Dear Richard, I hope you will share with me, how you descend through the TERRY family. I am a descendant of Benjamin who died in 1771 through his son Nathaniel b 1724/25 O.S. and died in 1780. Let me first say that I don't think anyone wanted Joseph with wife Judith, to be the son of Benjamin more than me. I had tracked his children, grandchildren and many of his greatgrandchildren, I have tons of information on this family, and ZILCH on the Joseph who went to SC. The more I researched the more I became aware that this was a older man, and could not be the son of Benjamin. I will try to lay out in a usable form, a few of the pieces of evidence against this relationship. Caroline Co, VA Order Book 1732-1740: Joseph and Judith his wife acknowledge their deed indented to Daniel Singleton. If Joseph was only 20 years old at this time he would have been born 1716. That he was born earlier is borne out by the fact that his son David would have to be born at this time period for him to have fathered his son John born 1760. That David was NOT the oldest child is proven in Amherst Co, Will Bk 1, page 6, when the grandfather David Crawford states that Lucy is the oldest child of his daughter Judith. Pittsy Co settlement Bk 1, p 163, South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine Vol 7 p 106 , Nintey-Six Dist, SC Wills Bk B, p 373, Annals of GA, Liberty Co rec's, p 95, The Journals of the House of Burgesses, Vol 1770-1772, pp 21-29. Champness Terry the son of Joseph and Judith md ca 1765 Sarah the daughter of Benjamin. Champness died in the Revolution leaving 3 ch and one unborn. If Joseph was a child of Benjamin then Sarah was his sister. Bible Rec in File case, Tn State Archives, giving the birth and death dates of Nathaniel and his wife Sarah Royal Terry and the birthdates of all their children. Nathaniel b 20 Mar 1724/25 Old Style died Mar 17, 1780. Sarah Royal Terry born 26 Feb 1731 died 5 Nov 1805. Hlfx Co, Va Will Bk 7, p. 212. This Bible purchased by Nathaniel Jr. who moved to Todd Co, Ky ca 1821., this Bible has disappeared since last seen in 1860 but these were penciled notes of a grandson, copied from the Bible. Unpaginated Survey Book Pittsy Co dated 26th of March 1773, 369 acres transferred to Nathaniel Terry Esq. By his fathers Will. Pittsy Acc't Bk 1, Oct 1770 - Jan 1778. The slaves Jenny & Tenny (?) left to his son Joseph are in SC,and can not be brought in for inventory, The exucutors of the estate are Nathaniel and his brother Benjamin, both named in the Will before Robert, Joseph and Peter. Law of primogeniture was in place in VA until Jan of 1787, Nathaniel Terry was the heir-at-law, (follow the deeds from 1771 thru 1780 of Pittsy.) See Blacks Law Dict. For the right of primogeniture to the exculsion of any younger children You may chose to disagree with me, but this is just a sampling showing Joseph is older than Nathaniel therefore if he was the correct son, under the laws in effect at that time in VA, Joseph would have been heir at law. In Joseph's 1785 slave inventory the slaves left Joseph in Ben's Will, are not found. Joseph was old enough to have grandchildren fight in the American Revolution, but I contend that Benjamin was not old enough to have had great grandchildren fight in that war. I think these men were brothers or cousins. With the loss of Rec's in Caroline, King Wm and the other counties they passed through, it doesn't really make a lot of difference in running the line back, but will really confuse later researchers if we make Joseph(d 1785) to young, then we must make Ben (died 1771) to old. Warmest regards, Margie Brown