Marjorie, thanks for your prompt answer. I understood that we cannot attach files to this list. That is why I didn't attach anything, but thanks for spelling it out. I am only offering to send information (either e-mail or snail-mail) on a one-on-one basis -- not via the entire list -- to anyone who writes me at <jjandbj@springmail.com> and is interested in the line of John Yager of Laurens SC. I also appreciate your pointing out the Germanna colonist John Yager b 1750, son of Michael, son of Adam, son of Nicholas (of the 1717 Germanna colony). Actually, most people accept this John as father of Abijah, but I'm not able to do so in good conscience. He _may_ be the John I'm tracing. I would so love to find out that you are correct. That's the main purpose of my posting -- to determine with more certainty than I have at present that the Germanna John Yager b. 1750 really does match the John Yager in the 1790, 1800, and 1810 SC censuses. I'm not alone in this doubt. The late Yeager researcher Charles E. Boyd who also authored several books about Bibb Co., AL, in a letter written in the 1970s cautioned against jumping to the conclusion that the two Johns are the same. Mr. Boyd was a careful researcher. He believed John b 1750 of Germanna never left Virginia. As he stated then, more research needs doing. We don't advance knowledge by accepting everything we're handed on a plate. I'm a member of the Germanna Foundation, visitor to their excellent website, purchaser / reader of their publications. There are strong discrepancies between the two Johns' families. I hope that someone subscribing to this list can offer better proof that Germanna Michael's son John is the same as John of Laurens Co. SC. It would be so great to establish that connection with more certainty than I can muster with my present limited knowledge. Here's what I've learned so far: Adam Yager, Germanna colonist and son of NicholasYager, had a son named Michael, and Michael had a son named John b. 28 Nov 1750. This John called himself "John of the piney woods" in his will, in order to pinpoint just which John Yager he was. His will, executed 13 Feb 1816, entered probate 23 Jan 1823 . The Germanna colonists are so very well documented, their Hebron Lutheran Curch records are wonderful, and the Germanna Foundation does a great job in disseminating information about them. I'm just not sure my John (Laurens Co. John) is in those church records. Most Yeager researchers find Pineywoods John with this wonderful will spelling out his children, and they find records of various John Yagers in the Hebron Church records and they quickly go "Aha! I've found the father of Abijah Yeager, the man with the Bibb Co. AL tombstone which states he was born in Culpeper Co., VA, on 20 Jan 1788." But John of Laurens Co., SC (on the SC censuses for 1790, 1800, and 1810) may OR MAY NOT have been Pineywoods John. Closest source of his DOB is the 1800 SC census saying he's over 45. The most complete list of the children of Laurens-SC-John is found in an 1889 published biographical sketch of one of his great-grandchildren, Hugh B. Yeager. At the time of its publication, Hugh's father Ducalion, grandson of Laurens Co. John was still living (and in great health, according to the article). Ducalion had a family Bible - and probably a good memory if his health was so good. His father was Abijah of the tombstone. Most of John's children named in this bio have been traced in great detail by their descendants who have shared information. Main differences between Pineywoods John and Laurens Co. John: The children in Pineywoods John's will (executed in VA) do not match the children of the John who is in the biography of Hugh B. Yeager. Pineywoods John's kids, per his will: John H. - Susannah (m. Fleshman) - Samuel - Jacob - Joseph - Mary (m. Levi Clore) Laurens SC John's kids, per 1889 publication: William - Samuel - John - Reuben - Ira - Abijah - Abner - Lewis - Ezekiel - Elizabeth (m. John Parker) - Mary (m. Lewis Lee 1822 Bibb Co. AL) - "Daughter whose name could not be learned." Note first the place the will was signed. Did Pineywoods leave VA, go to SC, and return to VA to die? Next, note the difference in the number of children. Would Pineywoods have cut so many children out of his will? Would those omitted not have contested his will? The only possible matches of the children are Samuel, John H., and Mary. --Samuel is the closest in age (Pineywoods John's son Samuel b 14 May 1777; Laurens John's son Samuel b. est. 1775-1779, d. 1831 in Lincoln Co., TN). --The children of Pineywoods' son John H. are spelled out by A. L. Keith in the William & Mary Quarterly, 1917 (Vol. 5, p. 625). John H.'s widow and children were living in MD when John H. died. However, nothing has been found yet on John II, son of Laurens Co. John. So nothing conclusive can be learned from these two. --But Mary is a different story. Pineywoods John's daughter Mary (no DOB shown) married Levi Clore in Madison Co. VA on 22 August 22, 1800. Levi was born 13 Mar 1775, so Mary was probably born about 1775 also. All this is according to A.L. Keith in the W&M quarterly, Vol. 5, p. 626. Keith shows their last child to be William b. 1823. Levi Clore lived until 1844, d. in KY. The Mary Yeager who married Lewis Lee (according to 1889 article) is found in Bibb Co. AL marriage records: Mary Yeager m. Lewis Lee on 31 Jan 1822 in Bibb Co., AL. If the author of the 1889 article is correct, she cannot be Pineywoods' John's daughter, and she has to be daughter of Laurens Co. John. The numbers of children in Laurens Co. John's HH per 1790 and 1800 SC censuses match the number of children attributed to Abijah's father in the 1889 book. According to subsequent census records for his children and grandchildren, most of the first 8 were born in VA. Beginning with Ira, the rest were born in SC: Ira 1790, Lewis 1794, two of the three daughters. What it boils down to is the question, is Pineywoods John the _only_ candidate in Culpeper Co. VA to be the father of the children listed in Hugh B. Yeager's 1889 bio? Couldn't there have been some OTHER John Yager in Culpeper Co. in 1788 (Abijah's DOB) who was born about the same time -- but maybe not in the same place -- who is not as well documented in public records? Couldn't he have arrived later than 1717? or his parents earlier? -- settling first in PA area and then traveling down the Great Wagon Road to VA in the 1730s? Could he be a part of the so-called "Third Germanna" colony? (The two original Germanna colonies, 1714 and 1717, totaled about 20 families, but a few years later about 62 families were there -- too many to account for by "natural increase." It's this OTHER John Yager I'm looking for. He married Ann "Nancy" Render, daughter of an English Quaker in Culpeper Co. VA. I'd appreciate any help I can get in finding him. Thanks for tolerating my dissertation! Betty Johnson > Subject: [YEAGER-L] Re: John Yeager > Date: Fri, 15 Jan 99 01:04:34 -0600 > From: Bill & Marjore Walraven <wilraven@caller.infi.net> > To: YEAGER-L@rootsweb.com > > Thanks, Betty, > > These lists won't take attachments, which I'm pretty sure GEDCOMs are, > and I know we can't handle 70 pages of text, but certainly list members > can contact each other and exchange information either by email or some > other way. When we can't got it done by computer, we can always resort > to snail mail. > > And I can add some information about John. According to my records, he > was born 28 November 1750, in Madison County, Va., the son of Michael > Yeager and Elizabeth Manspeil/Mansceil/Manscile. He is also known as John > "Piney Woods" Yeager. (I don't know why.) His father, Michael, born June > 28, 1728, was the son of Adam Yeager Sr. and Susannah Kobler, both born > in Germany. Adam was an immigrant and the son of immigrant Nicholas > Yeager of the Second Germanna Colony of Virginia, 1717. John had two > brothers, Samuel and Michael, and seven sisters, Barbara, Susanna, Eve, > Elizabeth, Jemima, Hannah, and Rachael. > > I have only 10 children for John and Nancy Render, but I have an > additional marriage for John, to a woman named Anna Barbara (don't have > the last name) and four children from that marriage: John H., Susanna, > Joseph, and Jacob. > > My records continue down through John's son Abijah and his sons James M. > and Lewis Winston. My descendancy is through Adam's son Nicholas, who was > Michael's brother, and I'll be glad to post more information or send send > info to anyone who wants more information on either line. > > By the way, this is my first list, so I'm brand new at this listowning > business. I hope everybody on this list is familiar with the Germanna > list (GERMANNA-L@rootsweb.com). I'm also hoping to set up a Yeager > webpage soon. > > Marjorie Walraven > listowner > wilraven@caller.infi.net