All, The following is a theory and not substantiated. PROBLEM. Find the source of the name, Lafford, in Lafford FRENCH, b. 1753 NJ. ASSUMPTION. Lafford was the first born son of Joseph and Hannah (Horn) FRENCH therefore would most likely be named for a family member. First searching back on the ancestry of Joseph and Hannah (Horn) FRENCH we find: FRENCH, Joseph (Sr) and wife, Allee. paternal grand parents Thomas and wife, Mary ALLEN, paternal great grand parents ALLEN, Judah and Mary WOOLEY, paternal great, great grand parents HORN, Simon and wife, Sarah OLDEN, maternal grand parents Simon and wife, Rebecca REA, maternal great grand parents OLDEN, William and Elizabeth GILES, maternal great grand parents REA, Jushua and Sarah WATERS, maternal great great grand parents GILES, James and Elizabeth TIDD, maternal great great grand parents There does not seem to be a family connection to the name Lafford for a first son among the names shown above. There is one obvious area that is unsearched and that is the family of Allee, wife of Joseph FRENCH. Allee would be a grand parent and a logical source for the naming of a grandchild. The problem is to connect Allee to a SURNAME which has a first name of Lafford (sp.). We know by earlier research that there was a Leffert SEBRING (sp.) associated with the FRENCH family in NJ. At first cut this possibility should be explored by examining the SEBRING surname. Best regards, Hugh