My brick wall is not far back at all. I'm only sure who my Great-GrandFather was: James Edwin James....no further back than that. Judging from what few census records he is listed on, he was born ca1845. He fought in the Civil War in the Confederate Army. There were Jameses in Southampton County, Va whom he referred to (in what few letters he wrote and we have seen)as his "brothers". However, I have found this VA family in the census back to 1850 and he is not listed with them. Also he did not inherit from the estate of the father of the other Jameses. We located descendants of that VA family(still living there on the same farm in Southampton County, VA)back in the 1950's but nobody remembers him specifically. However, my GGF left VA and went to southern Illinois after the Civil War and one cousin there in Southampton County, VA knew about a James relative "out in Illinois" although he did not know who it was. We have a copy of an old letter that one of the VA "broth! ers" wrote to my great-grand-mother in Illinois after my GGF died. The letter referred to my Great grandmother as "Dear Sister". If you say this is confusing, join the club. The James kin of ours who live in VA today have a distinct physical resemblance to my Jameses, so there has to be a close link somewhere. They were unique in their appearance because they have an olive complexion, brown eyes, small stature and thick,course black hair. I have old photos of my grandfather and he looked like one of the characters from a movie about the mafia. Quite an interesting guy to have for a grandfather. Is there anyone who has info about James in Southampton County, VA or maybe in the northeast corner of North Carolina.....O or how about Maryland? Boice Burns 14019 East Cypress Forest Dr Houston, TX 281-894-4064