Hi Colin, Some books you want to get hold of are "Old New England" by Walker I think, it is an old book written in about 1960 or there about so difficult to get hold of but was researched as a MA thesis. Lot of good background material. John Ferry wrote a very local history on Colonial Armidale. Duval is I think Black Mountain way. The Guyra and District Historical Society published a book "Our Mountain History' Probably too modern for you as it is mostly oral history, people's written memories and newspaper extracts If your family got as far as Coutts Crossing and Nymboida there is a series of histories of that area. Don't know of anything specifically on the Dorrigo area. I have found the probate records for the New England area very good, you can follow the probate assessor as he walks through the house and refurnish it. One house I worked on all the oldies came there in their last years and it passed through a few unmarried siblings. From the various probate records you could pick up who brought what furniture with them etc. What alterations went on to accommodate extra people etc. Records at NSW State Records. Many of the houses in Black Mountain were only one single layer of weather board. No lining. In the 1920 they were building new houses in Llangothlin north of Guyra out of corrugated iron lined in fibro, much more posh than slabs and bark roof but so much colder. Have fun with your research Regard Elizabeth Roberts -----Original Message----- From: Colin McGuire [mailto:] Sent: Tuesday, 11 October 2011 9:16 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [PJ] William Henry McGuire (1836 Lady Kennaway) Hi I am a new member continuing my search for information about my ancestors. I have been researching and writing a book on William Henry McGuire, convict, arriving in the Colony on October 12, 1836, sentence- 14 years, for punching a sergeant. He married Isabella Duncan Aitken in October 1845. They had six children, and the family lived in the Duval area in New England, NSW, moving to Hillgrove and later Dorrigo. I have put together some of the pieces and stories about their descendants through to my family- there are still glaring gaps- hoping to complete the book by the end of the year- but would be delighted to receive any help from any quarter! Colin.S