Good Afternoon: In my more romantic days I felt a commonality of religion would play a large part in our ancestor's selection of a spouse but I have found that to be nothing but a 20th century notion. In the post Colonial period a man usually married strictly for money, privilege or power and this would continue probably until at least the end of the 19th Century. So, throw out any notion that "Methodists only married Methodists" and "Baptists only married Baptists," because they would marry just anybody if "the price was right," or a rich widow or widower at twice the price. In fact, a young man might well be a Presbyterian on Monday, a Baptist on Wednesday, a Catholic on Friday and go to church at the Methodist Church on Sunday, so as to keep their options open. Like the current joke about the man who was looking for a widow with a boat -- all he wanted in reply was a picture of the boat. <grin> In this case, all they wanted was a picture of their plantation and those "cotton fields back home." <grin> John R. Clarke Feel free to visit my website at: www.outdoorwriter.com