Dear Dora Smith also tigernut44 You stated the following "I need to check. Gershom Rice was allegedly born 9 May 1667 in Marlborough, Massachusetts. But my source gives him no parents. There is genetic irregularity about some of his sons' descent from his purported grandfather. Can someone please just check and see who the birth or baptism record lists as his parents?" THIS IS EXACTKY what I provided to you. As for tigernut44's statement "There's nothing like asking for one thing, and having EVERYONE decide what you really need is something completely different. Maybe he meant to be helpful in his own way, but that sort of thing never does anything but ensure that you won't get what you actually needed. Totally uncalled for. As a resident of Marlborough Massachusetts for the past 50 years and spending over 7 YEARS generating the Web Site that I sent the link to you, I have a fair knowledge of Marlborough's history and the people who first settled here. A person with average curiosity would have scrolled down and found a link to return them to the initial page and found more. THIS IS NOT MY PERSONAL GENALOGY.. it was prepared in 1861 by a man named Charles Hudson and both of you would have found this out IF you took the time. My research over the 7 years took me to grave yards, city hall, books and other places. I was asked several years ago to speak before the Rice Association at one of their annual meetings held in Marlborough at which I explained my site. I then took them on a tour of the cemeteries in Marlborough to point out RICE gravestones which many took pictures of. It was a great day and the Association was thank full for what I had done. As I write this I have opened before me the TAN BOOK also known as the Vital Records of Marlborough Massachusetts to the Year 1850. On page 155 for Marlborough Births there is listed: GERSHOM, s Thomas and Mary, May 9, 1667 I remind that you stated "I'm looking specifically for who the town records say fathered Gershom allegedly b 1667" OBTW, you not being familiar with Massachusetts and their records, the TAN BOOKS represent those records held by each City and Town in Massachusetts. Also, I am a member of the NEHGS and I do not need to go there because they have what I have. So now I close the book and put it away and also close this message by saying.... Sorry I was of no help, I will make sure not to respond to any more of your messages. Good luck in your quest Sincerely John Buczek descendant of William Ward one of the 13 original Proprietors of Marlborough along with Edmund Rice -----Original Message----- From: Dora Smith [mailto:tiggernut24@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 4:56 PM To: John Buczek; mamiddle@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [MAMiddle] Need NEHGS vital records lookups John, I'm not looknig for what a Rice genealogy says, I'm looking specifically for who the town records say fathered Gershom allegedly b 1667. The town records are a primary record and should be authoritative on who fathered Gershom Rice. In the presence of DNA reason to doubt that Gershom was Thomas Rice's son, what a family genealogy says is nothing more than hearsay. I specifically asked for a lookup in the NEHGS town records databases. Not to try to argue you out of knowing what I want better than I do, because I know that won't work, but I do want to make sure noone else thinks you provided what I asked for! The Rice Assn says he married Elizabeth Balcom, not Elizabeth Haynes. They offered two pieces of proof that Elizabeth was a Balcom. Yours, Dora Smith Austin, TX tiggernut24@yahoo.com