Dear Dave: Many thanks for your email. I've taken the liberty of posting it to ATHG-L, the Alcohol & Temperance Group's listserve. One of the specialists on American temperance may have some good suggestions for you. Yours, Ron Roizen NB: ATHG-Lers, pleas respond to Dave's email address rather than--or as well as--to the list. Thanks! RR ---- Begin Forwarded Message Return-Path: <[log in to unmask]> Dear Ron: <snip> I was browsing the net recently wondering if I could find any references to my great great grandfather, Francis Murphy. He was born at Tagoat, County Wexford, Ireland April 24th, 1836. Arriving in New York at age 16 he drifted from job to job until he eventually became proprietor of the Bradley Inn in Portland Me. After an alcohol related incident at his tavern he was jailed for an assault and subsequently met Cyrus Sturdevant, a sea captain who convinced him to pledge total alcohol abstinence. From then on Francis dedicated his life to temperance reform. According to the Dictionary of American Biography, he gave lectures throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Hawaii, and Australia and was reported to have addressed more than 25 thousand meetings and obtained over 12 million signatures to the Murphy Pledge of alcohol abstinence. Essentially, I was hoping you might have some suggestions on where I might find more information about him. Thank you for any help or suggestions you may have, David B. Murphy e-mail [log in to unmask] -- Ron Roizen, Ph.D. voice: 510-848-9123 fax: 510-848-9210 home: 510-848-9098 1818 Hearst Ave. Berkeley, CA 94703 U.S.A. [log in to unmask] [log in to unmask]