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Well, of course. How were your people to know, taking ship, just what Yankees were like? They must be experienced to be believed. Sounds as if, sensible folks, they took their time in Yankeeland making sure Yankees were really what they seemed, and, when the opportunity presented itself, moved South. Sounds reasonable to me.

My Virginian people were a bit more conventional. In the Tidewater early on, but not the first 15-20 years. By the Revolution, they'd moved West to Bedford County, most of the men fought in the Revolution, either in the Virginia Militia or the Continental Line, after the Revolution went over the mountains to Kentucky and Tennessee, where THE War found them on both sides of the line and slavery. My greatgrandfather in Tennessee freed his slaves when he was ordained before The War, because he thought slave-holding was inconsistent with Christian ministry.

"My Virginian people were a bit more conventional. In the Tidewater early on, but not the first 15-20 years. By the Revolution, they'd moved West to Bedford County, most of the men fought in the Revolution, either in the Virginia Militia or the Continental Line, after the Revolution went over the mountains to Kentucky and Tennessee, where THE War found them on both sides of the line and slavery. My greatgrandfather in Tennessee freed his slaves when he was ordained before The War, because he thought slave-holding was inconsistent with Christian ministry."

Genealogy is a hobby of mine, and your post about your family history brings back memories of retracing my own.

I am still trying to find parents of GGGgrandfather, Scottish, born in Washington, Va. 1750. This line of the family went to Kentucky late 1700's. The women during this time are surely difficult to track. My Ggrandfather, born in 1814, yes, he was around 70 when my grandfather was born, fought for the North in the Civil War while in southern Kentucky.

Talk about a family feud that Civil War.

My VA ancestors went from the Tidewater west too, some to Bedford County, most to Franklin County--and nearby Patrick and Henry. While my ancestors did not release their slaves--they didn't have many--some of their siblings moved on so that they could.