This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: catmiller2 Surnames: Hand, Edmondson Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.virginia.counties.washington/412.2.2.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi, haven't heard from you in a while. No, I'm sorry, I don't know when he arrived, or from where. Louise Fortune Hall (the town historian for Damascus) wrote in one of her books that he came to VA from NY or NJ, but where she got that info, I do not know. I always thought their nationality was probably German, but a cousin swears he was always told they were Irish. There is still a heavy concentration of "HAND" families in the Cape May Courthouse area of New Jersey, and I suspect that may be where they (our branch of the HAND family) originally settled before drifting SW to Washington Co, VA. There is a branch of that family (Cape May Courthouse, NJ Hands) that somewhat fits our family, but I don't know of any documents that definitively tie our Hand family to the one in NJ. The only clue I have found is in the census for Wash Co, VA for 1860 where Mary Han, age 83, born NJ lives in the household of James and Sallie Han, both age 65. They lived in Mocks Mill, which was later named Damascus. Because we know "old" James Hand died before Oct 1834 (when his will was filed), and because we know by his will that his wife was named Sarah/Sally, we know this Mary Han/Hand is not the wife of "old" James, therefore not the mother of the James ("son" James) with whom she appears in the 1860 census. I believe she is the aunt of this 65 yr old James, as I believe she is the unmarried sister of "old" James. And yes, she could be the widowed sister-in-law of "Old" James -- there are a number of possible scenarios. The problem is, I have NEVER been able to find any documentation in Washington Co, VA which would explain anything more about the older generation of the Hand family than what I've given here. The only hope I have is to someday get to NJ to research documents there. Perhaps there is a will or deed which names "my son (or brother) James who went to VA and was never heard from." !! Wouldn't it be great to find something like that !! I have tried to determine when "old" James first came to Washington County, and the best clue I have found is in the book, "Wash Co, VA Personal Property Tax lists, 1782-1786 and 1788-1790," by Thomas Jack Hockett. I first found him in the 1786 list. He is shown to have 1 white tithable, no slaves over 16, no slaves under 16, 1 horse and 1 head of cattle. The only Han/Hann/Hand listing in Mary Kegley's book, "Southwest VA Tax assessments 1815" is a David Han, and I don't know who he is or how he connects. In later years there was a William David Hand (sometimes referred to as David William Hand), so it is possible the handwriting was so bad that Ms. Kegley simply thought the name was David (in the 1815 listing). Who knows?!! 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.