Dick: One of the most outstanding things I have observed on this Ross-L connection is the vast number of brickwalls. Mine is Samuel Ross. He is one of the Bath county, KY Rosses. I can trace him down to today just fine, but I can't find his parents. I think the Rosses simply hatched a kid and then threw him out with the bathwater to fend for himself. Must have been a Ross characteristic. My Samuel appeared first in KY in 1796 when he married Margaret Baird Wasson, a widow with 5 kids. He and Margaret had three sons: William Joseph, born 29 May 1796, Thomas, born 20 Feb 1798, and Joseph B. born 25 Aug 1800. All three men were still alive when their father died in 1850. I descend from Joseph who had 8 daughters and no sons. I have never ever found a thing on William or Thomas and either or them could have fathered your James. If you ever find out that either of these men is your man's father, let me know. Julia