I've seen this message on two lists, at least twice per list, maybe more. Why does the researcher post the same query over & over. I'm researching Jacob MILLER & wife Margaret nee MILLER who lived near Linville & Smith Creeks on the W. side of Massanutten Mtn. They also had a son Christian. If you have any "Christina Miller" documents left over, please share. Donna > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > Subject: [VAROCKIN] Family of Jacob MILLER and "padding" of importation lists > Date: Sun, 09 Apr 2000 12:09:44 -0400 > From: "Joseph J. Messersmith, Jr." <jjsmith@mnsinc.com> > To: VAROCKIN-L@rootsweb.com > > I can tract my lineage to Christian MILLER who died in 1778 in Rockingham > County, VA. Another researcher indicates that Christian was the son of > Jacob and Catherine MILLER who came to what is now Rockingham County from > PA. > > On 15 Dec 1733, 5,000 acres in Spotsylvania County, VA was patented to > Jacob STOVER. From the legal description, it appears the land is located > in present-day Rockingham County along the South Fork of the Shenandoah > River to the south of Elkton. This is the area where the family of my > Christian MILLER lived. > > The patent was contingent upon Jacob STOVER importing 100 people to live in > Virginia (not the exact words). The patent lists exactly 100 people by > name, who appear to comprise seven families (i.e., five different surname). > Each family starts with a male and female (presumably husband and wife), > followed by male and female names grouped in that order (presumably > children of the first two). In any event, the first couple listed is Jacob > and Catherine MILLER. The males listed following them are: Abraham, > Christian, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Mathew. The female names are: Sarah, > Catherine, Ann, Susannah, Barbary, Dorothy, and Rachel. This totals 15 for > the family, including the parents. The second family MIRE had 28 people, > but these appear to be two families with the same surname, based on the way > the names are listed. > > I feel that more than likely the actual list of names was "padded" by Jacob > STOVER so he could claim the 100 needed to quality for the patent. I say > this because the chances of recruiting 7 families having exactly 100 people > are small. Also, some names appear in every family or almost every family. > For example, I looked at the male names only and every family had a son > named Isaac, all but one had sons named Jacob and John, and five had a son > named Joseph. > > Now back to the Jacob MILLER family. If Jacob and Catherine did have 13 > children (by 1733), and each child was spaced at two-year intervals, that > means they had been married at least 25 years (2x12=24+1=25). If there was > an average of only 18 months between children, that still means they had to > be married about 19 years (12x1.5=18+1=19). This does not allow for any > dead children, miscarriages, children already married and gone their own > way, etc. > > I am interested in learning if anyone else has seen evidence of "padding" > of persons to be imported in order to quality for a patent. Also, I am > interested in learning of any information on the family of Jacob and > Catherine MILLER, and particularly their son Christian. > > Jim Messersmith > Rockville, VA -- °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°` Every time I find an ancestor I need to find two more! °º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`