Hi Barbara, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania have always had more Sherwoods than you can shake a stick at. So you would think that New Jersey, smack dab between NY and PA, would have its fair share, but that's not the case. NJ Sherwoods are rare birds. From the 17th through mid-19th century there are just a handful scattered throughout New Jersey like stray seeds blown by a misguided wind. That's a good thing as far as you're concerned. It should make your job of locating the earliest Samuel that you mentioned all the easier. I don't know your Samuel's line, but there's a possibility that he is Samuel SHERRERED or SHERRERD of Sussex Co, NJ. He would have lived in the late 1700s to early or mid 1800s. Don't be put off by the spelling. Over the years, "Sherwood" can become any surname remotely similar in sound. And the opposite can also happen, of course - SHERRERD can easily become SHERWOOD. And it may have nothing to do with generational change in pronunciation; it could be the way a county clerk or census taker heard the name. I know nothing more about Samuel SHERRERD, except that he was possibly the father of Isaac, b. 3 SEP 1801, NJ; d. 12 JAN 1886, New Milford, Susquehanna Co, PA. Isaac m. Hannah ADAMS, 16 AUG 1823, Wantage Township, Sussex Co, NJ. Both Isaac and Hannah are buried in the New Milford Cemetery. If you're interested in researching this line, write to me at my home email address (below) and I can put you in touch with someone who has researched this line, or at least has some family group sheets for them. In late 1829, or 1830, Isaac moved his family to Blakely Twp, Luzerne Co, PA, where they were for the 1830 Federal Census. They lived in this area through the 1840 census until sometime prior to 1847 when they were listed on the tax rolls of New Milford Twp in Susquehanna Co, PA. They had twelve children and farmed in the New Milford area for the balance of their lives. In his will he made bequeaths to those children still living at the time the will was drawn (1879), and to the heirs of his son Lewis, who had died during the Civil War, in Murfreesboro, TN. The will included Hilah and Celia, both of whom died young. It included his son Samuel who had died in Iowa in 1884. Either Isaac did not know of his son's death, or the will simply had not been changed, perhaps with the intention that Samuel's heirs would receive the allotted sum. The youngest son, Albert, was designated as executor and was left the balance of the property. This probably included the farmstead stated to be 180 acres in the 1850 Federal Census. Marriage Reference: "History of the 1st church of Wantage, Sussex, NJ includes churches of Mt Salem NJ; Sussex, NJ; Orange Co. NY" (n.p.: n.pub.), married by Rev. Zelotes Grenell, associated with 1st Baptist Church of Wantage, August 16, 1826, Isaac Sherwood to ___ Adams. Many of Isaac's descendants left Pennsylvania and settled in Iowa and Minnesota. Some of the families that these Sherwoods married were: TINGLEY, SMITH (several), SCHOFIELD, FRAZER, MINER, STODDARD, BENNETT, MORSE, BIRDSALL. Do any of their movements or affiliate families seem to tie into your Sherwoods? Kind Regards, Geoff Geoffrey Sherwood demidave@juno.com Towaco, NJ, USA ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.