To: VAWESTMO-L@rootsweb.com Re: Kentish Families > U.S. Hi Everyone, ah'm a bit of a greenhorn, and ah've been settin awhile (chewin baccy. .) awatchin as these here dang messages keep on lightin up my computee screen. Y'all seem like nice folks, and seems to me that I could do a lot wus then set awhile and chew some fat. Tush - I can't keep that up - 'cos I'm a Cockney ain't I - born in the shadow of the Tower of London: Close enough to Bow Bells that my family used them as an alarm clock. . Having got over my silly spell (for a time at least), I should like to say "Hi" to everyone - and to tell you why I have dropped in to your pages. I should at this point state that I have recently posted this message on the pages of the Culpepper Group, and that I will be placing this (or similar) on other Group pages. The reason for the numerous postings is that my research extends over large areas of both Virginia and Maryland - so at this point in time I am unable to pin myself down to any particular state or county. My name is Bill Castillion-Mander. I'm a historian, aged (that's it - just aged. .). Put it this way - I'm over the age of consent - blooming miles over. . Home for me is in Gravesend, in the county of Kent, in England. The town is probably best known in the U.S. as being the burial place of Pocahontas. Having (just about. .) completed the researches into my ancestors, I should like to tie up some loose ends regarding members of my extended family who migrated to your side of the pond at quite early dates. In the main the people I want to research will be uncles, or cousins, of mine - removed by a number of generations of course. It is quite surprising just how little information has trickled back to the U.K. regarding these settlers and their families. Even when the various family members did quite - in some cases becoming notable - little is known about them over here. In many cases these people went west - and simply disappeared. Hopefully, it is possible to rectify this lack of information, and where better to ask than the places they migrated to ? As an indication of how little is know back here regarding former Kentish families - a couple of examples: The Digges family, and the Randolph family. I know the Randolph family were linked with William and Mary College - and that Edward Digges became Governor of Virginia - but few over here would be aware of the importance of these people, nor the roles that they played in the New Colonies (or Old Dominion. .). This despite the fact that these families originated just a few short miles away from where I now write. . Many (though not all) of the families I am interested in have strong Kentish connections - and most of them are related to each other in one way or another. Because of these complex relationships, it's difficult to know where to start. With which member of which family - and at what date ? Probably best to start with just a few families - just to see what sort of action it evokes. The following then is a small sample of the families I am interested in. All have roots in Kent - though many also had links outside of this county - in particular to London. All are also earlyish - pre-1700 at the latest. As follows - and it should be noted that the spellings can vary to a considerable degree. . Culpepper. Digges. Randolph. Guildford. Roper. St. Leger. Scott. Neville. Since all of the above families occur as my ancestors, it follows that I have information relating to them. With some of the families the info I have is pretty basic - for others I have large amounts. Whatever - if there are those on the group who need info on any of the families to whom I connect, then I should be happy to help out where I can. Thanks for taking time to read this - and best wishes to all. Cheers, Bill Castillion-Mander. At home in Gravesend - on the banks of the Thames in the original county (sorry - KINGDOM) of Kent. . (Too right - we Kentish Folk can flag-wave with the best of them. . .).