Dear Listers --- I've asked this question previously and don't remember seeing any responses. The List has been fairly active recently [new computers for Christmas?] so I thought I would pose my question again hoping that someone might have some thoughts or answers, or direct me to someone who might. Most everyone using this List has read numerous documents or abstracts which named individuals performing some or all of the following duties in Maryland, Delaware, or Virginia during the 17th and 18th Century: * Witness to Will * Administrator of an Estate * Executor of a Will * Appraiser of an Estate * "Approver" of an Estate It seems to me that it would be very useful if one could make an assumption about the minimum age one would have to be in order to act in any of these capacities. Because if one could make such an assumption, it would provide an additional datum that could be used to help put genealogical puzzles together. [And if the rules were different for each Colony, what they were for each, of course]. For instance [to use an actual example]: If in 1715 John Newbold was the Administrator of his father Thomas Newbold's estate [Maryland Prerogative Court Liber 37 Folio 98, Nov 19 1715], knowing what the minimum age would have been would allow me to estimate a "no later than" date for when he was born. If he needed to be age 21, then his year of birth would have been NLT circa 1694. If he only needed to be age 16, however, then his NLT estimated year of birth would be circa 1699. To use another real and related example that is of great interest to me: The Will of one John Blare "..of Somerset County Maryland." was abstracted by Nottingham Stratton from Accomack County Virginia records. The date of this Will was February 8 1717/18. One of the witnesses to this Will was "Frances Newbole", along with Thomas Layfield [husband of Katherine Newbold] and Lazarus Maddox [husband of Margaret Newbold]. My assumption is that "Frances" was Francis Newbold, son of the aforesaid Thomas Newbold and brother of John, Katherine, and Margaret. If I had an idea about what the minimum age Francis had to be to have been a witness to this John Blare Will -- that would allow me to make an estimate for a born NLT date for Francis. I would very much appreciate anyone's input into this topic, about which I have been unable to find information on anywhere to date. Thank You! Cree Newbold