I am a Smith, and yes, indeed, I know what you mean. It took me about twenty years or so to get mine sorted just to 1700, as they were all named John and William, In the early seventies when I was sorting Smiths, genealogy was not so popular, there was no internet, and no one had previously taken the incentive to tackle them. I had to begin as they say, from "scratch". Did you go all the way back to Captain Billy and the Four Pennies? That is to the American Revolution. The Turners who married into the Smiths are direct lines to me. The Smiths are direct lines via marriage and some of them go round and round if you know what I mean. So you can have an Uncle-Cousin etc. relationship or have someone who married once into the family, then divorced and then remarried back into the family lines. And all with children. By the way ever hear of Barefoot Benny Hall? 30 wives, 99 children...With that many to feed, no wonder he was barefoot. (Smile) For years I did not think we were related, then I found out we were. What a tangled mess to unweave that was. So it is important to get up to date contacts in your base also. Why do we go to family reunions if not to get that updated info on who all had babies etc. to add to data base. That and home cooking of course. (smile) SIN