Gang, I've been waylaid by tax season but I'm still trying to keep up with you ! Anyway, like Jim said we DO need original documents ! I think that we in Burwell's line have picked the Carroll County records clean. Between Mary Anne, Essie, John, myself and a couple others, we should have everything that I'm aware of . We can only hope when a new courthouse is built, that during the move they find some boxes in the attic or basement ! I will get over to Dobson just as soon as I can to grab the Surry Co NC stuff. I have a Burcham cousin and we get together and take research trips. We live in the foothills and every time we climb the mountain, it rains ! So we don't even attempt to go during the winter. Dobson is in the foothills too though, so we really have no good excuse for not going ! Next trip we are meeting 2 more cousins, one from Galax VA and one from Elkin NC, and I'll supervise the trip by assigning surnames and I'll take SPENCE ! Between the 4 of us MAYBE we can find something. Mary Anne, can you ask Essie if she had ever gone to Dobson ? If Surry turns up empty, we still have Ashe Co. to explore in West Jefferson NC. If there is anything on Spences, that is my best guess as to where it is, since I've been to Alleghany and didn't see anything. Then there's Wilkes and Yadkin, and finally Rowan. Salisbury is supposed to have a good selection, but it's the OLD OLD stuff ! I'm corresponding with a Spence lady in Rocky Mount NC. She has a stray Spence that she doesn't think came out of the Pasquotank line. Those of you with the GA line, please check out the Insel Spence who was in NC. Wasn't there some GA Spence's living close to him after he moved to GA ??? Keep the discussion going, thanks to all I owe a thank you ! Carolyn