In the two years during which I have researched my ancestry, I have really not been able to find anything beyond which others, now retired from the effort, had been able to locate some 15 or 20 years ago. Someday, I hope to be able to find the origins of my gggggrandfather, Richard Ratliff, who died at a mature age in Anson County, NC, ca1811. My only hope is that "new" records will eventually surface, because to date all I have been able to do is retrace steps covered by relatives in earlier decades. Meanwhile, I try to be as thorough as possible. Small rewards occur in obtaining and studying deed records, claims for bounty land grants, and the like. Sometimes I can fill in minor "blanks". Also, I enjoy reading history of all periods, which helps a lot to visualize the lives of those who came before us. One book which I highly recommend to those who are researching colonial ancestors is ALBION'S SEED. I do not have the author's name with me, but the book is currently available or can be ordered at a Barnes and Noble or similar. It is softbound and costs under $20.00. In its approximately 1,000 pages, the author explains folkways and traditions of the 4 major immigrant groups to this continent: Quakers, Anglicans, Puritans, and what he describes as the "border people" - those who came here from near the English-Scottish border. Of special help to me was the author's explanation of various conventions for naming children. Each group used a different method - often followed for generation after generation. His explanation may well provide clues to the forename of an otherwise "lost" ancestor. One can see that among the various Ratliff branches to which one is exposed in this list, family names differ. In one branch we see the same names used over and over, yet the same names do not necessarily appear in another branch. This may provide clues as to the religious preference of each family. Try getting a copy of the book . You won't regret it. One suggestion: when you compile your genealogy for distribution, regardless of your chosen medium, please give credit to those, whether living or deceased, upon whose earlier work you have built. Doing so will demonstrate your appreciation for their work and your fair mindedness. Pip