This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: West, Smith Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/3dB.2ACI/6161 Message Board Post: Hello, I am researching the West family. The oldest known ancestor is John West born 1790 in Pennsylvania. We know that the family is of German origin from the census records. We know they were Pennsylvania Dutch from census records. John West was living in Upper Canada in 1811 when he married Watte Casey in Adolphustown. They named their sons, William, Samuel, Henry, Smith, and Rowland. Rowland was named after the mothers family. Smith is a name that appears in each generation of the family and it may be the maiden name of the mother of John West. Does anyone have any information on a West family from Germany that lived in the Pennsylvania area in the 1700's? We are at a dead end in our research and would appreciate any help. Sylvia West