Posted on: Orange Co. Va Queries Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Va/Orange/10525 Surname: Hooker, Bell, Watkins, Hart, Duncan, Dunkin, Whitaker ------------------------- William Watkins b 1805 Tn married 1827 Knox CO, TN, Margaret Byerley/Birley, dau. of Casper Byerley, JR, of SC and wife Mary MOORE b ca 1767 SC. In 1839 Wm. is mentioned in estate papers of a Benj. Watkins that were supposed to be adm. in 1840 by a James M. BELL...but never were. Wm & Margaret had siblings who married each other a year before Wm and Margaret's marriage and moved to Ooltewah, TN, near Chattanooga and the GA border. Samuel Watkins and Lucy Byerley had son John Watkins who was later sheriff of old James CO, TN. Wm. and Margaret had sons Samuel Watkins and Wm. Douglas Watkins b 1843 TN who went to KY to join the Union Army. Samuel died of measles during the War, but W. D. later married Nancy Brown HART b 1852 TN, dau. of George B. HART b ca 1816 TN & wife Ellen Eakins/Aikens/Ekins. Nancy and Wm's son James Preston Watkins married Lillie Ann HOOKER, dau. of John Willis Hooker and Lettice Duncan/Dunkin. John Willis Hooker was son of a NC/MD line and Lettice was dau. of Adeline WHITAKER of NC and Robert Paul DUNCAN b 1815 VA. It appears that an early James Bell had connections to Madison/Orange/Culpeper CO's prior to migration southward, perhaps to TN. I'd love to share my extensive files with anyone interested in any of these surnames.