Everyone on the list has been extremely helpful this month in educating me on exactly who and what the Germanna maillist encompasses. Now that I understand, I want some Germanna ancestors. I think my best hope is the Martin family. I am specifically interested in finding if there is a researcher on the list who researches the Martin family In Virginia during the 1700's--that is the Martin family who were associated with the Germanna Colonies. I am interested in websites, books, and ideas to get me started. I will be volunteering at my local LDS FHL from 10-2 on Saturday, so if we are not very busy, I should have time to browse for my own research. I have a Nancy Martin in southwestern Virginia (Christiansburg/Roanoke area). Her son described her to his children and grandchildren as a short, feisty, plump, buxom, dutch-Irish woman. I am hopefully interpreting the Dutch=Deutsch. I believe her father to have been John Martin born 1799 in Bedford County, Virginia. His wife was probably Catherine Williams also of Bedford County. In the first half of the 1800's I find this family to have been prosperous--owning enough land that they were able to share with Nancy's husband and their children. Nancy's brothers seemed to have been prosperous as well. John and his family probably moved to southwestern VA around 1838. Is Bedford County a likely place for Germanna settlers to have moved to in the second half of the 1700's? Does anyone know if there were Martins who did so? I am just hoping to get a little head start on this new idea that I am kicking around. Thanks ahead of time for any help. marsha in WV