My trip to the library this afternoon left me dizzy. I feel as though I have been chasing squirrels all day. I was going to look into the Germans-in-Rowan-County matter, but was side-tracked by other things. So Meshach's wife is going to have to wait for a while. I think I hit upon something--and that discovery has me back on the Spencer track once again. I found a book called "Early Settlers of Lee County, Virginia and Adjacent Counties, Vol. II" compiled by Hattie Hyrd Muncy Bales, Compiler. It was published by Media, Inc. Printers and Publishers in Greensboro, NC 1977. pp. 652-657 focuses on two families: Joseph Spencer and James Spencer. According to the compiler: "There were two families by the name of Spencer who came to SW VA. One family first appears in Montogomery County, VA and later settled in Lee County. The other family first appears in the Wahsington County records. However, no relationship has been established bwtween the two families or the two branches of the Spencer family." To make a long story short, Joseph Spencer was the ancestor of William Spencer, who later settled in Jasper County, MO and who is buried in moss Springs Cemetery with my Spence ancestors. After reviewing all of this information, I think this is the same Joseph Spencer who bounced around in Western NC for a while with the Anson County Spencers. Concerning James Spencer--the compiler states that this Spencer line (Washington County VA) also stretches into Shendandoah County, VA. This James Spencer married Elizabeth Bolton, born 1776 in Shenandoah County. This family eventually relocated to Tennessee and one descendant's line settled in Barry County, MO (which is not all that far from Jasper). So I'm trying to figure out who these people are and how they fit into all of this. My big find came from "Virginia's Colonial Soldiers" by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck and centers upon Orange and Augusta Counties. An Edward Spencer, Sr. was quite a leading figure in Orange during the 1740s. He had a son named Joseph and an Edward Jr., who died fairly young--but he was old enough to leave a will. The Spencers I've been chasing (Thomas Spencer of Caswell) appears to have come from this family also. I found him on the militia list for Orange County in 1758--but that is the only time his name is mentioned. He left for SC shortly after that since he inherited property from his uncle Richard there. What is also so intriguing about these old militia lists is that I found all the other people I've been chasing in Orange/Augusta Counties: the Bells, The Catheys, the Grahams, the McDowells, the Kerrs, etc. etc. etc. And I also found the Taliaferros. Probably my biggest find of the day concerns the Skillerns or Skillians name. A Skillians (Abraham, I think), was the administrator of Elisha Spence's estate in Madison County, TN in 1835/1836. I found the Skillians name in Caswell and in Rowan Counties, so I had presumed that they were related to the Bells, since Elisha Spence's second wife was a Bell. They may have been--but the direct connection was with the Spencers and Thomas Spencer of Caswell's third wife. Thomas married Susannah Monie (Money, Monette, Monier) in Charleston in 1761. John Spencer, Elisha Spence's father-in-law and the first Sheriff of Maury county TN, was born in 1762. Susannah died by 1771, so Thomas married Mary Griggs in Charleston. Mary also died and Thomas' third wife was Elizabeth. I had thought he married her in Charleston, but he didn't do that and that's why I haven't been able to find a marriage record for them. Instead, Thomas returned to Orange County, VA where he met--Elizabeth Skillians (Skillern), daughter of William Skillern. And that's where the Skillians name connects with the Spence family. William had a number of sons, who later relocated to Tennessee, and Elisha Spence happened to be living near one of them when he died in Madison County. So, it's been quite a day. I still haven't figured out the exact Northeastern connection with these people, but checked out a few more books, hoping to strike pay dirt. I also haven't figured out the exact relationship between the Anson Spencers and Caswell Spencers, etc., but I'm working on it. And I still have to look for Meshach Inman's "German wife"--that may be like looking for a needle in the haystack. Meanwhile, happy Memorial Day. I start back to school again on Tuesday. It will be a while before I return to the library once again. Barbara