AN AMERICAN woman who surfed the internet to find long-lost cousins in Darwen has finally traced her family - through the Lancashire Evening Telegraph!

Judi Sample of El Cajon, California, used the world-wide bulletin-board Compuserve, to try and trace relatives who still live in the town.

She made contact with Bolton-based Fred Smith who was able to trace her ancestors through records at Darwen Library, but he had no way of contacting surviving relatives.

So Judi and Fred contacted the Lancashire Evening Telegraph in the hope of continuing the search.

Now two letters have arrived from Judi's second cousins.

One came from Teresa Watson, whose grandfather John Thomas Sullivan was the brother of the American woman's grandfather Joseph Calvey. Now Teresa and her three sisters are bridging the continents to re-establish family ties.

Teresa said: "I've always known I had relatives in America and often thought about going to look for them.

"But now we have been put back in touch which is very good. I'm not on the internet so Judi has promised to write to me."

Fred Smith, Judi's on-line friend, said: "I have received yet another letter today from a man in Preston Street who is part of a very large family so it looks as if she will have a lot of people to keep in touch with."

Judi said: "I want to thank the Lancashire Evening Telegraph for helping my search. I have mailed information to Teresa and hope to continue corresponding with them."

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