Hi Derek The entry for John May is very short: "Mary (Smith, daughter of Harriet and Thomas), who was baptised Chiurch of England, married John May on the Nambucca in 1871 in a Wesleyan service." Mary was the sister of Isabella, who married William Argent - it is the Argents and the Ballards that I have been researching for a friend. On page 43, John May is mentioned as a shipwright from Devon who came to the nambucca as a selector but reverted to his trade. He worked for the shipbuilder John Campbell Stuart, on the Royal Tar (598 tons), launched 1873? or 1876?, "the largest-colonial built vessel". On page 119-120, it is George May who is listed as a shipwright working on the Royal Tar, who came from the Macleay for that purpose. The only source of "Valley of the Crooked River" that I know of is the Nambucca Shire Council, which commissioned the writing of the book. They still have copies (about $45, I think). Peter Peterson At 01:41 PM 22/05/01 +1000, you wrote: >Hi Peter, > >I hope you dont mind me asking this but I just looked up the >index for this book and it appears to Have my GG Grandfather in it. > >I was wondering if you can tell me if it has much about him >John May, marriage to Mary Smith 176 > >Also there is this but not sure if he is related so if you can let me >know what it has about this. >May, George, shipwright 43, 119, 120 > >I would like to get a copy of this book and know that I can get a new >one from the Nambucca area but I am in Sydney and hoping that >i could get a copy of it down here, or get a second hand copy. > >Hope that you can help me. > >Regards, Derek May. >Sydney, Australia.