This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: dancooper1 Surnames: Goodbody, Cooper, French Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.robinson/9404.1.2.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hello, There was not mention of either of your ancestors in my ancestor's memoir. But I distinctly recall mention (somewhere) of a man dying at sea approaching San Francisco. I have searched through several long strings of messages, but did not locate the reference. You mention that you have information on your ancestor taking a barque to SF, but are unsure of the dates. Do you have a general time frame for the voyage? Do you have the name of the ship? Your specific sources for whatever bits of information you do have, are also of critical importance, whether they be oral-tradition family stories, letters, etc. I have been fortunate to make the acquaintance of a man also quite interested in the Parker French expedition. My acquaintance is Michael Blakeslee, and I will put you in touch with him. He has perhaps a better chance at recalling where this reference is located, and may have other information on your Goodbody relatives. Michael is the one man on the planet who can now be said to be "the most authoritative and knowledgeable" person alive, on the subject of Parker French. My own records include a cross-reference of all the names on the French wagon train from six different lists (three news stories, the Miles journal list, the David Cooper memoir, and the documented witnesses to the gunfight at Corralitos). I have one Goodbody referenced in three of them, the other in only two. Not that there is much helpful information there, but I presume you are familiar with all three. "F. Goodbody" is mentioned only in the Miles journal. But R. Goodbody is also listed in two articles from the New Orleans Daily Picayune dated 05-26 and 06-02 1850. As it is not very good Internet etiquette to post email addresses, particularly those of other people, I will instead contact Michael Blakeslee and mention how to access this discussion thread to contact you. Meanwhile, I will continue searching at my end to see if I can turn up anything for you. Best of luck in your search. But now I do have a request of you. Although neither Goodbody is mentioned in David Cooper's journal, there is the possibility that I could include some information on them in David's memoir as it is ultimately formatted and edited for publication. There are numerous appendices, for example. Are there any family or other stories about these men, stories that you feel might have some significance? I am speaking of anything particularly remarkable in their earlier lives, or later in the surviving brother's life. I don't know how deeply Mr. Blakeslee's interest in biographical information on these people might be, but he could be interested in your ancestors' lives, as well. Personally, I am most interested in the accounts of people directly referenced in David Cooper's memoir, but others who were in contact with him could also be of considerable interest. I assume you do have at the very least some basic genealogical data. I hope your search turns up some solid information. I will do what I can for you. Good luck. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.