Dear List Members, The opportunity to post the following query is greatly appreciated. Recently I have noticed an unusually tight cluster of ROLAND-like names during the 1650-1750 time period in the southern Rheinpfalz near Kaiserlautern. For more than thirty years Roland genealogists have been searching for the origins of the Johannes Roland Family which arrived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania about 1726-27. For a long time they were thought to have been Swiss Mennonites who moved north through the Palatinate before emigrating. It now appears that they may not have been Swiss after all, but Germans from west of the Rhine. The Anabaptist status of our particular group still seems highly possible as they were both Brethren and Mennonite in Pennsylvania. But if the larger family originally came from this region, there may have been Rolands practicing several variations of faith and belonging to many different churches. Might anyone with knowledge of the following names or places be able to provide further information that helps us determine if any of these names connect to our lines? Does anyone happen to know of other Roland-like name variations from the area? Many thanks for your consideration. OTTERBERG Sources are German Reformed Church and civil records: 1653-Johannes Reilant and wife Lisabeth baptized Lisabeth Margareth 1655-Johannes Reiland and wife Lisabeth baptized Augustinius Johannes 1656-Johannes Reilland and wife listed in census 1658-Hans Rouland listed in the Schatzung with a Haus 1670-Johannes Reyland was Ratzburgermeister 1679-Johann Reilandt was listed with two Hauser LAUTERN Source is German Reformed Church of Otterberg baptism record: 1655-Augustinius Reiland of Lautern is godfather to Augustinius Johannes Reiland (see above) EISENBERG Source is Evangelish baptism record: 1713-Johan Christoffell Rolandt Father: Johannes Rolandt Mother: Johanna LAMBSBORN Source is Lambsborn Reformed KB baptism record: 1720-Joh. Abraham Roland (later emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1750) Father: Joh. Ulrich Roland (b. 1689, d. 1727) RODENBACH Source is Mennonite Census List: 1664-Peter Rolandt Thank you. END ___________ David Roland Reston, Virginia