Hello, and thanks to Wanda for the invitation to join and to all of you for the warm welcome! I'm John Lawes, living in Calgary, Alberta and I'm new at this genealogy business but enjoying it immensely. So far, with the help of a second cousin in England, (snail mail only,) I've determined that I'm descended from Thomas Lawes and Mary Ann Butler, who were married March 25, 1821 in Finsbury, St. Luke's, Old Street, London, England. Their three sons were William Herbert, Horatio Thomas and Henry James. Henry James Lawes married Harriet Maria Stratford January 9, 1853 in St. John Baptist, Hoxton and had ten children. The youngest of those was my grandfather, Charles Frederick, born April 4, 1874 at 242 Albany Road, Camberwell S.E., London where Henry James owned and operated a "Valentine Manufactory". I'm also researching my maternal ancestors (Cobbett) and have got back to circa 1790 - but I can't hold a candle to my wife, Louise, who is back to the early 1600's on both sides of her family! I look forward to participating with with the group. Cheers! John