12/29/00 Dear FRENCH Researchers: I have been reading all of the messages of late and I have to admit I dont really know anything about the FRENCH organization you are talking about. I would like to join it when possible. Can someone who belongs, besides Mara, email me and tell me about it and how much it costs? I would appreciate it. Now, down to the genealogy of this. I have a court record from RICHMOND CO VA, Nov 1721 which is as follows: In Richmond County 11/1721 DAVID SEAL and MASON FRENCH of Westmoreland County were involved in the murder of JONAS ALLEN at the Tavern of WALTER ANDERSON in Hanover Parish. DAVID was accused of beating him with his fists and stomping him with his feet. MASON FRENCH abused him sexually. They were to stand trial in Williamsburg. Witnesses who testified at the trial were WILLIAM PANNELL, WILLIAM ROW, EDMOND DUNNAHOE, WALTER ANDERSON, CHARLES SEALE (DAVID's brother), JOSEPH KING and ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS. At the meeting of the council and Governor or Virginia on the 16th of April 1723, these three [?] men who had been convicted of manslaughter for the death of JONAS ALLEN were pardoned and "all the penalties and forfeitures to which they were liable" were remitted to them. My question is, do any of you have this MASON FRENCH in your line? I am interested in his family; ie, parents, siblings, children, nieces and nephews,etc. My relatives are probably DAVID SEAL and CHARLES SEALE and I am having a hard time connecting any SEAL (E S) to my last known SEAL, FIELDING SEAL. I believe that this DAVID and CHARLES are part of our family, and since DAVID and MASON were good friends (I have seen them mentioned together before, too), it is possible that there were marriages between the SEALs and the FRENCHes. Can anyone help me out on this? And just as a curious fact: My maiden name is ALLEN and my mother's name was SEALE. Could I be related to all of these folks?? :o) Any help would be appreciated. Nancy/IL