Just reading back through this thread, and something struck me re. this post:

----

Subject: RE: Joseph Bryan Geoghegan, travelling singer, 1800s
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 04 Jun 10 - 05:17 AM

Sorry, the search engine is giving me the hump. I search for 'Commercial Man' and the first occurence is 1866; I wade through the 'Harry Clifton' results and I get this:

"NEW MUSIC
The Commercial Man; or Sold Again.
Comic Song, Written and Composed by Harry Clifton. London: Hopwood and Crew. - We can readily believe the statement on the illustrated title-page of this song, that it has been sung with immense success. We should say that it will be highly popular in commercial rooms generally, to say nothing of the Music Halls."

Era, May 22 1864

-----

Who were Hopwood and Crew? Are they likely to have been any connection to Geoghegan's wife, also a Hopwood, or is this just coincidence?