I am actively researching my French-Canadian ancestors who crossed to the U.S. into Clinton Co., NY, after 1840. The family name is BELL, an anglicized version of the French name LEBEL that had been shorten to BEL for a while. The name is sometimes seen as BELLE or LABELLE. The immigrant family was François Bell and Pélagie Lafetière dit Jasmin. They came with five sons: Louis (aka Lewis), Benjamin, Joseph, Francis, and Alfred. They settled in Ellenburg, Clinton Co., NY and were all basically farmers. Some later migrated into Franklin Co., NY. All the sons married and each had large families. In the latter quarter of the 19th century many of the family members responded to the call to go to work in the New England mills. The migration path was generally to Sutton and Douglas in Worcester Co., MA and later they migrated to mill work in RI, settling in Woonsocket and Manville. I am currently conducting mutually cooperative research with four other people who are related to the French-Canadian BELLs. My objective is to eventually put together a family history/genealogy that tells the story of this family from its U.S. progenitors to the present day. To that end I would like to find a few more folks who know this family well and are adept at genealogical research techniques and conventions, and who would be willing to contribute their work to be part of this story. Each contributor would, of course, be duly recognized in the book for their contributions. I'm not looking to publish this book in large numbers. It would probably be produced in hard copy, one for each contributor, and one to each of perhaps a dozen libraries along the migration path from upstate NY to MA to RI. Additional copies would be made available on a CD in .pdf format, which in turn could be easily printed by anyone who so desired at any convenient KINKOS/FEDEX or similar copy store. The tentative title I envision is: L'histoire et Généalogie des Cinq Frères Bell - The Development of the French-Canadian BELL Family in America. This project will concentrate on the descendants of the progenitors mentioned above. Their ancestors are, of course, always of interest, but there has been substantial material collected and assembled already. It will ultimately be included in the book. However, the key to my current project is accurately describing the family's development in the U.S. Would appreciate hearing from anyone interested and I will gladly answer your questions. Dick Randt Ellicott City, MD AFGS #1465