Thanks, Toni, for the information. It's interesting that the Samuel you've found in the records seems to have been a "character," because that is definitely how Richard Nevards/Nevers could be described during his time in Mass. He was cited in a few civil cases in the court records, the most notorious of which was essentially for rape of his master's daughter. He was acquitted but by today's standards he would not have been! He seemed to have gotten involved in several less-than-savory activities along the way. Does this suggest that that Samuel may have been his father in a like-father-like-son kind of connection?! Could be :-)

I wish where were a way to connect Richard back to this or any other Samuel, the likely name of his father.

As for the DNA issue, would that still work in my case, since it's my mother's line?

Thanks

It's great to have 'characters' in our families, but if they were like your Richard it's probably best that they were some time ago.

A very good question about the DNA which has got me thinking. I went back to the Ancestry DNA webpages which says:

"..the Paternal Lineage tests provide the DNA results necessary to help find other participants who might be genetically related to you. The Paternal Lineage test analyzes specific segments of the Y-chromosome which is only found in males. And because the Y-chromosome is passed largely unchanged from father to son, DNA results from a male participant today can be used to represent the paternal lineage dozens of generations into the past."

I am reading from this that because it is the Y-chromosome that is handed from father to son you probably need to have one of your mother's brothers or their son's etc to potentially match with other Nevard's (assuming such a brother exists) - essentially someone male with the Nevers surname. Of course, I write with no real knowledge so there are probably others out there who can set us right.

Failing DNA there is always the hope that as more records are digitised and go on line that elusive missing link will turn up.

Good hunting

Toni

Dear Toni, I have noticed that you are searching for the Nevards.
My mother-in-law was a Nevard, one of her nephews has researched back to William I. He found that a Nevard had come over in 1066 and some years ago got in touch with all the Nevards he could in order to pass on that info(£10).
My sister-in-law also used to talk of a relationship to Henri IV of France/Navarre on the right side of the blanket. However, the 1066 seems more reliable with records going back that far.
Wool was an important product along the Essex/Suffolk borders, it would have been woven and then exported.Hence the large churches in the area.
I myself have been delving into the Browns from the Acton/Long Melford area but not getting to dep being very involved in lacemaking.
Essex County records are excellent.
Best wishes. Sheila

My greatgrandmother's surname was Nevard. I understand they settled somewhere in Essex. Have not had time to study further the subject but would love to. However, I did come across the name mentioned in a book "the virgin blue" by Tracy Chevalier (she also wrote "girl with a pearl earring". It's so long ago that I read it that I intend to read it again. The name didn't strike me as all that important at the time

Try looking in the County records for Suffolk and North Essex borders.
Sheila