Have recently discovered my roots extend directly back to the Jamestown settlement on my 2xgrmother's side and to Wales(1655...Richard Jones) on my 2xgrfather's side. My sisters' qualify as Daughters of the American Revolution 'and' Daughters of the Confederacy thru the same people. A cousin on my 2xgrmother's side is one of the signatures on the Declaration of Indepenence. My 2xgrfather was 2nd president of Richmond College which has become Richmond University. He was the first keynote speaker for the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1850s. My 3xgrfather on my 2xgrmother's side was the guy who burned the bridge after Lee crossed over to surrender. That's through my ptgrfathers side. Through my ptgrmother we're direct decendents of Stonewall Jackson's father who was a brother of Andrew Jackson. My mtgrfather was a doctor of some note and we're English back to William the Conqueror. He was a Norman, yes? So, that gives us a little French into the mix. My father had done some geneology in the mid 50's before it became in vogue to do so and was able to get names of ancestors both prominent and obscure. My sister has been doing a ton of legwork of late and has begun the process of connecting the dots. It's been interesting and fun to discover my heritage extends back to the beginnings of this country, euro-centricly speaking, of course. Politics aside it's given me something of value to share with my son, who's got a real strong sense of himself and where he comes from as a result. 'That' is the real value in tracing of one's roots as you discover your family is comprised of high/low characters usually in equal measure. We're members of the St. Davids Society and consider myself a Welsh/American, but I could just as easily be considered English, one could suppose. As the years progress and I continue to dig into my musical/social heritage I find more and more to be moved by music of the Celtic cultures. Makes me ache inside in a way hard to explain. And while there's no doubting my heritage there's no doubt I'm all American, too. Have a nice day!