This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: Adam_M_Bradford Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.vance/3195.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Donald, You're welcome. You have stepped into perhaps the thorniest thicket in all of Vance genealogy. In terms of what can really be proven, Samuel Vance (the father of David Vance who married Priscilla Brank) is the end of the line. Nobody knows who Samuel's father was, despite what some may claim in unsourced family trees strewn about the web. He is not the son of Andrew Vance of Frederick County, who may or may not be the Andrew Vance who was son of John of Coagh. As for Andrew of Coagh, nobody can reliably identify him yet in America. The truth of the matter is that currently none of those Virginia and Pennsylvania Vances from the 1700s can be confidently traced in a precise line of descent from any particular individuals in Ireland or Scotland. About the only American line I'm aware of that can be traced to Barnbarroch is that of Hugh Vans of Boston, since a letter survives from him to a cousin in Scotland. To answer your specific questions - nobody can tie a brother or parents to Samudel of Abingon. Nobody can tie a son David to a father Andrew. The fact of the matter is that nobody can really even say for certain whether Samuel of Abingdon, or Andrew of Frederick, or the David who actually does appear in Frederick Co in the 1730s, were even immigrants. Others may provide you with information to the contrary - but it is only information in the sense that information is just stuff people say. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.