ISRAELI Isaac Icht was looking for information on his late grandfather in Manchester, but discovered revelations much closer to home.

Isaac, who lives in Ramat Gan appealed to Jewish Telegraph readers on a visit to Manchester last year for memories of his late grandfather, who was also called Isaac Icht.

Isaac believed that his grandfather came from either Kishishev (now Chisnau in Moldova) or Kiev, in the Ukraine.

His grandfather had moved to Manchester in 1924 and was head cantor at the North Manchester Hebrew Congregation.

Isaac lived with his wife at 161a Great Clowes Street. When Isaac junior returned to Israel, a visit to see his auntie Haviva proved to be more than worthwhile.

He said: "I went to see my auntie, who lives on Kibbutz Kiryat Anavim, near Jerusalem. The family had always been very secretive about my grandfather, although I did know that he was a very wealthy, proud man."

Auntie Haviva gave Isaac a copy of his grandfather's birth certificate and a copy of a newspaper article which revealed more about his family.

He said: "Although my grandfather wanted to go to Palestine - as it was - he never made it, but my father's brothers and sisters did, with the exception of my uncle Menachem."

Menachem anglicised his name to Monty Hicks and became an eminent professor. Anyone with more information, contact Isaac on 07812 703229.

ROD Brooks of Leeds is trying to find his cousin, Barrie Newton, also from Leeds. Rod last heard from him in 1996. At that time, he was living in Ysbty Ifan, Wales, but I have no idea where he lives now.

Write to 43 Primley Park Grove, Alwoodley, Leeds LS17 7LL, telephone 07958-412468 or theukeleleman@btinternet.com

EVAN Fishman of New Jersey recently learnt that a relative's uncle was very successful in the glass manufacturing industry in England during the late 19th-early 20th centuries.

He would now like appreciate information about the industry during that period. Does the surname Mandelstein (Mendelstein) come up with regard to glass manufacture?

Write 47 Mara Court, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 USA or email ebf2001@comcast.net

GLENDA Goldberg of Australia is looking for descendants of the Dinis family who were living in Manchester at the time of the 1901 Census.

All the family were born in Russia - Samuel Dinis (then aged 57), his wife Rachel (44) and children Barnett (16), Harry (12), Leah (11), and Lily (7).

The census identifies Samuel as a Hebrew teacher and Barnett as a waterproof garment manufacturer. Glenda wants to clarify whether Rachel is the sister of her grandfather left behind in Raseiniai (Rossien), Lithuania.

Glenda's grandfather, Lewis, was the son of Eliyahu and Hinde (daughter of Hyam Shoshan).

Lewis and his brothers, Simon and Morris, changed their name to Goldberg when they emigrated to Australia in the 1880s.

Not knowing the original surname, it is difficult to establish what happened to the family left behind in Lithuania.

Rachel is known to have married a man with a surname like Din. They had a brother, Benjamin Hyam, in Fleetwood, England.

Write to 12/7 Bellevue Park Road, Bellevue Hill NSW 2023, Australia or email tiarem@hotmail.com

PAMELA Weisberger of California is researching Claire (Clara) Klein, who was born at 29 Edward St, Broughton, Manchester in 1907.

Claire's father Henry Klein was a jeweller and her mother was Laura Klein. She lived and worked in Salford/Manchester and became the author CC Moynihan. She was also known as Claire Lustgarten and Claire Chadwick Moynihan. Pamela believes her husband and twin daughters were killed in the Manchester Blitz.

Write to 630 22nd Street, Santa Monica, California 90402, USA or email pweisberger@hotmail.com

RICHARD Gilbert is seeking information about a Gilbert family in Manchester in the 19th century.

Hyman Samuel Gilbert and his wife Leah (nee Marceline/Marcellin/Marsaline) were born in Poland about 1852 and 1854 respectively.

They were married at the Manchester Great Synagogue in 1875. Their first son, Benjamin, was born in December 1876 at 3 Clarissa Place, Red Bank. At some point they moved to the City of Westminster, where more sons, Barnett (1880), Nathan (1880) and Louis (1881) were born.

In the 1881 census they are living at 21 Portland (now D'Arblay) Street in Soho. Barnett and Nathan died very young.

Two more sons, Henry (1882) and Isaac (1884) were born in England.

In 1888 they emigrated to New York, where Richard's grandfather Joseph was born in 1890. Hyman died some time between 1890 and 1900, by which time the family had relocated to Philadelphia.

Richard is trying to find Hyman and Leah's east European roots, and any possible siblings and their descendants.

Write to 15722 Ashworth Avenue North, Shoreline WA 98133, USA or email gilbert67@gmail.com

ESTHER Feinstein Sackheim wants to find a Feinstein family that lived at 50 Morgan St in the east end of London in 1913.

She is also interested in Schmulenson, Yablik,Weissman, Malamud,Becker and Marshafsky, all of Tulchin in Vinnitsa province.

Write to 9151 Crawford, Skokie, Ill 60076, USA or email ZeraKodesh@aol.com

PAUL Brosgall, formerly of Leeds but now living in Vancouver, wants to get in touch with his old friends. He is especially interested in finding Gerry Goldstein who was at one time in the butchering business.

Contact Paul at paulbrosgall@shaw.ca or write to 5508 Elizabeth St, Vancouver, BC, Canada. V5Y 3J9