Are tentative, entwined and yet to be discovered how deep the roots go. I do know, from the generosity of the various members of the Orcadia and Orkney lists that my gg-grandfather, James Goudie, was b. 18 Sep 1808 Stromness, Mainland, Orkney, Scotland c.25 Sep 1808 Stromness, Mainland, Orkney, Scotland d.23 Apr 1887 Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada buried: BLK H Plot 69 E 21A Ross Bay Cemetery, Victoria, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada Thanks to Dave Annal and Norman Tulloch "Dennice First of all, as Norman correctly pointed out, the character that looks like a 'f' is actually the first part of a double 's'. This was very common in the nineteenth century (and earlier) but had all but died out by the start of the twentieth century. The 1821 census of Stromness records a number of GOUDIE families, probably all connected. Peter GOUDIE had evidently died by 1821. James GOUDIE, 35, Blacksmith Betty GROAT, 33 Peter GOUDIE, 10, School Clem GOUDIE, 8, School James GOUDIE, 6, School Betty OUDIE, 2 Baikie GOUDIE, 60 Merchant/Blacksmith Catherine GOUDIE, 36 Margaret GOUDIE, 15, School Cath GOUDIE, 12, School William GOUDIE, 17, App[rentice] Christian GOUDIE, 9, School Magnus GOUDIE, 10, School James GOUDIE, 7, School John GOUDIE, 4 Isabella GOUDIE, 1 Sally GOUDIE, 40, Widow Margaret GOUDIE, 20, Strawplaiting Sally GOUDIE, 10, School Jacobina GOUDIE, 8, School Margaret GOUDIE, 45, Widow Margaret SINCLAIR, 16, Strawpla! iting Fanny SINCLAIR, 18, Strawplaiting Robert CLOUSTON, 36, Mason/Farmer + family + 4 servants, including: James GOUDIE, 13, Servant Have a look at: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp to see if you can sort all this lot out. I also found some GOUDIE wills, including one for Baikie GOUDIE (probably a relative of Peter's) at: http://www.scottishdocuments.com/content/default.asp Happy hunting! Dave Annal, Watford, England " The roots of which I have yet to untangle. My thanks to the multitude of descendants who continue from Sooke, Vancouver Island [small farming/logging/fishing community west of Victoria on Vancouver Island] as well as other areas of the Island {Vancouver Island, not to be confused with the metropolitan area of GVRD = Greater Vancouver Regional District] to areas throughout the United States. Regards, Dennice Goudie of central Vancouver Island