Hello Folks I am going to lurk on the list but I also wanted to write my particular line of interest. I've checked the archives to of the list, too, but nothing came up. I've also looked for Mapes in general but to no avail. I am interested in seeing what the first few generations of Mapes look like. My ancestor is William M. Johnson (1783-1834) who m. Rhoda Ball (I have lots on the Balls, as I was a founding member of what is now on altlaw.com/edball). I think William M. Johnson was William MAPES Johnson because his grandson was Dr. William Mapes Johnson. As I've traced all possible leads in other lines(I think!), Mapes must have come in through the grandfather. So instead of tracing Johnsons in Sussex or NJ as a while (I must thank Bill Smith for saying that the early Mapes come from Sussex Co, and there were Johnsons there), I think it is best to look at early Mapes, which is more unusual, hoping to find a marriage of a Mapes into the Johnson line (tangent: I also have a Wm. Harvey Johnson, and someone pointed out to me that Harvey is also a family name in the area). Since Wm. M(apes) Johnson was born 1783, I think it is doable to look at the first few generations of Mapes. Any ideas? Michel