I thought Matthias Blazer was a bit unlikely too. ;^) I'm fairly sure at least one other name I saw wasn't a Scot, and I imagine they were quick to claim any non Germans settled in mostly German and Scot territory as Scottish. But I welcome any lists of early settlers and some context of the times, even if some of the associations are imagined. Those of us who have poked around enough know that even some of the most cited references tend to be prone to occasional errors and leaps of faith, which is why secondary sources should always be treated with some skepticism. They can still be a useful guide to finding things we might not otherwise have looked for. Best regards, Mal

This is a good example of why secondary sources are not accepted by organizations as proof of any kind......and that primary documentation....birth, death, marriage records, census, etc, are necessary. Some seem to have difficulty grasping the fact that secondary sources just aren't sufficient , and as such may be only thought of as clues, clues that must be either proven true, or untrue, with primary records. there is always someone that brings up the fact that the so and so census was wrong...granted, mistakes happen even in primary records, but, they are the best we have to work with! When I teach genealogy classes I always suggest folks 'shoot' for joining some sort of a group....DAR, SAR, local county or state groups, etc....anything that will give them an understanding of exactly what may be considered proof. It gets them 'thinking' in the right direction and will be a help throughout their research. Hopefully, they will NEVER accept something that is 'told' them, as truth...ditto for anything found in county history books, on the internet, in the ancestral files at the LDS, or those published family histories, notorious for being long on theory and short on fact! I also always share something told me by my own genealogical guru...and, something whose wisdom I have never found reason to doubt...."Never believe anything unless you have the proof IN YOUR OWN HAND." That's why my own files are chucked full of hardcopies....I haven't accepted the fact that so and so is mentioned in so and so's will....I get a copy of that will! - and have also always found these documents hugely interesting....what could be better than reading the inventory that goes with your great great great grandfather's will - to see how he lived, what he owned, did he read? (books on the inventory).. could he write (did he sign his will or use a mark)., and so many other things. Some wills pose us questions that are, perhaps unanswerable, but certainly interesting to think of. One of my family wills contained the following clause (1677, VA) " To him that shall have the girle named Jane Stowe to have 2 cows more than the rest. I will that all my children may have a great care of the keeping of the said Jane Stow soe long as she lives" So, who in the world was Jane Stowe....I've found no one married to a Stowe or any family connection to anyone named Stowe...so, who was she? I looked at surrounding landowners, and no Stowes there (thinking a neighbor's orphan child, taken in and raised)....... why did the person who would marry her get 2 more cows that the others? and, why were his children asked to take care of her? What was wrong with her...was she handicapped in some way? I'll never find the answers, but how very interesting to think about......and, I'd never have known it if I hadn't obtained a copy of the will. S. " even some of the most cited references tend to be prone to occasional errors and leaps of faith, which is why secondary sources should always be treated with some skepticism. " -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.2/373 - Release Date: 6/22/2006