA; Windsor & Fairfield, CT Ludlow, Sarah Lugg, Jane, of Boston, MA Lunsford, Thomas, of Lancaster Co., VA Lynde, Simon, of Boston, MA Mackworth, Agnes Mainwaring, Mary Mallory, Roger, of New Kent & King & Queen Cos., VA Mallory, Thomas, of Charles City Co., VA Mansfield, Elizabeth Mansfield, John, of Charlestown, MA Manwaring, Oliver, of New London, CT Marbury, Anne Marbury, Katherine Marbury, Elizabeth Mauleverer, Anne Maverick, Mary (Gye), of Dorchester, MA Mellowes, Martha (Bulkeley), of Charlestown, MA Miles, Anne (Humphrey), of Swansea, MA More, Richard, of Plymouth & Salem, MA Need, Joseph, of Darby, Chester Co., PA Need, Mary Negus, Jane (Deighton) (Lugg), of Boston, MA Nelson, John, of Boston, MA Nelson, Margaret Nelson, Philip, of Rowley, MA Nelson, Thomas, of Rowley, MA Newton, Ellen Norwood, Charles, of VA Norwood,[Col.] Henry, of VA Orr, John, of VA Otis, Rose, of Dover, NH Owen, Joshua, of Burlington Co., NJ Owen, Rebecca (Owen), of Merion, Philadelphia Co., PA Owsley, Thomas, of Stafford Co., VA Oxenbridge, John, of Boston, MA Palgrave, Dr. Richard, of Charlestown, MA Palmes, Anne (Humphrey), of Swansea, MA Parker, George, of VA Parker, Richard, of Charles City & Henrico Cos., VA Pelham, Elizabeth (Bosvile), of Cambridge, MA Pelham, Herbert, of Cambridge, MA Pelham, Jemima (Waldegrave), of Cambridge, MA Peyton, Robert, of Gloucester Co., VA Pole (or Poole), Elizabeth, of Taunton, MA Pole (or Poole), William, of Dorchester & Taunton, MA Popham, George, of Maine Pynchon, Amy (Wyllys), of Springfield, MA Randolph, Henry, of Henrico Co., VA Randolph, William, of Henrico Co., VA Raynsford, Edward, of Boston, MA Reade, George, of James City & York Cos., VA Rodney, Capt. John, Gent., of St. Kitts & Philadelphia, PA Rodney, William, of Kent Co., DE Rudyard, Thomas, deputy Governor of East Jersey Saint John, Elizabeth Saint Leger, Katherine Saltonstall, Muriel (Gurdon), of Ipswich, MA Saltonstall, Richard, of Watertown & Ipswich, MA Savage, Anthony, of VA Scott, Katherine (Marbury), of Massachusetts & RI Seton, William, of NY Sewall, Jane (Lowe) of St. Mary's Co., MD Sherman, Mary (Launce), of Watertown, MA Skepper, Rev. William, of Boston, MA Skipwith, Diana Skipwith, Sir Grey, Knt., 3rd Baronet, of VA Smith, Lawrence, of VA Smith, Mary Johanna (Somerset), of Calvert Co., MD Somerset, Mary Johanna Spencer, Agnes, of Cambridge, MA and Hartford, CT Spotswood, Alexander, Governor of VA Stockman, John, of Salisbury, MA Stoughton, Rose Stratton, Anne (Derehaugh), of Salem, MA Taylor, James, Gent., of Boston & Lynn, MA Teackle, Margaret (Nelson), of Accomack Co., VA Throckmorton, John, of Salem, MA, Providence & Warwick, RI, & NJ Torrey, [Rev.] Samuel, of Hull and Weymouth, MA Torrey, William, of Weymouth, MA Towneley, Lawrence of VA Towneley, Mary Tyndall, Margaret Tyng, Elizabeth (Coytemore), of Boston, MA Veatch, James, of MD Waldegrave, Jemima Warner, Mary, of York and Gloucester Cos., VA Washington, John, of Westmoreland Co., VA Washington, Lawrence, of Rappahannock Co., VA Welby, Olive Wentworth, [Elder] William, of Dover, NH West, Francis, Governor of VA West, John, of York Co., VA West, Thomas, Knt., 3rd Lord De la Warre, Governor of VA Whiting, Elizabeth (St. John), of Lynn, MA Whitaker, Rev. Alexander, of VA Whitaker, Jabez, of Henrico Co., VA Whittaker, Mary (Bourchier), of Henrico Co., VA Whittingham, Elizabeth (Bulkeley), of Cambridge & Boston, MA Williams, Frances (Deighton), of Taunton, MA Willis, Amy Wilson, Elizabeth (Mansfield), of Boston, MA Wingfield, Thomas, of New Kent Co., VA Winthrop, Margaret, of Boston, MA Wolsey, Mary Worden, Peter, of MA Wormeley, Agatha (Eltonhead), of Middlesex Co., VA Wyatt, Sir Francis, Governor of VA Wyatt, Rev. Hawte, of Jamestown, VA Wyche, Henry, of Surry Co., VA Yale, Thomas, Gent., of New Haven, CT Yate, George, of Anne Arundel Co., MD -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.323 / Virus Database: 267.7.3/15 - Release Date: 6/14/2005