Hi I am new to the list and hope someone has an idea. I am at the proverbial "brick wall". My ancestor, John Brown and sons James and Robert moved from Cumberland County, PA to Hardy County between 1758 and 1774. Robert is documented as being a planter in Hampshire County (Hardy) in 1781 and then dies there about 1786. There is apparently NO RECORD of the estate. Further, the father, John, is reported by withers (identified by default) as having went to Buckhannon with the Pringles but keeping to the woods and hunting to supply the settlements with meat, not taking up any land. There is NO direct evidence of John Sr. until his listing in the Harrison Co tax lists of 1785. Given this and the fact that I can document the existence of other hunter types of the period I have theorized that he may have been in the woods a LOT and never around when there was a tax list made, an estate sale, or any other such thing that would generate a record of him. I went to Cumberland County several times and collected everything I can get on any Brown up there before 1760. Having found no obvious connection I am left to shoot for an ID by association. So... I would be interested in knowing about ANYONE who moved from Cumberland County, PA to Hampshire or Hardy County 1756 - 1774. Also, given the absence of an estate record for Robert and any evidence of John during the period I also have entertained the possibility that they could have been somewhere else when Robert died in 1786. So any record one might run across that would show the death of a Robert Brown circa 1785 in the SW PA, Western VA, Western MD area would be something I would like to know about. Thanks to everyone in advance. Best regards, David Armstrong, Elkins, WV