My thanks to all who replied to my query about the months. I can post the most informative replies here if they aren't already. It's a real pleasure to be able to find out so much so fast. Now, I would like to read a good history of Switzerland (in English, sorry) -- preferably one that goes beyond kings and battles to tell something about how ordinary people (i.e. my ancestors!) lived from day to day and how their culture changed. Any recommendations? Harold Henderson, [email protected] on the lookout for HENDERSON, MACRAE, DAVIDSON, JOHNSTONE (Scotland) ANDERSSON/BORING, SVENSSON, STENBERG, JOHANSDOTTER (Sweden) THRALL (New England), JAMES (Wales), FLINT, GEDNEY (Lincolnshire) SCHREIBER, STOCKER (Kanton Aargau, Switzerland) JOSS, STAUDENMANN (Kanton Bern, Switzerland) SCHOLES, MILLS (Lancashire), MOZLEY (Nottinghamshire), VAN NATTA (New Netherlands) BOREN, COCHRAN, LINHART, BLACK (Pennsylvania) BASSETT, COON, BLISS, HUMPHREY (Rhode Island, New York) BURDICK, CAMPBELL, CRANDALL, DENISON (New England, New York) & more