Hi Max Not sure whether to post this to the list or reply privately, but anyone not interested in Milligan's and McBarron's need read no further. Thanks John for your reply also. Was very interested in your posting regarding the Milligan/McBarron connection. I'll have to give some background on the Milligan's here. William Milligan Snr was born in Drumbulcan in the the parish of Nth Derryvullan, Fermanagh in 1836 and emigrated to Australia aborad the "Boanerges" in 1857. He was twice married, firstly to Sarah Jane Berry in 1861 who died in 1867 after the birth of three sons. William then married Mary McIntosh by whom he had William born 1870, Mary Ann born 1871, Jane born 1872 and Esther born 1874. William was a carter/drayman in Sydney and seems to have done quite well for himself. However he died at the young age of 47 in 1883, making John McBarron of Robertson a co-executor of his estate. Mary his wife died almost a year later in 1884 leaving the four surviving children mentioned above as orphans. This is where your John McBarron must have stepped in and taken Jane who was 11 years old and reared her as his daughter. Mary, whom he names in his will, must have been Jane's sister, perhaps she acted as his housekeeper - who knows. Mary never married and died in 1944 rg Burwood. Esther, the youngest sister married Vincent Wallace in 1904 rg Sydney. William whom you mentioned as finding your father a job in Sydney would be the brother of Jane, I think. He married Emma Goldsmith in 1893 rg St Leonards. Now the question is - what connection was there between William Milligan Snr and John McBarron? They evidently thought a lot of each other, so were they related or just close friends? William was the son of William Milligan and Eleanor Field. Just as an aside, my husband also has a connection to the McBarron's through another line. His grandfather had a sister Emily Rutledge who, in 1904 at Jamberoo, married Matthew, son of James McBarron . Was James a brother of John? Look forward to your comments. Kerrie Alexander Dapto ----------