In a message dated 8/5/99 5:57:06 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: << Over half my direct ancestors are Scotish or Scot/Irish. I cannot recall any of them that could not read or write. >> I agree with Harold. My family research and family tradition, indicate that the early Scottish, Scot/Irish and German settlers believed in education, establishing many small academies and colleges as they settled in the South. Many of these were known as Classical Schools, meaning that they taught Latin and Greek. Many of these families who lived in isolated areas still sent their sons and daughters away to school. Many times this education was interrupted by the Civil War, but in my experience continued after the war. Reading was very important to the early these early settlers, who often had books that they had brought with them from their native countries. For many of these families, one of these was their Family Bible. Debby