Does anyone know if the ALFORDs and BATES families had cousin-type family connections prior to the marriages listed below? 
  a.. John A. Bates (b. abt. 1794 in VA) married Elizabeth Alford  on 26 Nov 1818 in Greene Co. GA. 
  b.. John Bates (b. abt. 1717 in York Co., VA; d: 1765 in Hailfax Co., VA) married Elizabeth Alford (d. 1757) in VA.
Is this more than coincidence? My mother always used to say that ancestors on her side tended to marry 1st cousins a lot -- probably other levels too.

I wonder if there are any books that have explored this possibility.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this question.

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