Carol and List, From much that I have read there is a distinct legend, maybe urban myth, that Houghtons in the USA descended from three brothers that landed during colonial times in Massachusetts, had many descendants that traveled south down the east coast and westward. In my wife's family the legend is that they descend from the younger brother of a Houghton titled line re "Houghton House" in England, who having heard the older inheriting brother had died decided to remain in the USA. Early migration patterns from Massachusetts tended to flow down the east coast by land as far south as Virginia. Migration to Georgia I believe tended to be by ship. Western migration seems to have been alternatively due west through New York through northern Ohio, leaving folks along the wasy and into Michigan ie Houghton Lake area. Further south they came across the mountains of Pennnsylvania and down the Ohio river to West Virginia, southern Ohio, Kentucky, southern Indiana and points west. From further south still they would have crossed the Cumberland gap from western Virginia into southern Kentucky. In my research I have not found evidence of Houghton migration through the Cumverland gap. There is plenty of evidence of the other two western migration. I know of no existing evidence that solidly links Massachusetts Houghtons with any of the southern branches but there does seem to be circumstantial evidence. Carol, there are a number of folks named Joab Houghton in the New Jersey branch. Likewise there are many instances of people from Culpepper, Virginia finding there way into the Ohio river valley. Herman Kleine -----Original Message----- From: Carol Houghton <carolhoughton@hotmail.com> To: HOUGHTON-L@rootsweb.com <HOUGHTON-L@rootsweb.com>; HOUGHTON-D@rootsweb.com <HOUGHTON-D@rootsweb.com> Date: Saturday, June 02, 2001 10:22 AM Subject: WV/Va Houghtons >Hello All, > >I am researching my husbands family. Has anyone seen them? > >Job Houghton, born abt 1796 to Elijah and Sarah (Jackson) Houghton. He >married Lucy Sims on April 19, 1818 in Culpepper, Va. Has anyone seen this >family or have any information on Elijah and Sarah? Thanks for anything you >can tell me. > > >Carol Sherman Houghton >In Northern Bristol County, Ma. > >Researching: Sherman, Briggs, Smith,Gibbs, Aldrich,Dexter, Carpenter, >Lovejoy, Matthewson, Hall, Mosher in MA,NH,RI, VT and ME >Houghton, Franklin, Palmer, Moore, Jewell, Rickerson in Pa, WVa, Va and NY > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > >______________________________