Dear Bob Forrey, You wrote: Is there any chance that William Williams, 1731-1811, had a son named William b. ~1760, m. 1780 to Nancy Safewright, d. 1838 in Grayson Co. VA? I am researching this Williams and this is as far back as I have been able to find data. Response to Bob: First, welcome to the club of Missing Williams Ancestors. Second, I am thinking out loud about your Williams and Safewright families. Sometimes we have to work on hunches, and use our experience of working with various records which are available for the time period in which your ancestors were alive. The 1790 census of Virginia was largely destroyed. Therefore some kind ladies put together some tax lists to help us. I have found that for people in early Federal days (when the US had just been formed or was in the throes of formation) the so-called 1787 Census of Virginia is helpful in locating males particularly in a time and a place in what was then Virginia. This so-called census is a compilation of personal property tax lists for all the counties in Virginia (including what is now Kentucky and West Virginia and whatever other land Virginia claimed at that time). It is broken down by counties. This so-called census was compiled by Netti Schreiner-Yantis and Florine Love and is published in three volumes, the third volume being the index to the first two volumes. These volumes are found in many genealogical libraries. Whether it is available on interlibrary loan, I cannot say. You may have to request a search from a professional at Salt Lake City or perhaps in Virginia. My Handy Book for Genealogists (8th ed) by Everton states that Grayson Co., VA was formed 1792 from Wythe and Patrick Cos. Therefore Grayson Co. would not appear in the 1787 census of Virginia. Wythe Co. was not formed until 1789 and so would not appear in the 1787 census of Virginia. Patrick Co. was not formed until 1790 (formed from Henry Co.) and so would not appear in the 1787 census of Virginia. Henry Co. (formed 1776 from Pittsylvania and Patrick Cos.) would be a likely bet, but also you should look in the tax lists of Pittsylvania and Patrick Cos. also for your Williams families. Were I you, however, I would try to locate any families with the surname Safewright. That is a more unusual name, and because railroads had not yet been invented, it is probable your Williams groom found his bride in the neighborhood. (You will be overwhelmed with the number of Williamses, I am sure.) Since Pittsylvania Co., VA MAY be a good place to search, I am sending the URL for some genealogical records of that county. Try the tithable list which is one of the links. Good luck with your Williams search!!!! http://www.rootsweb.com/~vapittsy/#primary I don't have any information about Patrick Co. E.W.Wallace who has three Williams lines in colonial Virginia