Gail, I have just visited your website on the MATTERN family. You obviously have done a great deal of work on this, and the site is one badly needed on our family. However, you appear not to have received any of the early history of the family which as of this time is documented thru German Church records, Inventory records, etc. The family's earliest known ancestors are Hans (b 1614) and Catharina MATTER (b 1616) which appear in the church records of Alteckendorf (Altdorf, Eckendorf)Elsass-Lothringen (Alsace-Lorraine) Johann Adam (grandson of the above) and Maria Magdalena (QUIRIN) MATTER(N) were the 1751 immigrants on the ship Edinburgh. Their 4 children were born in Ingwiller, Elsass-Lothringen, and came with them. There were 3 other MATTER(N)s on the same ship: Jacob, George, and John (Hans/Johannes). They were cousins of Adam, not brothers. I have approximately 5000 names in my MATTERN database, and would be glad to share these with you (by gedcom) if you are interested. Sharon A. Huffman