The other day I was complaining about how nicknames impede research. Here's another problem: our ancestors' unusual usage of "Jr." when naming a child. For example--I think that I reinvestigated the Edward Spencer line 5 dozen times because of this situation. Edward Spencer married Elizabeth Taliaferro. One of their sons, Joseph, had a son named Edward Spencer, Jr. The second Edward also had a son named Joseph, but he didn't have a "Junior" in his name. Edward Jr. caused me a million nightmares until I was finally able to piece the information together from wills. He was named for his grandfather--not his father. My husband has the same problem in his family. He descends directly from Col. Samuel Beall, who was also Samuel Beall, Jr. He had a son named Samuel Brooke Beall--and researchers have confused the two of them. The problem is this: there was no Samuel Beall Sr. unless he lived two generations before Sam, Jr. Sam Jr.'s father was Ninian Beall, Jr., the son of Col. Ninian Beall. If anyone knows why these people used "Junior" so freely, I would be interested to know. Barbara === Barbara Inman Beall, Ph.D. Professional Writer, Editor, Researcher Lancaster-Wormiston Press E-Mail: BIBeall@email.msn.com, BBeall43@yahoo.com Voice Mail: (303)556-5477 Snail Mail: P.O. Box 173, Broomfield, CO 80038-0173 Website: http://twigs-of-inman-spence.rootsweb.com/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com