Edward Boggs raises a good question. The time frame is probably crucial to the answer. As for genealogy, my time frame for this question is roughly 1760-1800. I can't seem to make the crucial family links because my line shows up with varied surname spelling (STARN, STERN, STARNS, STERNS, STARNES) in various counties in the area connecting VA, TN, KY, NC, and SC. This is further complicated by the shifting names of locales as new states and counties were being formed. In part, the moving about in this period may be explained by a combination of people seeking to safety in the conflicts with Native Indians and seeking new opportunities as new settlement areas opened up or they received land grants. In any case, it really makes tracing a family line difficult sometimes. Indeed, I just yesterday ran into a new twist in my efforts to find the parents of my ggg-gf John STARNES. He has been variously reported by descendants (without documentation) as born in VA, NC, and SC. However, I just checked the 1860 Mortality Census for Hawkins Co., TN, where he died on Dec. 16, 1859, and found that it lists him as born in KY. Now I have to shift gears and start looking in KY for his parents! But, since it lists him as born in 1776, KY was not yet a state at that time. It was, in fact, still a part of VA. So I can't stop looking in VA either! Of course, since this info was from the Mortality Census it wasn't he who gave the information! So, I can't yet be sure that KY is the correct place of birth! You are so right E.G.! Charles Ed Starnes Edward Boggs wrote: > > Why is it I seem to find so many families such as mine seemed to have > moved back and forth between counties in Va. and Ky. It seems a lot of > families would have stayed basically in the same area for a while. I > think this is why it makes it hard to sometimes trace a family line. > e.g.boggs > > ==== SW_VA Mailing List ==== > #3 Support the fight against unrequested junk e-mail (SPAM). > Visit the webpage at: http://www.cauce.org/ > -sysop