Firstly a big thank you to all who assisted with my BUYS, HOPPE, Van OOSTEROM posting. I hope I have thanked you all individually, and have really appreciated (and been kept very busy with!)all of your suggestions. When using a surname as a middle name I have mainly found that it is the mother's maiden name being used. In the case of the family of Peter SYPHERS and Tamar UNDERHILL, this certainly was the case for two of their boys: Bartholomew Underhill SYPHERS born 6 June 1793 and Philip Underhill SYPHERS born 22 January 1804 Henry Lamberston SYPHERS born 19 July 1800 doesn't follow the rule!! His father, Peter, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War of Independence. He was with the Westchester County Militia commanded by Capt. Lambert. Could Henry's middle name be an adaption of LAMBERT, after the Captain?? Another son's middle name is also very interesting!! Samuel Ryerson SYPHERS, born 12 May 1798. The first son born (Bartholomew) was named after Tamar's father (Bartow UNDERHILL). Could the second son also have been named after an ancestor of Tamar?? Tamar's mother's surname (as far as I have searched and googled!!) was unknown. Did Bartow UNDERHILL marry a Sarah RYERSON?? Could Sarah's father be a Samuel RYERSON?? Sarah and Bartow's first child was born c.1755. Sarah was born c. 1730 I have noticed "The Ryerson Genealogy, by Albert Winslow Ryerson, Chicago, mentioned in the archives. Would anyone have access to this research, and be able to check whether a Sarah RYERSON is recorded, born c. 1730, with a father Samuel (or Philip, or Henry) please? I cannot find any connection to the RYERSON family, other than to assume it was connected to Tamar UNDERHILL in some way, and since the UNDERHILL family seem to be very well documented, except for Tamar's mother's surname, I thought the RYERSON name would be worth checking!! Any help really appreciated! Thank you Marg Smith Mardi, NSW Australia