Hi there, listers -- In reply to the inquiry yesterday (7 Aug) by Lynne <alacrity@idirect.com> re: WHELPDALE, etc., possibly Huguenot refugees who fled to England from France, here are some comments which I hope will be helpful. For anyone like Lynne who is looking for clues as to where a surname may have been and when, may I suggest a search of the IGI (International Genealogical Index) on the LDS website (www.familysearch.org)? It is true that the IGI is merely an index with many gaps, omissions, errors and "guesstimates". These latter entries are indicated by having marks <like this> around them. BUT, having said this, it is often a useful tool. Just bear in mind that there is A LOT of info which is NOT on the IGI at all, simply because no one at LDS has entered the data into it (for various reasons). In other words, the IGI is not a primary source and info found in it should always be verified in original records. Info I found on the IGI for the British Isles suggests that the surname WHELPDALE, etc. is to be found in England much earlier than the time of the French Revolution, as Lynne suspected. For example, there was Abraham WHELPDAIL bapt 7 May 1609 at Leake, Lincolnshire, ENG, son of Peter WHELPDAILE (no mother's name is listed.) Also Isaac, another son of Peter WHELPDALE was bapt at Leake on 28 Apr 1605. These entries alone make me suspect a Huguenot connection. First, the location was Lincolnshire where there was Huguenot settlement (although I don't know where Leake is in relation to that settlement). Second, there are those names Abraham and Isaac. Very common amongst Huguenot refugees, as I think I must have mentioned before. The father's name, as well. It is not a typically English name of the period. But Peter = Pierre. A possibility? There were four other baptisms listed for Leake. One was as early as 1599.They can be found using batch number C029782. I notice that the source document for these Leake entries was a computer printout of baptisms, 1561-1 831. I would suggest researching the Leake parish registers themselves -- ie. not a printout or a copy -- to see if any other useful info turns up. There were also many other WHELPDALE names listed aside from the ones I've mentioned. There were others in Lincolnshire, for example, as well as in Nottinghamshire, Cumberland and Westmorland. Many had dates in the late 1600's-early 1700's. There were also listings in London, a geographical connection which Lynn mentioned. Some of the spelling variants listed were WHELPDALL, WHELPDEAL, WHELPDAILL, WHELPDAYLL, etc. Where to go next? Well, as I said, never take the info on the IGI at face value. Instead, take it as a possible signpost on the road to further info. I would suggest a search through original records for Leake. I haven't checked but I would assume they are listed on the LDS site in the Family History Library Catalog (FHL). Once on the site, click on Custom Search (blue tab at top right), then on Place Search to access records for this location. As always, hope this has helped someone out there. Best to all, Andrea