CALLING all Henthorns - one of your ancestors wants to hear from you.

Stephen Henthorne, of Charleston, South Carolina, wants to trace his ancestry.

Currently based in London as a health marketing and development consultant, Stephen has pinpointed the family roots in the Ribble Valley.

He believes his ancestors came from a long-gone hamlet named Henthorn on the banks of the River Ribble near Little Mitton.

The family moved to Ireland during the Protestant Reformation, and he has traced relatives back to Dublin in 1697.

"I've been working on this for 30 years and now I'm getting closer," said Stephen. "It's a lot of fun because it's like a big criminal investigation, chasing leads and then coming to dead ends and starting out again.

"I know there are some Henthorns near Oldham but I want to find out if there are any living in the Ribble Valley.

"As far as I know, there were Henthorns in the Ribble Valley hamlet as long ago as the 12th century."

Anyone who can help can contact Stephen at the Portman Business Centre, 28 Nottingham Place, London, W1M 3FD tel: 0171 487 5665, fax 0171 935 1640. His e-mail address is steve13@linknet.net.

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