Herman, a Litvak, was born in 1854 and died in 1932 in Belfast. Margot also wants information on her father, Casper Fox.

Deborah's first husband, Morris Moses Flax, was a synagogue minister in Manchester.

Apparently he died in shul on Simchat Torah in the 1880s, leaving Deborah and her four daughters and son.

Relatives believe that Deborah (also called Dora) originally came from Riga. Deborah was born in 1845.

"We think that someone arranged for Herman, a widower, to meet the widow Deborah Flax," Margot explains. "They married, when and where I am not sure, and my uncle Barney (Bernard Joshua Fox, who became Recorder of Belfast) was born in 1885."

Deborah and Herman lived in Belfast for 40 years. Deborah died in Belfast in September, 1923. Margot's father, Casper Fox, was born in Manchester in 1904/5.

His official birth date is July 24, 1904, although he never had a birth certificate.

His parents were Simon Fox - son from his first marriage to Martha Hersoveitz - and his wife Dora Katzen Fox.

Simon (born 1874 in 'Russia', probably Lithuania) had become a US citizen in 1895.

Write to 30 East Ninth St, NY, NY 10003, USA, telephone 001 212 473-5859 or email Margotfox@att.net

SIMON Jackson of London hopes readers can shed some light on the family of Naphtali and Leah Berkson, who arrived in Manchester in the late 1860s.

They were relatives of Simon's family, the Bergsons, who settled in Sunderland, around 1872.

"They came from the area around Marijampole, in Lithuania (the Suwalk Gubierna), and I have documentary evidence that Naphtali and Leah Berkson were living in that town in 1866," Simon said.

"The Censuses of 1871 to 1901 have helped me to reconstruct details of their children, and of some of their children's families, but I am getting to the point where more help is needed."

Naphtali and Leah were born in 1837 and 1836 respectively in Marijampole.

He was a tailor, but by 1891 had graduated to a trimming dealer.

Descendants were: Sarah Berkson, born in Marijampole around 1858. She married either Michael Silverstone or Jacob Levies of Prestwich, north Manchester in 1878.

Meyer Ber Berkson, born Marijampole on December 5 1859, died Marijampole on March 8, 1866. David Berkson, born Marijampole around 1862, died after March 1901. In 1889, he married Rose Fineberg, born Manchester, around 1864,

Emily Berkson, born Prestwich, 1890; Meyer Berkson, 1892; Yetta Berkson, 1894; Cobe Berkson, 1896, died 1898; Sarah Berkson, 1899.

Abraham Berkson, born Marijampole around 1865. In 1892, he married Millie Levy, born Manchester around 1867 and died in Salford 1894. Hyman Sydney Berkson, born 1893. Maria Berkson, born Manchester, around. 1869. She married Hyman Boodson, born in Russia around 1864.

Haidee Boodson, born Nottingham in 1890; Florence Boodson, born Manchester, 1895.

Coby Berkson, born. Manchester, 1871 and died in 1895. Toby Berkson, born Manchester. She married Meyer Loterman in 1898. Maria Loterman, born Prestwich, 1898; Dinah Loterman, born August 27, 1908, died Hendon in April 1987. Rachel Berkson, born Manchester 1876.

Samuel Berkson, born. Manchester, 1880. Married in Leeds in 1909 to Sara Bickler or Rachel Tompofski. Carl Berkson, born Leeds, 1910.

Write to 72 Granville Place, High Road, London N12 0AX, telephone 0208 346 6635 or email spjackson85@hotmail.com

ZE'EV Sharon of Israel came across Rhoda Oppenheimer of Leicester while searching for his family.

But his letter to Ms Oppenheimer was returned undelivered.

Ze'ev had been researching Gabriel Berkowich and his family from Lachovich.

His ancestors were Yekhiel-Zvi Berkowich and Rachell.

They had 14 children, although Ze'ev only has details of seven. Simcha'le died at three, while Abraham was a timber merchant. He had special authorisation to live and work in Kiev.

He emigrated to Israel in 1925 with his wife Dvonia-Dvorah and their two children, Raya-Raiisa (born 1910) and Arie-Luba (1906), and, most likely, with his mother Rachell.

The other children Ze'ev knows about are Jacob, born 1892; Haim, born 1888; Rivka and Ziporah.

But he is most interested in Gabriel, who was born in 1896. He died in Haifa in 1919 during military service in the Jewish Legion in the British Army.

Other members of the family who moved to Lyakhowitch or Kiev are believed to have died in the Holocaust.

Write to 19a Ha'eshel St, Kiriat-Ata 28236, Israel, telephone 009724 8480598 or email zeevsharon@013.net.il

SANDRA Yoder of Indiana is looking for Greenberg/Hirschhorn/Chernigow families.

The Greenberg family is from Lebau (Latvia). Her grandmother was Esther Greenberg, while her father, Aaron, was a chief rabbi in Lebau. Her mother was Pauline Levine.

A sister, Sophie Chernigow, moved to Ireland to wait for her husband, Samuel, to establish a home in the USA in 1891. Her two children died before the emigration to America.

A Hirschhorn family member wrote to Sandra that his grandmother, Rebecca (Greenberg) Hirschhorn from Latvia, stayed with family in the UK in 1901 and that a store had been established there by the Greenberg family.

Write to 17848 County Road 126, Goshen, IN 46528, USA or email scruffer45@hotmail.com

JOHN Kelly of Surrey is trying to locate any remaining members of his mother's family.

Her parents were Maurice and Miriam Lobell of Higher Broughton, Salford.

John obtained this address from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as part of the certificate relating to his uncle Laurence Lobell who was killed in the war in 1943.

Write to 157-169 Walton Road, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 0DX, telephone 020 8979 1800 or email john@mdlresearch.com

ANDREW Long of Worcester is seeking photographs of those who fell at the Battle of Grimbosq

The battle was fought between August 7 and 9, 1944. Andrew is involved with the UK research into those who fell at Grimbosq, with the aim of producing a website and a book.

One of the casualties was Corporal Samuel Levine of Higher Broughton, Salford.

His family were listed as Israel and Bertha (parents) and Flora Pearl (wife).

He was serving with the 107th Royal Armoured Corps, who were providing the armoured support for the infantry.

On the morning of August 8, his tank was hit and set alight.

His tank commander, Major D H Davies, managed to drag him clear. However Cpl Levine was badly injured and died from his wounds on August 14.

Write to 25 Bow Hill, Callow End, Worcester WR2 4TN or email andrew@long9138.fsnet.co.uk

GEOFF Kershaw of Knutsford is trying to find any information about his grandfather's family.

Isaac Kirsh (later Kersh), born in 1886, arrived in Hull from Russia in 1890 and in 1901 he lived at 120 Osborne Street, Kingston upon Hull with his siblings and parents.

There were three Russia-born brothers - Alfred born 1882, Abraham born 1888 and Joseph born 1890 - and two sisters born in Hull - Annie born 1892 and Millie born 1898.

Annie may have married a doctor called Dr Black who was possibly from Ireland.

The father of these children was Arron Kirsh who was a tailor born in Poland in 1851 and their mother was Ethe born in Russia in 1857.

Write to 39 Manchester Road, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 0LY, telephone 07836 642602 or 01565 631264 or email geoff@challenge-factor.co.uk

CHARLES Coppel of Australia wants information on the Coppel and Berrick watchmaker families in Liverpool in the 19th century.

His great-grandfather Elias Coppel (1829-1901) married Sarah Amelia Berrick (1837-1912) in the Liverpool Hebrew Congregation in February 1856.

After the birth of Caroline in 1857, they emigrated to Melbourne, Australia where he set up in business as a watchmaker and raised a family of 11 children - including Charles' grandfather.

Elias Coppel's father-in-law Barned Berrick (1804-1875) was a Liverpool watchmaker.

Charles believes that another Liverpool watchmaker, Zallel Coppel (1808-1886), was related to Elias.

Write to 129 Park Drive, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia, telephone 61 3 9347 9025 or email him at c.coppel@unimelb.edu.au

THE Scottish Jewish Archives Centre has had an enquiry about the family of Ilse Kummer, born 1920 in Berlin.

They are looking for her daughter, Moira, who may have been born in the 1960s, and lived at one time in Scotland.

Contact Harvey Kaplan on harvey@hkaplan.freeserve.co.uk or telephone 0141 649 4526.