I'd like to be clear about the sources of the data which appears on this site, and about how you can trace any particular statement to its source, so that you can decide for yourself whether it's solid or shaky.

• No data comes from undocumented web sites (like Ancestral File, IGI, World Family Tree or personal web sites)
• I use a hierarchy of references, from more reliable to less reliable:
  • Family Bibles, letters and personal statements
  • Vital records, wills
  • Obituaries and newspaper notices
  • Journals (like TAG and NEH&GR)
  • Census information
  • Compiled genealogies
  This ordering isn't rigid, and depends on the quality of the source.
• Over time, the intent will be to replace less reliable sources with more reliable ones.
• Some of the best information about recent generations comes from family members. In these cases the reference says "Information provided by Jenny Jones." All of this information is used with permission, and the contributors are listed on the Contributor's page with contact information.

• There are no references or sources on the family cards (these pages show an individual and his or her spouse, with parents above and children below). This keeps the family cards uncluttered and easy to understand and use.
• To find the data sources you must go to an individual's person sheet, by clicking on his or her name in the family card. On the person sheet every piece of data has a superscript, and clicking on the superscript will take you first to the Sources page and then (after a few seconds) to the source of the data, which should appear at the top of your screen.
• When conclusions are not obvious from the references, an explanation will be given in the notes which appear on the person sheet.

When the rush for western lands began after the Revolution, most settlers left behind the English discipline of keeping vital records. That's made it difficult to trace some branches of the family. This site uses Census Tracking to follow families as they moved to their new homes, allowing us to make connections that previous genealogies could not. For more information, click here.

I'd welcome your comments, corrections and advice in any form, by email, snail-mail (or whatever is most convenient), but there are a few areas where I'd really appreciate your help:

• Additional information about the family.
• Entries on the site that you think are wrong or disputable.
• References that are better than the ones I've cited.