This seems to have been the time when patronyms were converting to surnames, however. David Thomas's will is filed under "T." His sons' wills (ie Samson Davis) are filed under "D." I have traced from Samson Davis onwards but would like to learn more about David (ap) Thomas. Where did he come from in Wales? Are his parents known? Did he come to PA with siblings? When did he come? Any help? Thanks! Natalie ndburrows@verizon.net P.S. The family of David Thomas's son John Davis has been well researched and also shows the change from (ap) Thomas to Davis. ----- Original Message ----- From: <Sndtenterprises@aol.com> To: <PAPHILAD-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, March 26, 2006 1:38 PM Subject: Re: [PAPHL] Davis and Thomas families of Philadelphia County, 18th century > Thomas was not a surname. It was a patronym. The children had the name > Davis > because it means the children of David. This was the Welsh custom. > > Sndtenterprises > Genealogical and Historical Research > > > ==== PAPHILAD Mailing List ==== > FREE: Upload your GEDCOM to WorldConnect > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/ > > ============================== > Search Family and Local Histories for stories about your family and the > areas they lived. Over 85 million names added in the last 12 months. > Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13966/rd.ashx > >