Hi Bill, You've made a mistake on Samuel's marriage date to Mary Staton - only 3 years after Samuel's birth - but surely the marriage certificate would give more details. I don't know what US marriage certificates contain, but in Aus they have your birthdate, where born, names of both parents, their occupation, and how long you have resided in the country. Death certificates have the same questions, but you have to realize that the information is only what the informant is aware of, and often these details can be quite misleading. Janet Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia Researching GORDON, Troqueer and New Abbey, Scotland