Have you tried running it through Soundex? I don't remember the website, but you could do a google search to find that. Or better yet, I bet the Rootsweb site will have a link to a Soundex system that will give you some clues. Have you considered that it might be a double name? If she'd been married before, maybe the Rolf was either her maiden name or a previous husband's surname, and Smith was her most recent husband's surname. Just guesses. One of my names, Schermerhorn, has at least 120 different spellings! Doris Waggoner Seattle --- Diane Graham <meregra@cableone.net> wrote: I am new here, and have been lurking for awhile. The list seems very quiet, so I will throw this one out to see if anyone can help me. (An example from another list...I had a surname that I searched for many years. Muckendue. Never found it. Finally, someone told me that it was the Scottish name McIndoe. Of course! Why didnt I see that.) I have lots of names in my background that tie into the early upper New York people. (Quick, Cole, Wells, VanAuken, Van Garden, DeWitt, Westbrook etc) One of my surnames that tie into these lines is ROLFSMITH, or RHOLFSMITH. Could this one be a sound alike? Is there a name from the early Dutch communities that would be similar in sound when spoken, but spelled incorrectly to fool me (and others from this line) since 1747? I have never found anyone who recognizes or ties into a family name of Rolfsmith. The specific woman in question is my gggggrandmother, Catherine Rolfsmith. William CRAWFORD b. 1731 in New Jersey. He lived in New Jersey, Minisink, and Pennsylvania. He was in the Revolutionary War, and was a POW at Ft. Washington. He married Catherine ROLFSMITH in May of 1764. She was born May, 1747. She is supposedly the third wife of William Crawford. If anyone may have a suggestion of a sound-alike name, that might be substituted for Rolfsmith, I would be so happy to hear. Thanks for any help. Diane, in Iowa ==== NYDUTCH Mailing List ==== NYDUTCH-L is directed primarily toward those Dutch who emigrated post-1800. Those wishing to also research the earlier period, 1600-1700, may join the DUTCH-COLONIES-L message list at Rootsweb. ============================== To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

Hi Doris.... Thanks for the suggestions. I hadnt thought of soundex, and didnt know that it was available on the internet. Ill try that. Appreciate your other suggestions too........ Diane