A RETIRED woman is searching for relatives of her six-times great grandfather who, it is believed, was the first Hunt to enter Darwen in the 1600s.

Marjorie Featherstone, 66, who moved to Greece last year, said: "I know that, in the late 1600s, Nathaniel Hunt, my six times great grandfather, migrated from Samlesbury to Eccleshill.

"I'm desperate to hear from other Hunts in the area because I feel they would be able to help me learn a lot more.

Marjorie, who lives with her husband on the small Greek island of Aegina, would like to know more about her family history in the 1700s.

Graham Groom, Darwen Library assistant, said between 30 and 40 people visited the library each week to learn more about their family tree.

Graham, author of the Historical and Contemporary Jottings on Darwen from 1889-1993, said: "We get a lot of people coming in to trace relatives, it's become very popular in the past four or five years."

Bill Taylor, vice-president of the Lancashire Family History and Heraldry Society, said: "Tracing family history is very popular and we have around 2,000 members in our society.

"Marjorie could look through a book by J.G Shaw, entitled Darwen and its people, through genealogy research directories which come out in the UK each Spring and on the Mormon's website, where family history can be found."

Anyone who can help can contact Marjorie on mfeathers63@hotmail.com