HI Roy......my biggest brickwalls are in places other than Yorkshire....at least I think they are. For instance.....my John Douthit was born 6 May 1709 in Coleraine, Londonderry, N. Ireland. His forebears were supposedly part of the King James (II ?) plantation of Ulster. Prior to that , there was a Dowthwaite in Aberdeen that was supposedly his progenitor and before that the jury seems to be divided between theories of they're being French Huguenots or being from Dowthwaite Hall somewhere in Ingland. I haven't mentioned the huge number of spelling variations this name has inspired....e-searches are futile because of it. I haven't learned enough about doing Irish research to be able to follow the threads. It's the same story with my Scotch-Irish Reeds and Carsons. I don't know the origins of my Keevers.....they spoke German , but I've been assured that Keever is not a German name. Kever is Dutch...so maybe that's it. I've been variously assured that Keever is definitely a form of Kieffer (which IS German) as well as assured most emphatically that Keever is NOT and never has been a variant of Kieffer. I personally have no idea....but it's a show stopper. My earliest Keever is Henry Keever b abt 1760 in Hesse-Nassau, now Germany....but the surname was and is extremely rare in that area (or any other area of Germany). They also didn't necessarily marry Germans in NC ....they married English, Scotch-Irish and sometimes German. They did not use either German naming patterns or German given names. It's a bit of an enigma. I also don't know the origin of my Martain/Martin line.....they may or may not be of Henri Martain ,the recognized Huguenot line (probably not, since we can't find proof). They were early immigrants though and lived in some burned out counties in VA. Anyway....that's a good start......malinda Roy Stockdill wrote: > COULD I, as a newcomer to the list but a very longtime genealogist, make a > suggestion as to what is wrong here? Of course, some of you may think there > isn't anything wrong (!) and perhaps I am not putting this too well, but in > view of Dr Bill's worries about the lack of traffic and exhortations to us > for more postings I feel there must be. > > I am on about eight lists altogether - admittedly all UK-based, except this > one - and on all of those there is a huge amount of traffic, with lively > and vigorous (sometimes one might say a little too vigorous!) debate about > many aspects of family history and genealogy. There is a constant flow of > newcomers seeking help and guidance and older hands offering it. There is > cut and thrust and argument and controversy. There is a regular trade-off > of information about research techniques and sources. Frankly, I don't see > that here. The list has more the atmosphere of a sedate (and poorly > attended) tea party, with the odd bit of chit-chat, posting of helpful > websites, and that's about it. Sorry, but that's how it strikes me. There > doesn't seem to be the clamour for information or desire to discuss > genealogical techniques and sources that I see so strongly on other lists. > > I don't normally make a habit of promoting my genealogical qualifications > for fear of being thought immodest (not that that normally ever stopped a > Yorkshireman!) but here is my CV..... > > 25 years in family history. > Officer of the Guild of One-Name Studies, the world's major organisation > for one-namers, and editor of the quarterly Journal of One-Name Studies > Member of the publications committees of the Federation of Family History > Societies and the Society of Genealogists > Member of half-a-dozen Yorkshire family history societies > Lecturer in various family history topics and in desktop publishing for > family historians > Founder of a family/one-name society for Stockdill/Stockdale and variants > (members in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, America, Canada, > Australia and New Zealand) > > If anyone out there has Yorkshire ancestry, particularly, then I am > generally acknowledged to be one of the leading authorities on the county > (and PLEASE no-one ask "Where is Yorkshire" or I am likely to come over > there and thump you one!!!). However, I have lived for many years in the > south of England, just outside London, and am familiar with most of the > major London records offices. > > Surely there must be something I can help you with? I have offered before > but had little response. Or is it simply the fact that hardly anybody on > this list has managed to get their ancestry back to the UK yet? > > Roy Stockdill > Editor, The Journal of One-Name Studies > The Stockdill Family History Society (Guild of One-Name Studies, FedFHS) > STOCKDILL PREST YELLOW BOLTON WORSNOP > GIBSON MIDGLEY BRACEWELL SHACKLETON BRADLEY MOODY in Yorkshire North & > West Ridings > MEAD YOUNG in Somerset, Wiltshire & Gloucestershire > Web page of the Stockdill Family History Society:- > http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/roystock > ”Never ask a man if he comes from Yorkshire. If he does he will tell you. > If he does not, why humiliate him?" - Canon Sydney Smith (scholar and > humorist 1771-1845) > > ==== NEWGEN Mailing List ==== > ROOTSWEB..............R.I.P.