Ben, My John Cahill's wife was Eleanor Butts; her parents were William and Eleanor/Alender Butts. Here are a few tidbits I've found about William. I also have a copy of his will. The other surnames you have mentioned have not come up in my search. ........book by Pam Eagleson "In Search of an Ancestry: The Stone-Shearmire Family History" William went to war in Sept. 1779 and was not heard from again. Possibly killed by Indians. Wife Eleanor said he was "taken on the Diamond Island by the Indian Savages and has not been heard of since." Eugene Scheel's "Culpeper A Virginia County's History Through 1920" pg. 339 His son Samuel stated in an affidavit to claim bounty land that his father in 9-1779 entered into the Service of the State of VA, as a private in the Cpt. Mark Thomas Co. in Mjr. George Slaughters Corp. in the Western Country (now KY) until 1780 when in 6-1780 in Louisville, was taken prisoner by Indians. He was about 40-45 yrs. old when he enlisted. (this means he was born about 1735) Will and inventory found in Culpeper Co. Will Book C 1783-1791 p 81-83 and p 92-93 Pages given to me by Karen Hill-Walker show birth date about 1740 pages from: "National Society Sons of the American Revolution" ben hawkins wrote: >Amy, > >Do you happen to know John Cahill's wife's parents' surname? My gut feeling is that you are correct, John Cahill's parents may have been born in Ireland; and if he was, he probably emigrated from Ireland to Virginia with them when he was a small child. My early Virginia Irish ancestors included Butlers and Nickells(Nicholl, Nichol, Nickle, MacNiochaill, etc.) The Nickells, from Lower Bedoney, County Tyrone, settled in Augusta County, VA, which had a predominently Irish community . Also, Simon Kenton, the locally famous pioneer generally credited with founding the Mason County, Ky settlement was the son of Irish immigrants. Mary Ingles, also well-known in eastern Ky history, was Irish, too, her maiden name being Draper. Also, Fleming County, which was formed from part of Mason county, was founded by the half-brothers, George Stockton and John Fleming, whose parents were from Ireland. Anyway, the whole point of this is that a large number of the early Mason County (and! ! > its > offspring) settlers were first and second generation Irish-Americans, and this is sometimes reflected in local geographical names. > >Good hunting, > >Ben > > >