Thanks Paul (and to the others who answered),

It appears that it was a RELATIVE who deeded young Mary Bennett this land in 
Middlesex Co., VA in 1802 (a Garrett), so MAYBE it was one of those "one 
dollar deals."  I have seen only the handwritten deed INDEX book (on 
microfilm) at the Library of VA on this transaction, so I certainly need to 
read the actual deed itself, the next time that I visit there.

Mrs. Mary (Bennett) Brown's husband John Brown died about 1827 in Middlesex, 
and Mary was still alive at that time (per some estate documents).  I could 
not find a will for this John Brown, but maybe if I look again, I can at 
least find what happened to the land.  There were no Browns at all on the 
1830 Middlesex census, so Mrs. Mary (Bennett) Brown could have died by 1830, 
or she could have remarried (and hence, had a different last name in 1830) 
or she could have been living in the home of a relative or close 
friend....ditto some of her children.  By the 1840s, however, several Browns 
appeared on the tax lists in Middlesex Co., VA, including my maternal 
gg-grandfather, Smith W. Brown (born 1817-1818).  John Brown had been the 
ONLY Brown shown on the Middlesex census by name in 1810 and 1820.

By the way, through DNA testing and a LOT of "conventional research," Smith 
W. Brown was actually a "blood Smith" versus a "blood Brown," and it seems 
almost certain that I have traced my "biological Smith family" back to the 
John Smith who married Margaret Unknown and who died in Middlesex Co., VA in 
1669.  It seems that John and Mary (Bennett) Brown adopted an infant boy 
named Washington Smith (a son of a James Smith and his second wife Elizabeth 
Bowie of Caroline Co., VA) around 1819, and John and Mary changed this 
infant's name to Smith W. Brown.  I am about 99% confident of this.....but 
my research continues, as does my "hunt" for a male Smith DNA donor who 
definitely "traces back" to the family of the above-referenced John Smith. 
The DNA of my male "Brown" cousin currently matches two "Smith donors" who 
"trace back" to Alexander Smith (died 1696) of Middlesex Co., VA, and 
Alexander Smith was the next-door neighbor of the above John Smith who died 
in Middlesex in 1669.  Several researchers claim that this Alexander Smith 
and this John Smith were brothers....and maybe the referenced DNA tests and 
my own research are confirming that.

I trust that it is apparent to all that little to none of the above 
information concerning my "Brown/Smith connection" would have been remotely 
possible without DNA testing.  As such, I just don't understand those who 
see little or no value in this science, as it pertains to genealogy (and 
whatever else might be said about it, DNA is extemely reliable at proving to 
whom a donor is NOT related).  I sometimes wonder if the biggest objection 
for some comes from the fear that many years of their research could be put 
into question.

Thanks again,

Bill Davidson 

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