Bingo!

Well folks, I got a response from my first letter (to Pat Jurey, descendant of Samuel Batton, brother of our Andrew Batton).....

Hi cousin Sandra,

I gather you are my 3rd cousin once removed. My children - who are all in their 40's now - will be delighted to find they have a Scottish 4th cousin.

Your detective skills were excellent in finding me. I live in the southern part of Oklahoma.

My oldest sister Barbi (age 68) (Barbara Borie Paton vonBriesen) married Richard vonBriesen and lives in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. They have 2 daughters, one son and 2 grandchildren. Dick an excellent genealogist and I have sent copies of all your material to them, so that they can handle all the family information details.

My younger sister Susan Parker Paton Liu (age 62) married George Liu (now deceased) and she lives in California, having moved there 5 years ago after 35 years living in Hong Kong China doing international law. She has one daughter.

I am 67 now. My husband and I have been married for 37 years - this is my second marriage. I have 3 children from my 1st marriage: Katherine Hyde Smith Addleman age 48 has 3 daughters; Robert Martin Smith age 46 has 2 daughters and Diana Gordon Smith Walters age 44 has 1 son. There are lots of step children around as well; my life is full with family events. Both my husband and I are retired and love to travel. Unfortunately we have been busy this year building a new home (after the tornado in February), so have done little travelling. We do have friends in Florida and in southern Alabama as well as a college granddaughter in Alabama so a trip through Mississippi occurs once in a while. Perhaps we can meet in the future.

As far as the genealogy is concerned ...
Barbi and her husband Dick travelled to Scotland about 5 years ago doing family research and reached a dead-end after George and Eliza. I think they have lots of their research on rootsweb and on their own website, that they will send you. My copies of their information - especially about their trip to Ayrshire, Kilwinning, Glasgow, etc. - either blew away with the tornado, or is in storage pending the completion of our home. Either way, Barbi and Dick are better giving it to you.

Answers to your questions...
George and Anne lived in or near New York City until moving to Connecticut in the 1940's. My family saw them several times a year for holidays. And Grandma lived for several years - late in her life - with my parents. By the way, we have never been sure if her name was Anne Amelia or Amelia Anne or Anna rather than Anne.

I do not know if brothers Samuel and John Batton met again in NY and kept in touch.

Brothers George and David did keep in touch throughout their lives. David married Nellie and their lived in New York too. The two couples, David and Nellie and George and Anne spent summers together at the beaches throughout the 1920s and 1930's. I never knew David and Nellie - but my parents did and spoke highly of them. Nellie died first and then David (this was also after his brother died), and I do remember my father making the funeral arrangements. I do not have any knowledge of other siblings. We always thought several had moved to Australia. But have never found any relatives there.

Sorry this is so rambling as a response. I was so surprised, but so delighted to hear from you. My father, and grandparents were so proud of their Scottish heritage and would be so thrilled to know we have made contact.

I will be out of town for the next week, but will check my e-mail, so I hope to hear from you
Do also expect a note from my sister and brother-in-law as well.

Affectionately,
Pat