In a message dated 15/06/2010 21:20:21 GMT Daylight Time, e.newbery@btinternet.com writes: I think if your family originated in UK and crossed the pond, many of them took with them their family bibles. They kept in touch - albeit irregularly. They weren't necessarily escaping religious persecution or poverty, many were going to make a buck!...and, many came back having made their fortunes. Hi, You are wrong there. Many people leaving England, many on the "Mayflower" and other like ships, were fleeing from religious persecution of Quakers. Yes they had their family bibles in which they recorded family happenings so that there was a record for future generations. Many families settled in Burlington, New Jersey, and started a Quaker Colony there. One of my family, George Elkington born in England in 1650, travelled to America on the "Kent" in 1677 and was indentured as a Blacksmith for four years. He finally settled there, marrying two wives there, and did not return to England again. At this time, that Sarah Jessica Parker was looking at, People were fleeing England for their religion. It was not until over 100 years later that English and Americans owned plantations in the West Indies, that English people made money by buying and selling slaves on their plantations. If any of you watched last night [Sky Watch] and saw Carol Vorderman researching her family you would have found it very interesting. She did her mother's family first and they were well respected butchers in North Wales. She then followed her father's family and found out he was an important leader of the resistance in Holland. Sadly, her father had a massive stroke whilst he was being researched, so she had to finish there. There wasn't one "OH my Gaawd" in it and as a bright and intelligent woman, she came over very well. The programme was filled with interesting meaty bits which SJP lacked. JUDY ELKINGTON [North Derbyshire] _www.elkingtonfamily.com_ (http://www.elkingtonfamily.com/) Elkington@rootsweb.com _www.one-name.org/profiles/elkington.html_ (http://www.one-name.org/profiles/elkington.html)