For those of you who had family that migrated into Southwestern PA from Augusta/Frederick/Hampshire Counties, Virginia, you might find some information in this Hampshire County excerpt from "Allegheny Passage" about the Church of the Brethren or Dunker/Dunkard religion at this link: http://www.tarvinfamily.org/cacapon.php . Click on the book cover to access the .pdf file. There are several surnames common to SWPA i.e. Bowells/Bowlus, Chrisman/Christman, Cracaft, Newcomb, Tarvin, Corbeley, Bozarth/Buzzard, Engel, Rice, Miller, Parish, Larue/Larew, and Enoch to name a few. I have been researching my husband's 5th great-grandfather, Jonathan Nixon who was in Westmoreland/Fayette County from about 1776-1788. All the information I had found referred to this Nixon family being of Quaker origins from Bucks County, PA. But when Jonathan left PA and moved south of Fairmont, WV, he and his descendants were members of the Boothsville Baptist Church (2 grandsons were Baptist ministers) and I could not figure out the connection of how they went from Quaker to Baptist. The above book excerpt turned on the lightbulb Jonathan and possibly his father George became members of the Dunkers (early Baptist church) due to the lack of a Quaker settlement in their part of Virginia. The Dunkers/Dunkards were also considered one of the "plain people" religions, simple living and pacifists similar to Quaker/Amish/Mennonite and Capon Chapel in Hampshire County was one of the early Church of the Brethren. This church was built on land owned by the Nixons. Jonathon Nixon was in German Twp, Fayette (formerly part of Springhill Twp, Westmoreland) 1776-1788 and there was a Church of the Brethren (now Mt. Moriah Baptist) in the neighboring township at George's Creek, Georges Twp, Fayette County as early as the 1760's and also churches at Ten Mile (1759), Dunkard Bottom (1752, Dunkard Creek) and Monongahela (1752). I think Jonathan emigrated to SWPA possibly to escape the Revolutionary War encroaching upon Virginia as he had a wife and two children and came here because of the Church of the Brethren being present in this area. The problem is the early Church of the Brethren kept few records as to members, births, marriages or deaths until the late 1780's so documented proof of membership is difficult. Happy Hunting, Pam Nixon Westland, Pennsylvania [email protected] ____________________________________________________________________________________ Cheap talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. http://voice.yahoo.com