In a message dated 9/22/01 3:55:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << I am sorry to be so stupid, but who is Buck-Eye-Billy? I keep hearing of this person on other lists. Was this Richardson family Catholic? I do have Sarah listed as Sarah J. on some of my research. My family of Richardson's have never heard about an estate either(or at least they never told me or my mother)! My mother used to be dragged to Marion as a child and no one ever mentioned anything about an estate. I am utterly fascinated!! Please, please tell me more...... Heather >> Heather - When I first heard the nickname, "Buck Eye Billy", I honestly thought it was for his sharpshooting ability with a firearm. However, he earned the name for clearing off acres of "Buck Eye" trees on his newly claimed land near Marion....perhaps the word "estate" was a poor choice of words. I do understand that farm did remain in the family for generations. From my database, here is a "cut and paste" from my notes section re William BEB RICHARDSON: DAR Patriot Index - Centennial Edition - Part 3 National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Centennial Administration Mrs. Eldred Martin Yochim, President General Published: Washington; 1990 "RICHARDSON: RICHESON William: b1748/9 NC : d 1-31-1838 VA m Rebecca Hays Pvt VA" Nickname, "Buck-Eye-Billie", was given following his feat of clearing the large area of land he purchased filled with "buck-eye" trees. Lunenburg County, Virginia?....b 1748? His mother married, second, a Davis.....Thompson???? Had step half brother, Evan DAVIS I actually have a lot more info on his wife (an mother of his children), Rebecca HAYS (b. 1746 in Augusta County, Va)...her line stops in my database with John HAY (b. about 1735). This HAYS family originated in Ireland...so a possible answer to your question..."were they Catholic?"...is probably. Both Rebecca and William are buried at the Richardson Family Cemetery, Rich Valley, VA. Watch your counties when researching here...the seasons changes only slightly more fast than the county lines did. Their son Isaac (my direct...born about 1770) married Nancy WILEY, daughter of Alexander and Mary (WILEY). I do know that Alexander was baptisted as a Presbyterian on September 13, 1742 at the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA. Alexander was a Lieutenant (not Captain) in the Revolutionary War...also served in Dunsmore's war against the Indians under the command of Captain John Floyd. Isaac and Nancy had nine (7 boys and 2 girls) children...one is the Isaac (b. 1811) who may be the father of your John...their oldest is my direct...Alexander Wiley RICHARDSON (b. 1802 near Marion at the RICHARDSON farm)...obviously named for his maternal grandfather. Of the other 5 boys, I know of one William and one with the initial "N"...the others are not accounted for with a given name. Isaac and Nancy followed their eldest son, first to Tennessee...then to Wayne Co., KY and then to Franklin County, Illinois where Nancy died before 1840 and Isaac died after 1840. I also have a marriage date for Isaac and Nancy of 1793 in Washington County, VA...where that county's boundaries were in 1793 in relation to Marion, I don't know off hand. For their son Isaac (b. 1811), I have him married to a "Mary" (no surname), born in Tennessee....where the family probably lived at the time of the marriage...probably Knox County...since his older brother married Elizabeth GIBBS in Knox County in 1824. Alexander and his father appear in the Wayne County, KY census in 1830...Alexander fought in the Black Hawk War while living in Franklin County, ILL in 1832. Hopefully, this is enough to chew on for now. Let me know, if some of these clues provided anymore insights per your database. - Tom Wilson