Hello, all Isle of Wight searchers, DUKE family students, and other Virginia 'experts'! And thanks to all for reading this, and considering the possibilities!! This is another post about some folks who may (or may not) be a part of my family tree. One astute student says this is likely to be the 'lost' family group to which my oldest known relative in the DUKE line may belong. I hope that the info we find, with your help, will be of assistance to me in the proof of this idea. The family names mentioned are as follows: DUKE, SHERRARD, VINSON, DAUGHTRY, BODDIE, PEATE, PEALE, RUFFIN, BRIDGERS, CARTER, LASSITER, HAYES, CAMPBELL, HOWELL, GATLING, FUTRELL, and BRYAN. First, the will of William BRIDGERS was probated on April 23, 1763, in an office (or by an officer) of an office in the Isle of Wight county area. Heirs (a paraphrased version, here) were; including beloved wife Rachel (missing surname) BRIDGERS, sons William BRIDGERS, John BRIDGERS and Willis BRIDGERS, and daughter Elizabeth BRIDGERS. Executors are wife, Rachel BRIDGERS, William RUFFIN, John DUKE and Richard PEATE. Witnesses were Willis BODDIE, Morris PEALE and Sarah (no maiden surname) RUFFIN. That was the first of four wills to be probated. The next was that of Thomas VINSON, which was probated in February, 1764, in the same vicinity. Heirs are sons, John VINSON, Thomas VINSON (Jr.?), William VINSON, Jesse VINSON, James VINSON, David VINSON and daughters, Charity (VINSON) CARTER, Susanna (VINSON) MORGAN, Sarah (VINSON) FULLER and Isabel (VINSON) DUKE, and beloved wife, Isobel (missing surname) VINSON. Executors were David VINSON and James VINSON. Witnesses were James LASSITER, Thomas HAYES and Robert DUKE. A third will was probated in the February court in 1767, for the estate of Robert DUKE. Heirs were beloved wife Isabel (VINSON) DUKE and sons, Robert DUKE, William DUKE, Samuel DUKE, Benjamin DUKE, Joseph DUKE, John DUKE and James DUKE, and daughters Rachel DUKE and (name obliterated) DUKE, Elizabeth (DUKE) FULTON, (name obliterated) DUKE and Mille DUKE. Executors were wife Isabel DUKE and son Robert DUKE. Witnesses were Thomas RESPESS and Sigmond SUMMERSIL. The fourth and last will in this message was probated in June 1784, also in the Isle of Wight area. The deceased was Joshua DAUGHTRY, and the heirs were wife Elizabeth (no surname) DAUGHTRY, and daughters Lucretia (DAUGHTRY) CAMPBELL (wife of William CAMPBELL), (no name given) DAUGHTRY HOWELL (wife of Stephen HOWELL), Mary (DAUGHTRY) FUTRELL (wife of John FUTRELL), and sons Elijah DAUGHTRY and Elisha DAUGHTRY, and grand-daughters Elizabeth GATLING and Anne GATLING. Executors were wife Elizabeth (??) DAUGHTRY and James VINSON. Witnesses were James VINSON, Henry VINSON, William BRYAN and Clarky BRYAN. Finally, now, to the questions which I wish to pose!! Robert DUKE, the deceased in the third will, had a son named Robert. The final location where this son lived out his life is the infomation I seek. I am told that he made no records of land transactions or other property acquisitions in either VA or NC. Can anyone with a 'bent' for working puzzles come up with any records which tie any man named Robert DUKE to this line of the family, after the settlement of the deceased Robert's will?? As a challenge, this is more than my meager expertise can deal with!! But there are probably some out there who can see this as a good and satisfactory and exciting puzzle to solve!! Here are some leading (or mis-leading) clues for you to study. In SC, in ca. 1750-'80, in the Camden/Fairfield/Kershaw area, there was a Robert DUKE, whose wife was Nancy (UNKNOWN). They had a son Thomas, and others. The wife of Thomas was Mary DOUGHERTY, possibly a member of that DAUGHTRY (?) family?? There is little else that might be a match, but you can see this Thomas and his family at http://home.att.net/~ztlcox/ , and go to the DUKE Family pages, there. Thomas's father, Robert DUKE, in my oldest known ancestor, and I seek to learn the name of his father if at all possible. Nothing in the records of SC reveals the name I seek, so far as I have learned. If the man who was an executor in 1767 in the earlier Robert DUKE's will is the same man as 'my' Robert in SC, I am unable to verify that point, and need someone with great 'savvy' to help!! Any takers?? Thanks in advance!! Joe DUKE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------