What I think I will do, if I can figure out how <G>, is post the data at Rootsweb so everyone has access to it, rather then send it individually. I do not have it in hand yet, Karl-Heinz mailed it Aug 13th, mail (printed matter as he is sending it) from Germany like this has taken anywhere from 5 days to about 2+ weeks. I know some people were asking about the family coat of arms, I do not know if he has sent a copy in this mailing. I have done some looking at the Census for PA, managed to trace George Herkey/Harkey (who appears in the 1790 Census)all the way down through one son (I think) and 3 daughters. There were more sons, but not sure who they were. The one son had only 3 daughters who remained unmarried, Mary and Catharine (twins) lived together all their life, ending it at Henry G Long's home for Old women. They show up there in the 1910 and 1920 Census. I went to look for them in the 1930 Census but the ED I need is not online at Ancestry yet. The Henry G Long Rest Home in Lancaster PA still exists. It was at one time a home for old women, but it look like a home for old indigent women. I imagine the 2 sisters are buried near there. There was a 3rd sister, Phoebe. She falls off the Census early, I imagine she died, was a spinster as well from all I could see. Their mother had 7 sisters, most of them spinsters as well, on occasion the Harkey sisters lived with their spinster aunts. If you are real creative, there are lots of Harkey possibilities in PA. Also lots with the HARKEY spelling. I entered "HERKEY" and used soundex for the early Census on one search, and then the exact spelling of HARKEY on another search. Lots of hits both ways. Also looked over at the Ellis Island site, there were several Harkeys, British citizens, who came to visit, largely they went to NYC and PA. Some to visit family. The tree gets more twisted every minute. Hopefully there will be some answer in Karl-Heinz's data. We know they were named HARKEY and also used HERCHE. The dialect that would allow HERCHE to become HARKEY is pretty isolated to the area of Sterbfritz and surrounding communities. Leave the area and HERCHE becomes HERSHEY, like our chocolate friends. Karl-Heinz grew up in Frankfurt area, while he does have the Hessen German, he pronounces the name more like Hershey than Harkey. I believe ages ago Alma called a man in Maryland named Herche, he said he pronounced it HERKEY, like Turkey, instead of Hershey. All of my relatives, living in Berlin, Hamburg etc, when i show them the written name HERCHE pronounce it close to Hershey, not Hair-key Here is an excerpt from another list on dialects.... from Hessenland list: Ja, die Mundarten und Dialekte, da müsste man eigentlich eine eigene Liste aufmachen ... Hier im Hessischen wechseln die Dialekte etwa alle 5 Kilometer, wobei die Unterschiede teilweise gravierend sind. translation: Yes, the colloquialisms and dialects practically need their own discussion list. Here in Hessen the dialects change every 5 kilometers, just about, although the changes from area to area are often gradual. I think we can scrap the idea that Johannes Jacob Herche can to the Colonies as a soldier. Kay did some research with the British Imperial Army, seems while they did use Hessian soldiers, they did not import them to the colonies before the revolution. David Harkey was certainly not a Hessian Soldier, he was a citizen of the colonies, with property... who happened to side with the British. A Torre. Maybe Johannes Jacob Herche came as a redemptionist or with another family while he was a minor.. I am certain he must have left the area before 1732, thats the year his father died and it seems his younger brother Hartmann (the direct ancestor of Karl-Heinz) got the family property. But I am willing to bet he used the name Jacob and not Johannes. Jacob is the German version of James..... that may be why we have so many of them. OK, going back to my tent to wait for the mail! (Its 1/5 of a mile to the mailbox on my property) <huge grin>