Hello all, I have just subscribed to this list. It seems to be the likeliest one of all the Lancs lists to be able to answer my question. If I'm wrong, please point me in the right direction. I am following a rather slim lead. My ggrandfather was born in County Clare but left for London and thence to US in 1870. After deserting the US Cavalry in 1871 he presented a letter from his father at his court martial. In the letter his father mentions a boot/shoemaker called "barny" in 'beacup". It seems that they both worked for him and given ggrandfather's age at the time, he may have been apprenticed. They may have been in "beacup" or Bacup, Lancs about 1861. Could sks look them up in the 1861 census or a directory about that time for me please? They were: Edward DEVERS and his son John H DEVERS who was born about 1847 in County Clare. The whole story can be found on my page at: http://members.shaw.ca/bart34/genealogy.html -- Cheers, John on Vancouver Island, BC mailto:bart34@shaw.ca Using The_Bat! version 1.62r and Opera on Windows 98 SE