I'tliT sIirIh inodilieaIion* aft?*r coin
ins t<> Ann?r|cn tin* f"rins ItlMlik
ilishifi. nianUlnc .?? Iiip ami t?laiik^n.?hi|?.
altliouxli pra< ti?-a.I> .ill (In- tti>'i |Vw
CMicrat tons In I?? >t I> \'li (sinl? ami Mhb
shi'Iiu^cIIs Ii:?| tli" name l>l?iikliisliip.
True. f??\\ >>r tin- rly Vlrcini* k.m
tiers of t his: name conl'l s|i?*ll at all.
;ik learniiiK >pt|rs aK" was .??mtinci
to relatively I'ew of llir population, loll
that was the spelling senerallv adopt
e?l. until one hram-li of the family more
eihioaterl t<l<le.l A "a" to separate tli?m
selves from the eonimoii hcnl and.
apoiit lvi?>. many croups 1"n? reinov?i|
from llie iin.-evtral home, s^uerallj
iiilopled the ??en" form.
It has not lieen eas> to trace the
family back throtjeh to the tirst s>Mtl?
niept in Virfcluia and Maayaohufetts.
for tliose rarly pioneers and their im
mediate descendant.* were tou Intent
upon building up a home in tlio prtm
?val fureptf. and upon waiting war
aicainn the savage* that beset the.m.
to care for aii?'e.-;try or to leave family
ie<-<ird.s for tliejr dc.si-endaut.s. and w?
must depend upon the frasc mental.^
county anr| State record*, s.-rap.s of
history and the uncertain family ?t-a
ditionK to cive iik the needed Infor
mation. At the present time a num
ber of the name and descent arc buvy
in different parts of the f'nited Stale*
collectInc the.ie old family records and
piecing together a connected family
history and genealogy. it j.s hopen
that ail who can aid this work will do
bo. either by historical reference?, by
court records., or by sending riter
their own Immediate family record#
with ancestry, so far back as possible,
if connected in any way with thin wide
ly scattered family, mo that a fairly
complete family genealogy may later
j->e published.
