Merrick, who lives in California, explains: ''My family were proud members of the Bolton Hebrew Congregation which was at its peak in the 1940s.

''After taking my doctorate I left England in 1956 and worked for 20 years in Kenya, Uganda and Ghana. In Uganda I conducted Jewish services.

''I took up a post at the University of California in 1976 and am now a Professor Emeritus of History and Anthropology.

''Though my father - Simon Posnansky, died 1948 - and grandfather - David Cohen, died.1932 - lived in Bolton from around 1905 I have no idea when the congregation was founded.

''I have no idea when they converted a three-storey house in a rather seedy area into a synagogue and I have no idea when the congregation finally closed.''

Merrick adds that the shool could never afford a rabbi, so there was a teacher, cantor, shochet and minister combined.

He would like any photographs of the synagogue and any information on its history.

Write to 5107 Rubio Ave, Encino, CA 91436-1124 ,telephone 1 818 986 1381 or email merrick@history.ucla.edu

ALLEN Katz of Israel wants to trace relatives from Manchester. He would like to find the family of his mother-in-law's great uncle, Philip Lazarus, who came to Manchester as a teenager.

He had a brother, Charles, and a sister, who were born in Braila, Romania.

Phillip, a successful merchant in Manchester, married Rebecca (born 1889) had two children, Maurice and Dorothy.

Dorothy (born November 22, 1887, died 1955), married Joseph Jacob 'Jack' Abdella (born December 8, 1882, died July 1953). Their son, Jacob (Jack) Samuel Ronald Abdella (died 1953), was a British High court judge. Their daughter Muriel Hanna Abdella married Jeff Wooley.

Maurice Lazarus had one daughter, Kathleen (born April 12, 1917, died 1972).

Charles and Philip's sister married a man called Mickler and lived in Newcastle-on-Tyne. She had three sons - Adolph, Maurice and Samuel.

Allen thinks Maurice's son, Arthur Mickler, lives in Stockton-on-Tees.

Charles Lazarus emigrated to South Africa in 1902. He was married to Ann and lived in Kalkbay, Cape Province, where his son Henry Elkin (1902-1987) and daughter Seidie were born.

Henry married Dora Smith (born in London1899, died 1997) in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, where he practiced as a lawyer. They had two children - Ann (born 1928) and Charles (born 1931).

Ann, a psychologist, married Joseph Reiff and made aliyah in 1977.

Write to 37 A Pardes Meshutaf St, Raanana, Israel 43355, telephone 972 9 7714950 or email aldikat@netvision.net.il

BARBARA Mannlein of Arizona is researching the Dodell family. She is seeking the descendants of a son of a Herschel Lieb Dodel.

Herschel was born in 1859 in Toporow, Poland, and died in 1917. Herschel and his wife, Marjem Sura Pfeffer, had 15 children - Berisch (Benjamin), born 1880; David Zmarl, born 1882; Chaja, born 1887; Rosie born 1888; Basia, born1889; Nachman, born 1891; Becky, born 1892; Jenny, born 1894; Ruchel, born1897; Szulom, born 1889; Chaim (Hyman), born 1901; Cine (Sylvia), born 1904; Samuel, born 1907; Goldie, born 1909; Schmeil Mutria (Harry Siegel), born 1884.

Berisch, Rosie, Basia, Becky, Jenny, Chaim and Samuel moved to America, whilst David, Chaja, Ruchel and Szulom were murdered in the Holocaust. Nachman and Goldie died in infancy.

Barbara does not know the fate of Cine but she believes Schmeil Mutria moved to England and became a comedian in Leeds called Harry Siegel.

She has been told he had five children, two of whom were called Annie and Harry.

Write to 4919 N Bonita Ridge Ave Tucson, Arizona, USA or email bsmannlein@earthlink.net

KENNETH Phillips-Cooper of Hertfordshire recently discovered that his grandfather was born in Manchester.

Additionally he found out that his grandfather, Abraham, had five brothers and six sisters - Phineas, Hyman, Moses, Aaron, Samuel, Annie, Emma, Yetta, Sophia, Sarah and Rebecca.

''It's made me wonder if I have any cousins still living in Manchester,'' he said.

The Phillips family originally came from Poland around 1860. The last address Kenneth has for Jane Phillips, wife of tailor Abraham, is 52 Robert Street, Cheetham in 1901.

Annie married Harris Goldman, Sarah married Myer Gollance, Rebecca married David Woolfe, Phineas married Rebecca Cohen and Hyman married Anna Prax.

Kenneth's grandfather moved to Edinburgh and lost touch with the Manchester branch of his family.

Write to 49 Cedar Road, Oxhey, Herts WD19 4QP, telephone 01923 245823 or email johncoop_99@yahoo.co.uk

ISRAELI journalist Danny Rubinstein is looking for photographs and letters belonging to his late uncle Arieh Rubinstein who died in Manchester in 1969.

He was a tenant of the Levine family in Albert Avenue, Prestwich. It is believed that the family had a daughter.

Anyone with information should contact Elliot Cohen on 0161-236 3909 or write to ZCC Offices, Mamlock House, 142 Bury Old Road, Manchester M8 4HE.

HARRY Green of Florida would like to find records of his great-grandparents and grandparents who left Liverpool in June1907 aboard the SS Friesland.

His grandparents, Moses and Amalia Brantz, were originally from Braila, Romania. They left Liverpool with five of their children and Amalia's parents, Alter and Sura-Rifca Goldstein.

Write to 256 Lakeside Drive N, Fort Myers, FL 33903, USA.

AUSTRALIAN Peter Jeans is looking for descendants of the Ludwig von der Pfordten family who lived in Malta between the 1850s and the early 1900s.

One of the girls (possibly Blanche) married into the (Huguenot Irish) de Torres clan, and moved to Ireland. A Brigadier de Torres served in the British Army during World War Two.

Write to PO Box 117, Bindoon, Western Australia 6502 or email jeanspj@bigpond.com

A DARWEN woman, whose parents took in Jewish evacuee children in the war, would like to meet up with them again.

Nellie Kelly remembers the brother and sister were called Ruth and Bernard and came from Manchester.

During the war Nellie Thackerey lived at 22 Two Gates Terrace, Darwen. Contact 01704 226785.

ISRAELI Sharon Bitan is looking for her cousin, Michael Koby, who married Dawn. He had a sister called Elizabeth.

Their father emigrated from Germany to England, settling in Manchester where he had a tie factory.

Sharon has not spoken to Michael for 35 years.

Write to Kibbutz Kfar Blum, Galilee, Israel.

EDWARD Cox of Devon is trying to find relatives of his late uncle, Percival John Twiner.

Percival, who was brought up by a family in the London area, was abandoned at birth.

Edward says he always referred to two sisters, Judith and Caroline.

Percival was born on November 11, 1926 and was in the army's catering corp.

Write to 372 Torquay Road, Paignton, Devon TQ3 2DN or telephone 01803 390724

DANIEL Gleek of Hertfordshire is looking for Sheila Niman. She was born in Glasgow in 1921/22 to Mark and Flora Niman.

Sheila had an uncle and aunt, Morris and Mary Niman, and her grandparents were called Jacob and Rachel Niman and Max and Sarah Sachs.

Write to 5 Bluebird Way, Bricket Wood, Herts AL2 3UH or email DanielGee@ntlworld.com