Hi, This is from Vignettes of Old Utica by John Walsh, copywrite 1982. "John Corish Devereux was born in Enniscorthy, county Wexford, Ireland on August 5, 1774, the son of Thomas & Catharine Corish Devereux, a wealthy and Prominent family. The family name is of French origin and tradition has it that when William the conqueror, Duke of Normandy, invaded England in 1066, Robert DeVereux, the younger son of the feudal owner of Evreux accompanied him and settled in Ireland, with grants from the Crown. During the century that followed, the Devereux family, Catholic in religion, was respected and honored by the Irish and when the Irish, prompted by the American and French revolutions, struck for independence from England in 1798, Thomas Devereux added his voice and financial means to the cause. When the rebellion was crushed, great retribution was visited upon the family in the loss of their lands and fortune to the Crown. Around 1796 or 97, their son John C. Devereux came to American and a few years later to the little village of Utica. On November 8th, 1802, he advertised that he had 'opened an assortment of dry goods and groceries at the store lately occupied by John Smith' at Bagg's Square. John C. Devereux soon became a successful merchant and he brought his brothers, Luke, Nicholas and Thomas to help in his business. Nicholas Devereux was born in Ireland in 1791 and came to this country in 1806 to join his brothers John C and Luke in the business. Luke left Utica in 1814 and went to Natchez where he died of yellow fever in February 1818. Thomas Devereux arrived in Utica from Ireland in 1810 and operated the Utica Distillery, later the Gulf Brewery, were he sold 'excellent Whiskey in exchange for cash, wheat rye or store hogs'. When Thomas returned to Ireland, Nicholas advertised the distillery for sale in March 1815. John Devereux retired from active management of the business and Nicholas continued the firm as 'N. Devereux & Co'. . John C. Devereux's earlier home was on Main Street, but near the close of the War of 1812, he erected the house at the corner of Broad and Second street where he lived until his death December 11, 1843. Nicholas Devereux was successful merchant and became the owner of the handsome Jeremiah Van Rensselaer residence on Genesee Street, which he later laid out for building lots" According to the index, the are more references to the family later in the book. I don't have time to look at them now - I am getting ready to go on vacation- but if you are interested I will look them up when I get back, or you can try getting a copy of the book through your library.