Hi; I happen to think that most of Raleigh Co, if not all are pretty much related anyway, but also think it's true of other places. They just don't admit it. :) Since at the beginning when people settled an area there weren't that many seperate families, I don't think it could be avoided. Some of the double second marraiges I have, I don't think they even knew they really were related to each other, because they didn't keep family trees and try to keep up with everyone like we genealogists do... :) I am also looking for Masseys... My step-dad, born abt 1920, is George Massey. His father was Abe Massey and his mother was Della Sparks. Abe's father was Link or Lincoln Massey,(my half-brother calls him the 'missing link' in his family tree) perhaps born in Boone Co, but they lived in Raleigh Co. I don't know who Link Massey was married to, but he left his wife and children and either married or lived with Sarah Blankenship. Sarah Blankenship's sister was Emily Blankenship (md to Lewis Nicholas, then to Abner Lee) Emily was my g-grandmother. My Blankenship cousins in Raleigh Co, call him their Uncle Link. Abe and Link Massey seem to have hidden well from the census takers. I find Lincoln Massey and Sarah Blankenship in the 1920 Raleigh Co Census, but not before... And I never did find Abe and Della Massey in the census, but I know they were living there. Do you have anything on these Massey families? I would like to be able to help my half-brothers with their Massey line. My step-dad doesn't think his bunch is related to the other Raleigh Co Masseys, but I think they probably are if I can just find them..... BTW, I grew up thinking that my brother and I weren't related to the 'other' Stovers in Raleigh Co, and my aunts and uncles thought the same thing and they were sure wrong about that one... ;) Thanks, Gracie Carol & Greg wrote: > > I remember hearing in the news in the last 18 months that research was > reported on in this area (<Grin> West Virginia was cited as their > "virtual lab" for the research). They found that intermarriage had no or at > worst, limited effect . A double dose of healthy genes were still healthy, > but if "bad" genes were in that line, intermarriage made it worse. I, for > one find so many examples of double second cousins marrying, that I can't > see that being much different from first cousins, genetically speaking. > What I refer to is the former Miss Smith and her husband, Mr. Jones' > grandson, marrying the granddaughter resulting from the marriage of a > sibling of Miss Smith's marriage to a sibling of Mr. Jones. The joke Judy > E. and I make is that our families believed in recycling long before it > became popular, (especially our DICKENS, MASSEY, WEBB, WILLS and those > LAFFERTY's that I may NEVER get straight! <Great Big Grin>) No offense to > anyone who feels a sensitivity in this area, while I don't. > > :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< :< > Find out what you really are.........and then do it on purpose. > Carol J. J. in Beavercreek, Ohio gnjcjjz@cfanet.com