This is in response to the Jan. 2nd message concerning MELVINs from the Ballina area of County Mayo, Ireland on [email protected] Over many years, there have been various contacts by MELVIN people who married into McCAWLEY and O'BOYLE families of County Mayo. Look into the archival Rootsweb files. Many fine MELVINs remain in this Ireland coastal area today. So far, our mid-19th C. immigrants from County Mayo seemed to first settled around Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania, probably getting employment in the coal mines through their many relatives. By 1900, many had moved on west with their 1st born generation. When not ducking the Census, they favor Irish RC given names: Patrick, James, John, Michael, Owen. Our various family tales all include an early Scotland origin. We have not been able to connect to a common primogenitor; such individual records may be lost in the mist of time. A Captain Patrick MELVIN is recorded in The Marquis of Ormonde Manuscripts (GoogleBooks) as arriving April 1679 at Kinsale, Ireland with Earl of Dunbarton's infantry regiment. In Kinsale's 1786 Registry of Deeds Index is listed a John & Mary MELVIN. What are the origins of earlier MELVINs who settled around North Carolina? Ireland? Scotland? Their given names of Andrew & Daniel lean to Scotland. A prominent Lord MELVIN shows up around Midlothian, Scotland and figured into the Queen Mary escapade. Earliest I've come across is a 16th August 1487 Bond of Manrent by John Melville, heir apparent of Raith, to Sir John Wemyss of that ilk. This may be in Wemyss Barony, Firth of Forth, Scotland. Later was an Andrew MELVIN, noted Presbyterian advocate. So there are a great many obscure ancient papers laying about both sides of the pond mentioning the name, be it MELVIN or MELVILLE. Keep the puzzle pieces in contact via these message postings. Maureen Melvin Morrow