In a message dated 08/06/2004 23:30:53 GMT Daylight Time, avandel@sprint.ca writes: Personally, I think everyone should have at least one old occupations site like this on their browser favourites list. . . You could be right, but I wouldn't have thought to class "ironmonger" as an "old" occupation. From the correspondence it seems that it is probably a "British" occupational description, rather than a North American one, but so what? These are British people we are dealing with anyway, aren't they? Here in Britain I regard "ironmonger" as a still-current word, even though I suppose most of those who once called themselves that have now been driven out of business by the ubiquitous "DIY Store" and by the supermarket which, between them, now seem to sell everything an ironmonger once did. . . Geoff Nicholson . 57 Manor Park, Concord, WASHINGTON, Tyne & Wear NE37 2BU Ask for details of NBL/DUR family history research in depth by THE local expert, working for YOU.