As we know, children are often named after ancestors. In Dutch families there were fairly consistent naming patterns. My puzzle involves the Murdock/Palmer family. I can account for just about all the Murdock side of the family so that I know the names given the sons were not Murdock ancestors although they may have been connected in some other way. Elizabeth Palmer, was born in 1796 and died July 12, 1828. She is buried in Braehead Cem. Kortwright Center, NY. She married Edward Riggs Murdock who was born November 11, 1787 in Harpersfield, Delaware Co., NY. Judging by the birth of their first son, James Bailey in 1814, they married about 1812. The Murdocks moved from Washington Co. to Delaware Co. after the Revolution. I don't know where the Palmers came from, but possibly Washington Co. The names of their sons in birth order are: 1. James Bailey 2. Daniel Palmer 3. Stephen Hoyt 4. Joshua Hobbie 5. Edward Riggs 6. Samuel Orson 7. John Orris Edward Riggs #5 would have been named for his father and great- grandfather. It would seem logical that Daniel Palmer was named after his mother's father except that the Murdock Genealogy by Joseph B. Murdock says that the name of Elizabeth's father was Levi Palmer. No Levi Murdocks appear among the descendants of Edward and Elizabeth, which seems strange if her father was named Levi. If he wasn't Levi maybe he wasn't even a Palmer! It's possible that Elizabeth's mother was the daughter of a James Bailey. I'm reasonably sure that these seven sons were named after real people. But who? Does anyone recognize these names? Edward R. Murdock was a Baptist minister. Could these people have some connection to the Baptist movement? The Murdocks had connections to the Scottish settlers of both counties. In some families I've been able to identify the mother's father with the name of only one son! Here I have seven! What am I overlooking? Any ideas? I hope I've been able to make this make sense. ____ Dorrie Traficante in Lexington, MA ZPQM64A@Prodigy.com Poor Spellers of the World, Untie!