Hello Howells, I jumped in and started posting to the group without even telling who I was researching. My former posts concerned Joseph HOWELL of Cabarrus Co., NC. I'm not a descendant of his but of a man who appears to have been a relatively close associate (maybe first cousins?). My man is Burdig HOWELL and records on him are pretty rare. Some records that I found in Georgia give a pretty good indication that his name was really Thomas HOWELL. <G> Boy, *that* narrows it down a lot! It was just my luck that he used the name Burdig when his daughter Sarah married Charles BURCH in Richmond Co., GA, in 1797. It is through this marriage that I am descended. On 7 Jun 1766, Burdig and Joseph are listed as foot soldiers in Capt. Adam Alexander's Co. of militia, Clear Creek, NC (in Mecklenburg). Officers: Lieut Charles Polk; Ensign James ; Sergt Thomas MacFaddon; Sergt William Blair; Sergt Jno. Ford; Corp Jno Culberson. Foot Soldiers: ---- (If my record is correct, there are 86 names including Burdig and Joseph HOWELL and they are the only two Howells in it) ---- (Source: Colonial Records of North Carolina, Vol 22, pg 396) In early 1771 or before, both Burdig and Joseph obtained land on Rocky River in Mecklenburg Co., NC, in what was described as being in Tract #2. It was listed as being bought from Abner NASH and wife Justina with Clement NASH being a witness and serving to prove it. These records were obtained from two sources. One being the book "Mecklenburg Co., NC, Deed Abstracts 1763-1779". The other being from a lady who graciously copied them for me in Mecklenburg Co. (the courthouse, I presume). I learned later that Abner NASH was governor of NC during the 1780s and that he had married Justina Davis DOBBS. The question I wanted to ask, is if anyone on the group has ever seen land (in this time frame) listed in this manner? If so, would you explain the whys and wherefores of it to me? In all my digging around, this is the first and only time I've run into it. I mean, in that particular time period. Anyhow, Burdig later sold his land and, I think, moved off somewhere else. Joseph remained there. In the end, Burdig wound up living in Gwinnett Co., GA, and Joseph next door in Campbell Co., where they each passed on. I doubt whether anyone has any information on Burdig (under that name or its various spellings) but, if by chance you do, I would be *most* deeply appreciative of learning about it. Bill Miller