He moved to Hanley in Stock in the early 20th century.

But Rebecca was told by the Lithuanian Central State Archives that they have no record of his birth.

"From my research, I understand it's not unusual for birth records to have been destroyed," she said, "and I believe all the 1897 Russian Empire census relating to Kovna has also been destroyed."

Rebecca needs to find the information in order to file a citizenship request and would like advice from anyone else who has had the same problem.

Write to 2 Capel Close, Broomfield, Chelmsford CM1 7DE, telephone 01245-443188 or rebecca.loxton@hotmail.com

Pontefract ties

NEW Yorker Alan Lotenberg is researching the Jackson branch of his family, which has a possible connection to Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

His great-great-great-grandfather, Washington Jackson, was born in New York in 1824.

His parents were Joseph and Hannah (Abrams) Jackson. Alan found reference to a Captain Joseph Jackson married to Hannah with a child named Washington.

Captain Jackson was born in November, 1791, in Pontefract and died in February, 1852, in New York. Hannah Abrams was born in August, 1797, in St James, Middlesex, and died in February, 1875, in New York.

They are both buried in Beth Olom Cemetery in New York City.

The couple had a few children in London between 1815 and 1824, the year Washington was born in New York.

Telephone 001-917-532-5536 or email alanjay70@gmail.com

surName unknown

CAROLE Keeling is trying to discover the surname of a married couple who were possibly an aunt and uncle of her mother, Hilda Turner (nee Rolbin).

They were always referred to as 'Uncle Hymie' and 'Aunty Ettie' - although their names might have been Hyman and Yenta. They lived in Penrose Street, Hightown, Manchester, with Carole's mother's sister, Irene Rolbin, during the 1960s and 70s.

Hilda was the daughter of Nathan and Rachel Rolbin, the daughter of Louis and Rosie Rosenberg, of Cheetham Hill.

She is also looking for details of other 'aunts' and 'uncles' - Golda, Gertrude, Esther ('Ducky'), Harris, Lily, Harold and Cecil, born between 1893 and 1903.

Email ukcarole60@hotmail.com

FOUR SISTERS

GERRY Diamond, of Manchester, is searching for relatives descended from four sisters who lived at 78 Stocks Street, Cheetham Hill, in 1911.

The girls were the daughters of Austrian-born Benjamin and Rachel Freedman.

The eldest daughter was Jane Diamond, Gerry's grandmother.

Gerry is looking for descendants of her three sisters Ettie (born 1889), Bertha (born 1893) and Leah (born 1895). Jane, Ettie and Bertha were all born in Austria, but the family moved in 1894 to Manchester, where Leah was born.

Email Gerryd123@hotmail.com

HIDDEN CHILDREN

WOUTER Van Der Spiegel, of Belgium, is looking for Jewish boys - or their relatives - who were hidden during the Second World War at the boarding school 'Internaat Maria onbevlekt" of the Brethren of St-Jan de Deo- Brethren of Mary in Aalst/Alost near Brussels.

Brother Amandus was 'Juvenistmaster' at the school.

It is now part of the Institute Saint-Martin, where Wouter is the history teacher.

Email wouter.vanderspiegel@belgacom.net

LIVERPOOL COUPLE

CAROL Shaw, of Israel, is looking for the family of Fishel Duckett and his wife Martha Lewis.

Fishel was born in Liverpool in 1859, while Martha was born nine years later in the same city.

Her parents were Sigsmund Lewis, who was born in 1823 in Hamburg, and Elise Goldstucker, who was born in 1830, also in Germany.

Email Carolshaw25@gmail.com