In addition to the helpful comments of Mr. Wallace and Ms. Hatcher, and her suggestion that we put "dead ends" aside and "soak in those for a while", what too many of us fail to realize is that genealogical searching is about the WHERES of the people you seek. While it seems so apparent as to not require comment, we should all remind ourselves from time to time that "Everyone had to be somewhere ALL of the days of his or her life" (and buried someWHERE), and therein is the key to locating families and individuals. It is very difficult and time-consuming to search all of the world or even all of the USA for any individual, hence the area - the "where" - must be reduced in size. It is likely that one married near where the bride and her family lived (and she had family lines there); probable that one was raised and attended church near where the parents and some collateral family members lived; owned land, voted, paid taxes (or tithes) and appeared in courts in the county where the head of household and his family lived; first had children born and baptized near where they lived - in that county/colony; died and had some legal consideration given to an estate where he lived AND/OR owned land, and on and on. So, concentrate your research and make every effort through censuses especially, tax and tithable lists, marriage, church and death records to find the "wheres" - the states/colonies and counties - of the missing ancestral extended family, then search all resources of THAT colony/county before making any other efforts. The internet has value in that regard. Once you determine a state or county, first search out recognized state and county web-sites and historical/genealogical societies' sites and what is available in those sources having to do with those "wheres." Then and only then go to the shotgun sites of other researchers. Unless you simply want to know what someone else has found and what those people think, "where, where, where" is what genealogical research is all about. Good luck. Paul For everyone who complains about hitting a brick wall (and don't we all?), I highly recommend you read the article by Patricia Law Hatcher on the Ancestry newsletter. The particular link to Hatcher's column is http://www.ancestry.com/rd/prodredir.asp?sourceid=831&key=A594001 She says walk away!!!