To her friends in New Jersey, Anne Brearley was a loving nurse who cared for her patients. But the spinster who left Bradford for the USA in her twenties, was a true woman of substance.

For Anne had amassed a personal fortune of $750,000 through dabbling in stocks, shares and bonds on Wall Street when she died in April aged 69.

And now the appropriately-named private detective David Cash, pictured, from Bradford is on the hunt for long-lost relatives in the district who may be entitled to a slice of her fortune.

Mr Cash, a former police sergeant, was contacted via his website by Richard Venino Senior, an attorney in New Jersey, to see if he could help trace any relatives of Miss Brearley who died of natural causes in the Medical Centre of Ocean County, New Jersey.

Mr Cash, who lives in Birkenshaw, said: "I do a lot of work tracing family members for family trees but this case is different and I was immediately intrigued by Anne's story."

Mr Cash is currently working on uncovering the missing pieces of Anne's life in the hope that it will lead him to the rightful heir of the fortune.

Anne Brearley was born at Bradford Royal Infirmary on January, 2, 1934.

Her mother's name was Elsie Brearley and this was the only name registered on the birth certificate.

At the time of Anne's birth her mother Elsie lived at 11 Belle Vue, close to Valley Parade.

Elsie worked as a worsted spinner and Mr Cash believes she may have worked at Lister's Mill for a period.

Speaking from New Jersey, Mr Venino Senior said: "Anne never married or had any children so the key to solving this mystery is her mother Elsie.

"What we really need to find out is did Elsie have any brothers and sisters? Did she marry after Anne's birth and did she have any other children?"

Anne Brearley was given up for adoption very soon after her birth and spent her childhood in a children's home in Bradford.

Very little else is known about Anne's childhood although a card was found which suggests that she may have spent some time in a foster home with a woman called Mrs Rosbrook who lived in Wrose.

The next piece of Anne's history known to Mr Cash is that she trained as a nurse at Bradford Royal Infirmary and qualified in 1955 aged 21.

After qualifying Anne moved to London to work in the West Middlesex Hospital where she spent time on the maternity ward.

In 1957 Anne emigrated to America to seek her fortune and worked for 35 years as a nurse at Beekman Down Town Hospital until her retirement.

Not much is known as to how she made her fortune other than she invested in stocks, shares and bonds.

Mr Cash said: "I am appealing to Telegraph & Argus readers to contact me if they have any information which leads to finding the rightful heir to the fortune".

But if no relative is found the fortune will not go to waste.

Any unclaimed money will go to the state of New Jersey.

Anyone with information should call David Cash on (07752) 735229 or visit www.genealogyyorkshire.com