You may be holding the office of "Ranger" as indicative of wealth or affluence. I think that neither were necessarily the case. Rangers were local men who were assigned the task of keeping public roads and trails open and passable, and particularly they kept an eye on the Indians, and warned folks when danger was in the offing from Indians or animals. They were keepers of the peace, and were paid a small amount for their travel and costs of the occasional forays. Take a look at this URL. It speaks to the subject of "Colonial Rangers". Incidentally, MD yet has such officers. http://marylandrangersassociation.com/centuries.aspx -----Original Message----- From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Jeanine Scholz Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 7:56 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] Apprenticeship records You have been a great help to me. One thing that I still cannot understand is why or how Richard Highfield became one of the horse rangers in 1692 in St. Mary's County, MD with Richard Brightwell. From all I can determine, Richard was not that successul financially. I would imagine one had to know how to ride a horse and perhaps have some equipment to be able to serve as a ranger. This is out of the range of the discussion I know, but it continues to be of some interest to me. Thanks again for all your help. Jeanine Scholz No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.1/1051 - Release Date: 10/5/2007 12:27 PM No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.14.1/1051 - Release Date: 10/5/2007 12:27 PM