I was wondering if anyone has made any progress in the Birchfield line of the spouses of William Asford and Samuel Taulbee. The comments By Louise and Jerry make sense to me. Before there were surnames, people had to have a way of distinguishing one John from another John. So we have identies based on where one lived, what one did, who their father, mother, brother, sister were etc. I read somewhere that in Iceland today, a person does not have a surname per se but is identified as I.e., David, son of John, however that is said in Icelandic. We will never find records that predate the Roman or early dark ages in the British Isles, but it is interesting to use that information on the origin of names to speculate about the really ancient roots of our line. We could be Celtic, Anglo, Saxon, Gallic, Picts, Norman or all of the above. England after the Roman expulsion was probably a true melting pot. Too bad, we have enough trouble finding 17th century roots, Would be nice to what kind of ancestors we had in the sixth or seventh centuries. It will all be speculation, but it is interesting speculation. I am betting on Scotland or Ireland, or both. Mostly because of the amount of red hair in the line. Not very scientific, but what the heck. By the way, it's been a couple of years or longer since I have said this. This list owes a great debt to several members and former members. Bill Taulbee who sent me his copy of Rose's book. I copied it and sent it to Louise Gaskill and Caroll Bays. They made the transcriptions I stuck on the web site and on the CD I sent some of you. Louise went even farther. She made and index for all the Taulbees of whatever spelling and another one of all other names. almost impossible to use the book without it. Can never say thanks enough to these two great girls. And to Bill also. He got it started. Wife and I are thinking of going back to England and also Ireland in a year or so, If I can keep the quacks from cutting on me again. Would like to go to Liverpool, but I need a bit more in the line of clues to make it successful. Somewhere the missing link is hiding. talk to you later. If I seem to run off at the mouth, or is it the keyboard, it is because I missed talking with all you and feel the need to catch up. Bob