If you are researching any LOFTON/LOFTIN families perhaps this kind offer from Dick Matteson will appeal to you. Dee For details on sources used, refer to this link: http://www.rootsweb.com/~ncbladen/lookups.htm ----- Original Message ----- From: dickmatt@juno.com To: d7777@worldnet.att.net Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 1:51 PM Subject: Re: PML Search Result matching Lofton Dee, I have rootsweb search for me for Lofton -(and other surnames of mine!). I therefore get many of your posts re: Lofton/Loftin. I am fairly able to help Lofton searchers about Loftons from Coastal SC Samuel Joseph(b. 1798 - lived in Berkeley Co, SC); Samuel Herd Lofton b. 1819 SC - my particular branch follows; Henry Michael Lofton -b. 1840; Richard Morrison Lofton -b. 1865 in McClellanville, SC; Augusta Lofton (my mother) b. 1898 in McClellanville, SC, She had one brother and 6 sisters [all but one with progeny!] leaving many Lofton descendants! I seek Samuel Joseph's parents (probably [narrowed down!] ) William Lofton - son of John Lofton who was born in Berkeley County VA (now WV) and son of Thomas Lofton who was b. in Old Baltimore Co. MD in 1707. However, during the migratory days of these Loftons/Loftins, records are very hard to find -if they indeed even exist!I appears at this point of knowledge(insight) that there were 4 or 5 Loftin children born of a Leonard (Lodowick?) Lofton who came to the James River area of VA in about 1630 - possibly in the employ of a large landholder. His child William moved to Old Baltimore Co. MD; Son John moved to St. Mary's County MD then Charles Co. MD. We have wills (or probates) for both of these. Son Cornelius Lofton established a family in the Hampton area along the James in VA and Leonard with wife Elizabeth moved to Tidal NC in the 1690s(Edenton and then Kinston). This last Son is the progenitor of many NC Loftins/Loftons (some by both spellings!) There is one other mysterious Lofton family who apparently came to the Boston MA area in the 1630s who may have been Robert and who apparently worked at the Saugus Iron Works there. A large iron pot is in the possession of a Chester Co. member of their Historical Society - marked Robert Lofton - 1644 - Saugus. If he - Robert - were to be Lodowick's kin then we have quite a confluence of Loftons/Loftins in Early American history! No one in Chester Co. appears to know much about this iron pot! I got the reference and other Loftin/Lofton material et the Kinston Community College Library. A Marian Loftin was one of the librarians there! So, the "MD" Loftons left for Berkeley Co. VA(now WV) and then in the 1750 left for Rowan Co. NC and then their part became Cabarrus County, NC and several sons went to Newberry County SC and then on to GA , AL, and MS leaving Lofton all along the way! Longfield Lofton (by that spelling) ended up in TN (groups still there!) and was the grandson of Benonie - son of Leonard. A John married his cousin and ended up in SC (according to Mrs. Causey and Ashley Loftin) However the dates do not easily match-up to my need for a father of Samuel Joseph Lofton!) Cornelious Lofton appears to have been either a Friend or Early Baptist - seen when one looks at the unusual style of handling births and marriages in their churches records. (There are two or more couples who are listed as attending these important events in early records in the Norfolk area - sort of like the German-Swiss did in the Orangeburg settlement in SC). Later some Loftons are listed in Brunswick Co. VA (next to NC) I have got no further with these except to say that some Shenandoah Valley Loftons seem to be different from the nearby Berkeley County WV Loftons. A Lofton bible exists there which I can not seem to connect to by calling the owner. I believe that the Shenandoah Loftons were from Cornelius Loftin of Norfolk, VA brother of William and John and Loftin I have met with Ashley Loftin in Albuquerque, NM some 7 years ago and we had great fun going over data and speculations and I believe that we would agree mostly about what I have proposed here so far. Another researcher, Leroy Lofton, and I have shared notes , etc and his expertise is on the Maryland to Va to NC Loftons who went from Cabarrus Co. NC to Indiana and then to Illinois and then beyond. I realize that none of this may really coincide with your main interests but I thought to share this with you (and to others you may think would be interested) and hope we can find common people and places of interest! Dick Matteson College Park MD