Hi all, new member here--I just want to say thank you so much for all your research, and especially for sharing it with people like myself. I am descended from yet another Trojan Irishman: Michael Brereton, an iron moulder. He was born around 1844 in Ireland (exact location unknown) and immigrated to Cincinnati with his parents and siblings in the 1850's. I first found him in the 1860 Cincinnati census. He then relocated by himself to Troy around 1866, where he started a family and lived until his death (date unknown, but sometime after 1905). He married Mary Ann Langford around 1870, who was also of Irish ancestry. (I don't know anything about her parents; she had a sister named Ellen.) Michael and Mary had 7 children that I know of, who were all born in Troy. One was my great-grandfather John Joseph Brereton (b. Troy 1883, d. Troy 1951). He married Bertha Fratt Grobe, daughter of William H. Grobe and Ida Waite. All the Grobes are buried in Oakwood Cemetery. 1. Do any of these names (esp. the Irish surnames - Brereton and Langford) ring any bells with anybody? Most of my info so far is limited to US & NYS censuses. I also contacted all the Catholic churches that the family is known to have attended, but none could find any info for me. FYI, I have seen "Brereton" spelled in alternate ways (Brearton, Brierton, Brewerton to name a few) but this is our official family spelling going as far back as the first Troy generation. 2. I live in Dutchess County and should probably take a day trip to Troy for research. Where should I stop if I'm looking for basic birth/death/marriage info, as well as other records that might specifically tell me what part of Ireland the Breretons are from? I'm also not sure whether Michael Brereton's naturalization info would be in Troy or Cincinnati . . . 3. As a general question: Might anyone have any insight as to why an Irish iron worker would leave his family in Ohio to go to Troy--e.g., would he have had friends from Ireland in Troy, or did immigrants typically move for the job prospects, etc.? Apologies for the lengthy email--obviously I have a lot of questions and I appreciate everyone indulging me by reading it! Cheers, Lela Butts [email protected]