This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/mBU.2ACEB/20.1.1.1.1.1.1.3 Message Board Post: Hello Cousin Darren: I haven't really discovered anything new, but, using what clues you, I, and the rest of the family have dug up, and with some logic thrown in, have to agree with you that we both go back to the same John DURMAN, c.1750. Now, I don't want to come across as a "spoil sport" or a "kill-joy", but everyone seems to "assume" that the American DURMANs came from GB, some say England, some say Scotland, and some say Ireland. But, "WHY" is that assumed? I've found people with the EXACT spelling of the name in Turkey, Russia, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Serbia, Hungary, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Bulgaria, etc., etc. Why "ASSUME" that we are of English, i.e, British, origin? Not that I'm opposed to it, just that one CANNOT make ANY assumptions when doing genealogy research, especially without a whit of original source documentation, e.g. "original paper records". Now, here's something that intrigues me. Over the past 15 years, I have corresponded, by regular mail and email, with 10-15 people in other countries who had the same name. I found those persons by doing searches on the Internet/Web, and tried to interest them in finding out about our ancestors. In every case but one (more about that one later), as soon as I started asking questions about their ancestors, whether or not they knew where the name originated, where the original DURMANs came from, etc., they "clammed up". It seems that, with the one exception, no DURMAN wants to even think about discussing his/her ancestors with anyone else. I had the best line of inquiry I had ever had with a fellow in Costa Rica. He was the owner and President of one of the top three PVC plastic manufacturers in the world, located in Costa Rica. He said his original family had lived in Virginia, USA. But, during the Revolution, his branch of the family had not wanted to become involved in the war, and two of the brothers had migrated to Canada. (All the names in that branch are the same as those in our branches -- George, William, John, David, Thomas, etc.). Anyway, this person's grandfather was one of the brothers, and the person's father eventually left Canada to work for the railroad in Costa Rica, on banana plantations. He met a local girl and settled down. The person with whom I was corresponding was a son, who eventually started the manufacturing business. I asked him for some detailed information about his family and he said he was going to send it. Unfortunately, he died shortly thereafter. I have written his! son several times about our genealogy and he has never responded. The same kind of thing has happened with other DURMAN people around the world. The moment I ask about their heritage, they stop responding. The one exception was with a journalist in what is now Serbia. He was quite willing to talk about the name, but knew absolutely nothing! He said the only thing he knew was that he "had always heard" that his ancestors came from somewhere else! Anyway, all the DURMANs are as close-mouthed and as secretive as my father and grandfather were. They wouldn't talk about their ancestors if you beat them with a stick! More later, Yer Cuz, George