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 To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html