Vera, I recently completed a 28-page research paper on John Phillips (1720-1790) and descendants of Smith's Creek, Old Augusta County--now Rockingham County. Thomas Loker was a neighbor whose name was mentioned often in the public records. Sometimes the name was spelled Looker or Lokey. Thomas Loker was given a land grant in 1745 for importing from New Jersey to Smith's Creek a person named William Phillips. It is my understanding that the Lokers were originally from Suffolk, England, and first settled in Sudbury, Massachusetts during the 1630s. A tradition says that Thomas Loker became a Quaker and moved south after learning about the land opportunities in the Shenandoah Valley. There were numerous Quaker families who settled at Smith's Creek during the 1730s (Haworth, Scarborough, etc), but most moved on to other frontiers by 1760. Reportedly, Thomas Loker was born circa 1705 in New Jersey and died in 1795 at Tenth Legion, Rockingham County. This is located near US Route 11, within the Smith's Creek watershed in the northern part of the County near the Shenandoah County line. If I knew where in New Jersey that Thomas Loker came from, there I would probably find the origin of my John Phillips ancestor. I am not aware that Benjamin Bordin Sr. had any connection to the lands in this stretch of Northern Rockingham County. This land was not a part of Fairfax's Northern Neck, nor of Bordin's track in Augusta County. Col. James Wood surveyed some of this land for Orange County during that period (late1730s). His old survey book is kept in the Frederick County courthouse in Winchester. Remember that Benjamin Bordin Sr. (1692-1743) died in what is now Clarke County, VA. and that he had a son named Benjamin Bordin Jr. whose name is occasionally confused with his father's name in later years. It was not unusual for families in New England and New York to move to the Jerseys or Delaware during the late 1600s and early 1700s. Pennsylvania and Maryland were the next stopping places for many (but not all) settlers. And some of these people found their way to the Shenandoah Valley when it was opened for settlement as early as 1730. Land was already scarce on Long Island, and settlers were not able to expand westward in the Colony of New York because of the presence of the Iroquois Indian Nation. I have documented the movement of some of these families on their way to Old Frederick County. For example, the Babb and Perkins (also Parkins) families were among the very first to settle in Old Frederick in early 1730s. In the late 1600s, they were living in New Hampshire. They had kinship connections with the Hollingsworth, Booth, and Conway families. Being converted to the Quaker expression of Chrisitanity, the Babbs and Perkins families moved to Delaware in 1695 (bypassing Jersey), for more freedom to practice their faith. They came directly from Delaware to "Old Frederick," perhaps as early as 1730. Someone asked about Morgan Morgan's (1688-1766) roots prior to coming to Frederick County. He too came directly from Delaware, but he was a member of the established church (Anglican or Church of England). A claim is made that Morgan came in 1726 and one history text says that he was "the first West Virginian." Yet, a record in Delaware shows that he served as County coroner for the year 1729. I have no doubt that Morgan was in "Frederick County" as early as 1730-1731. He settled on Mill Creek near Bunker Hill, Norbourne Parish, Berkeley County, WV, and in November 1735 received a land grant from Alexander Ross and Morgan Bryan. A book has been published on Morgan Bryan and his descendants. I am not an expert on this subject, and suggest that you consult other publications. Also, the Norbourne Parish Register is on file in the Library of Virginia. Among other things, it provides many vital dates, as early as the 1740s. Sorry, but I cannot offer to do lookups. My volume of e-mail and correspondence is already beyond my capacity to answer. While I'm on the subject of in-migration to Old Frederick, I should mention that several groups of settlers came from Cecil County, Maryland. The Nottingham Quakers and the Presbyterians (Rene Julian, e.g.). In fact the Julian and Largent families came earlier (late 1600s) from Berkeley County, SC up to Cecil County, MD, and then to the Shenandoah Valley during the earliest years of the 1730 decade. So not all of the early Frederick settlers came from the upper mid-Atlantic region or New England. There was also a migration from Barbados to the Carolinas and Virginia. I'm hearing more about researchers finding genealogical information in Barbados records, which so far I've had no occasion to consult. Another place to look if you have Quaker ancestors is the Monocacy Valley settlement in Maryland, (roughly the 1715-1735 period). I found the Wrights, Ballingers and many more names that came to Old Frederick during the 1730s. Monocacy is now in Frederick County, Maryland. Several good publications are available on this settlement. I do not own any of these books and I cannot cite the titles by memory. In searching for origins, I have found that settlers to Old Frederick often had prior connections with each other, primarily church affiliations, commercial endeavors, or blood kinship (a man and his brother-in-law or son-in-law, e.g.). Therefore, it is very important to study groups of names associated with each other, such as witnesses on a legal record, land transactions, etc. It's almost unheard of for a "lone ranger" to appear on the frontier horizon. It's rare. There were cases where people sought a backwoods residence here in Old Frederick to avoid prosecution in another Colony. A good example of this is the Parke family of New Jersey who settled in Cacapon River Valley in present-day Hampshire County. Joining the Parkes (or Parks) from the same community in New Jersey were the Thomas Smith, Bartholomew Anderson and other families. This is a lengthy story to tell, so I'd better stop here. I ask that this e-mail not be posted at a website. I have been talking hurriedly from the top-of-my-head, trying to share some thoughts about the inflow of settler groups to Old Frederick County. It's not the quality of information and writing that I would want published. Wilmer L. Kerns At 10:10 AM 10/9/97 -0400, you wrote: >I am looking for the city/county /state where Thomas Looker (Loker) was >living before he came to Smith Creek where he and others purchased land from >Benjamin Borden who was Fairfax's agent from 1732 to 1734 when he was >replaced by Lord Fairfax's nephew. There were Lookers and Bordens in New >Jersey in 1697, but I have been unable to trace my Thomas to that family >either. Any help appreciated. Vera Boyatt vboytt@aol.com > > >==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ==== >Visit the Frederick County,VA USGenWeb Home Page! >http://www.rootsweb.com/~vafreder/frederic.htm > > ==== OLD-FREDERICK-CO-VA Mailing List ==== Visit the Frederick County,VA USGenWeb Home Page! http://www.rootsweb.com/~vafreder/frederic.htm