If you don't give us even a rough idea of the time frame, we can't give you worthwile information because we won't know, for example, whether an event likely occurred after civil registration began. It takes time to help people. People who ask for help should take time formulating their questions. Diane

Diane, I think that these people do not know how.  They have scraps of information and find this list and think that this list has all their answers.  Telling these people here will not help the future new ones that come on.   Example -- My mother's Jones line -- we met our cousins in NC where are no records just like Clare, in the 1700's.  One had found a John Jones but no more real information.  I brought back that information to some cousins at home.  I told them there was no information.  A cousin was going to find it!!!!  Nice guy but not the sharpest tack who is now dead, went to a small library and asked the librarian to give him the information on John Jones or something like that.  He then went around proclaiming that He had found zee John Jones.  No more our John Jones than I am related to all of you.  I said nothing, as no way to make him understand.  Now have found his daughter has posted All Kinds of trash on a big genealogical website.  I am not about to tell her.  She had once demanded that I give her All my information as She was entitled it as a relative.  Less sharp tack than her dad.   You are not going to cure them.  When they try to join, post some information there about questions.  But even that will not help them.  I, too, had only 4 scraps of info and been working for years for my mother's father.  I was fortunate in finding my NC cousin who is a carbon copy of my mother and me.  On my mother's maternal, I had a tiny scrap of information, "she had a tiny pension" and that is why she was taken in.  I took that and found a huge huge amount of information.  No one helped me there.   Like Clare, my kin are in NC, Va, Md, Mo with the first and last being -- no records.  I have Grey Co, Va, but there are NO records.  My at that time a very wealthy grandparent who did not record any records!!!  They may have belonged to a church, but no records of which one.  No knowledge of why they are no longer around or where buried, etc and etc.  One grandfather was living in Jun, 1860 and his wife is re-marrying in Oct, 1864.  Where is the oldest son, and father's best friend?????  No information!!!   Fact -- I am Not a paid professional in no way shape or form.  I talk to newbies and see how they do not have a single clue.  I try to get them started and I have to walk on.   And like my NC cousin, I have other kind people help me with maybe a scrap or too that will be like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  And that includes this list!!!   Sorry that this is long and offends someone, but I have been at both ends -- no info and lots of info.   Alanna --- On Mon, 3/28/11, [email protected] <[email protected]> wrote: If you don't give us even a rough idea of the time frame, we can't give you worthwile information because we won't know, for example, whether an event likely occurred after civil registration began. It takes time to help people. People who ask for help should take time formulating their questions. Diane