To all Drakes and kin; We must stop and consider whether GOOD genealogy has any place whatever for judgments about the conduct of our ancestors, no matter what the nature of their acts. No more than we should be found guilty or innocent by those who are alive in the year 2144 - 140 years in the future - being students gives us no license to make such calls about ANY actions of those who lived 140 years in the past. Judgmental words like good and bad, just and unjust, right and wrong, proper and improper are not expressions of our hobby; such are words of the philosopher and belong with brandy at the fireside (or beer at the beach). Let your ancestors rest where they are; proud in their accomplishments, sorry for their failings; happy in their pleasures and sad for their moments of anguish. They don't need - or want - your help, thank you! Whatever WE may think of their works, those actions are over, done, finished, completed, concluded and have disappeared into the soft black of the distant past. Be proud of every one of them, and the fact that you might now do something differently or have a different view has NOTHING to do with and does not belong in this work. More power to you, Mr. Farmer; study away, and those of us who are able to help you quite usually will. So let's quit the good/bad nonsense and try to learn the whys of past conduct. All of us might remember what Holmes suggested: The thought that we might be judged by our posterity is ridiculous. Finally, sign your name to what to you write, or don't write; anonymity - hiding - has NO place in research or in the exchange of ideas! Paul