Hi Geoff I know what it is supposed to mean. But, just like a later marriage certificate may give the name of the father of the bride/groom, we can never be certain that the person so named is actually the father. Take it from me, I have had this problem in my tree on more than one occasion with "native of." being 'wrong' (and not by a short distance either). Yours respectfully Mike _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 5:52 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ENG-DURHAM] Looking for John Hodgson "native of Holwick" In a message dated 10/05/2007 14:16:20 GMT Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: "native of Holwick" merely refers to the fact that he was living in Holwick at the time of the baptism. NO! NO!! NO!!! "Native of" somewhere means "born there". It says nothing at all about where, or whether, he was baptised, nor about where else he may have lived at any other time of his life. However, "NATIVE of" always means "born there". This is not a point of genealogical nor, in general, historical, research, but a simple application of the English language - see the entry under "native" in any standard English Dictionary (eg the Concise Oxford). Birthplaces and baptism places in the Holwick district of Teesdale will be complicated by the parishes south of the Tees having been part of the North Riding of Yorkshire, and of the Diocese of York, at the time in question. Also, apart from surrounding Durham and Yorkshire Church of England parishes, note that Teesdale, as well as having the Methodist Chapels often to be found in mining districts, both coal mining and, as here, lead mining, also was a centre of Quaker activity. Geoff Nicholson