Thanks everyone on your take on the word yeoman. I think Theophilus Simonton (I) was proud of the fact that he farmed his land, himself. So many came from Europe who had been nothing but share croppers, they did not OWN their land, only had the right to work it, someone else actually owned it. They must have given a percent of what they raised to the person who owned the land. Those who came to the colonies wanted to own their own land.... My husbands ancestors came from Germany to the Republic of Texas, after sky high taxes bankrupted them, they did not own the land, only had a right to work it. We think the three families, the Simontons, the Thorntons and the Allisons lived in a row, next to each other. There must have been a lot of help from each other. When they moved to Rowan co, later Iredell co., in the Statesville area, they again had land next to each other.