In a recent posting to the list I mentioned discovering for the first time that a Mrs. Burns is mentioned on a page in the trip diary of Thomas WELSH dated 1793 when he and the families of Moses NEVILL and John NEVILL left Harford Co., MD for Canada. The name was included on an itemized list of goods weighed for transport (I believe to cross Lake Ontario from Oshwego N.Y. to Kingston, ON). I don't know how I missed it in the past but can only think it was because of where it was in the diary and my aversion to all things mathematical. Anyway, the name is clearly Mrs. Burns and it was written by Thomas WELSH, a well educated intelligent man and the brother-in-law of both John and Moses NEVILL, all 3 men being married to Mitchell sisters. So presumably Welsh knew who the lady in question was and how to spell her name so I am satisfied that the name is Burns. I began searching my files and found the following which Shirley Wilcox had kindly given me: Brumbaugh, Gais Marcus. Maryland Recores. Lancaster Pa. Lancaster Press, Inc. Vol. 2. 1828. indexed p. 171 1776 Harford Lower Hundred, Harford Co. Burns, Mathew (tax), 60 Mary, 41 NEVEL, Ruth, 10 NEVEL, John, 7 I think it very likely that the John NEVIL and Mary BURNS mentioned above are the same two people who accompanied Thomas WELSH to Canada in 1793. I still do not know the relationship between John NEVILL and Moses NEVILL. I have already run this past Shirley Wilcox and Jan Faulkner and for their thoughts and wonder if anyone else on the list can connect to John NEVILL and Mrs. Burns? This is the best lead I have had in a long time and proof that you should periodically go over your files. John and Ruth could be orphaned children of a relative of Mrs. Burns, her own illegit. children if she was born a NEVILL, or she could be their mother in a second marriage. Peter Neville has kindly sent me the Nevilles in MD on the 1790 census and none match John who should have had a wife, a daughter and 1 male under 16 who would have been his wife's son Ephriam Cole MITCHELL. Now I am thinking that perhaps he was still living in the household of Mrs. Burns in 1790 and will ask Peter if he could check this out for me. If anyone can shed any light on who Mary BURNS might be it would be very helpful. Thank you. Paddy in Ontario, Canada