This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jhorsley46 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.horsley/458.2.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: There is a Maryland Chancery Court case that proves Joseph Horsley, whose widow Rosamond married Richard Ladd, died with no heirs. By the laws of primogeniture, that would mean not only did he have no children, but also no brothers "of same blood"--that is, no brothers who had both the same parents as Joseph. The inclusion of females is more complicated, and I can't recall where/if any females would fit in this adjudication, but that's irrelevant in the search for male Horsley descendants.) The Chancery Court record reads in part: "The Sd Jurors further Say that the Sd Joseph Horsley dyed the five and Twentieth day of ffebruary in the year of our Lord God 1670 And one Richard Ladd & Rosamond his now wife the Relict of the Said Joseph Horsley... And the Said Jurors further Say that they Cannot find any heir of the Said Joseph Horshey within the Sd province of maryland nor elsewhere.." From: Proceedings of the Court of Chancery, 1669-1679 Vol 51, Chancery Court Proceedings, 1676. (p 188-191), The case can be found in the Maryland Archives Online and begins on the bottom of page 188 found here: http://aomol.net/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000051/html/am51--188.html Personally, I believe there is some connection between Joseph Horsley and a younger James Horsley Sr. of Queen Annes County, MD, but haven't yet been able to make the connection. I think there are clues still to be traced in earlier VA records of Joseph Horsley's probable father Ralph Horsley who died in Northumberland County, VA. (Just before posting this I saw the previous post from Mildred, and yes, Mildred, I do think it's the same family. Ralph almost certainly came to VA from Maryland.) Joan Horsley Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.