Hi all, I should have added my two cents worth to this too. Names are leads, that might be good ones, but there is not a hard and fast rule that was followed. Use the surnames as a "tip" when you have reached a dead end. Sorry to have mislead you. Just wanted to remind everyone that even if they do not find a particular ancestor in a will or deed, to look at the witness signatures too. Debbie Fowler -----Original Message----- From: Debbie Fowler <micajah@mindspring.com> To: SCUNION-L@rootsweb.com <SCUNION-L@rootsweb.com>; GAMERIWE-L <GAMERIWE-L@rootsweb.com>; NCBURKE-L <NcBurke-L@rootsweb.com>; NCRUTHER-L <NCRUTHER-L@rootsweb.com>; NCLINCOL-L <NCLINCOL-L@rootsweb.com>; NCHAYWOO-L <NCHAYWOO-L@rootsweb.com>; missingmacs <missingmacs@listbot.com> Date: Friday, March 19, 1999 8:59 AM Subject: Re: [SCUNION-L] John George >missingmacs - http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~micajah/ > >Got this from another List and thought It would be very useful to pass along >to all you folks. > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >Tips on finding maiden names from the 1992 Jackson County, Michigan >> > Genealogical Society: >> > >> > Nothing will give greater clues to maiden names than the witnesses to >old >> > wills. In the lower left hand corner of most deeds, you will find >signatures >> > of two to four witnesses. The first is always from the husband's side. >The >> > next is almost always from the wife's side and that is to protect her >> > one-third dower right under law. >> > >> > Mortgages: In the 1800s and before, it was traditional when the daughter >> > married, as part of her dowry, for the father to either >> > cover their mortgage or carry a note for his son-in-law. If you can find >to >> > whom their mortgage payments were made, 70% of the time it will be the >> > bride's father. >> > > >Happy Hunting! >Edith Ward - List Host >Monroe county, TN. Mailing List >TNMONROE-L@rootsweb.com >To UNsubscribe: >TNMONROE-L-request@rootsweb.com >Type: unsubscribe in body of message. > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to missingmacs-unsubscribe@listbot.com >Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/