Hi Marlene, With a name like Faris/Farris, which is a name variant to Ferguson, you certainly can't be surprised that Joseph came from Ireland(assuming that he is the same as the man you found in Philadelphia). And Presbyterian to boot! I would tend to agree with you about him being one of those "squatters" as the Scots-Irish were notorious in PA for taking up the first bit of unoccupied land that they happened to take a liking to(regardless of who might have had true title)! While I can't help much with MD, I do have a lot of misc. notes regarding Faris families in Maury Co. TN. I don't know how they did it yet, but I am virtually convinced that Wm Faris of Hagerstown(with wife, Jane Ross)eventually wound up in Maury Co. TN as I find a slew of them residing there in the 1830s and 40s(if memory serves me correctly). But since Mary Faris married James White Neely in Maury in 1838, it would seem that they got there by a different route than the Neelys, who were settled in Chester co. SC before their move to TN c. 1804 or so. I noted that the 1790 MD census shows a John Faris with only one male under age 16 and with 5 or 6 females. I have hoped that I could prove that my Wm was son to the John that you have so much info on, but I guess that would be a long shot. You mentioned John Faris as a RW veteran; any details? And before I forget, I also have other Frederick Co. MD roots other than these Farises...here are those names: Payne(Flayle Payne)and Harper(from a Robert Harper, nephew to the Robert Harper who founded Harper's Ferry)and also have an Owings, but my info in that line is somewhat limited. I had also hoped to locate the parents of Jane Ross, who married Wm Faris in Hagerstown, but have had no luck so far; have speculated that her father was a John Ross, formerly of Lancaster Co. PA, who may well have been the son of a Major Wm Ross, who originally came to PA with the 77th Highland Regiment during the French and Indian War(as a private soldier) and who stayed on after his enlistment(later served, according to a biog.sketch, as an officer in the RW). But it seems like Rosses are as hard to find in MD as Farises are. Will stay in touch and let you know if I run across anything of substance. Best regards, - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Larry D. Hamilton Coats P.O. Box 823 Aspermont, TX 79502 (940)989-3489 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------