Darrell A. Martin wrote: ------------snip------------- > > Well, actually, one of the later babies of the millenium <grin>. > (I warned you in advance I was a picky stick-in-the-mud.) But > congrats anyway! You could always extend the Dutton tree a wee > bit more and go for a "real" millenium baby--you'll just > barely have time! <just kidding, Carolyn!!!> Darrell, my dictionary reports the meaning of millennium as:"3. a thousandth anniversary esp. the year 1000 or 1001 or 2000 or 2001, etc." ------------------big snip------------- see below > > >Regarding the early Duttons and the earliest recorded date from our > >family. There is no easy, short answer. > > The professional genealogists would say that the earliest recorded > >Dutton is Odard who is listed in the Domesday Book, 1086. > > [snip] > > >The earliest Duttons believed that they were from Normandy > >and were cousins to the Conqueror, but 1000 years later we cannot find > >the paper trail to prove it (and the paper trail may no longer even > >exist). > >Carole > > Carole's summary is about the most accurate statement you > can get today about the ancestry of Odard/Hodard/Udard > "of Dutton". ---------------snip---------------- > Darrell Hi Darrell, In all fairness, this statement that you call MY summary is NOT a summary at all of what I have written--it has been taken out of context and, thus, distorted. I disagree with the experts who claim that Odard and his brothers are English and chop off the line at Odard. I have uncovered internal evidence that raises legitimate questions regarding the early professional genealogists and their accuracy. I have uncovered external evidence which they did not find which supports our ancestor's (and Dugdale) claims and charts of descent from Normandy. I just wanted to set the record straight as you have distorted what I have said and turned it into something else. I provided the DUTTONS with the historical background regarding the argument. People can form their own opinion based upon the facts. To summarize my post: Although the earlier professional genealogists have discarded the Dutton's continental connections (based on the name game), the evidence available today suggests that they are probably mistaken. Although it is difficult to find these old records, I have found primary external evidence which lends support to the "Costentyn" [sic] connections claimed and charted by our ancestors and lends support to Dugdale. The internal evidence also shows that these names developed on the continent with English spellings applied to them. Furthermore, Keats-Rohan also provides supporting evidence that Odard is a Norman. The Domesticon Anglicanum is cited profusely by Keats-Rohan and other genealogists and I am not willing, nor justified, in throwing out this ancient record. Thus, my search for proof of Odard's ancestors continues. Carole