Author Topic: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE  (Read 2229 times)

Offline Londoner 1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 127
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« on: Saturday 15 July 17 11:17 BST (UK) »
My cousin (*) (born in 1943) is trying to find out information about her father, who was French.  He was not married to her mother, but a very frequent "visitor".

My cousin (*) believes he was a seaman, who had something to do with the French resistance in WW2.  As they Lived in Liverpool, a big sea port at the time, it makes sense.  My hubby, who is older, but a child himself at the time (who lived with (*) and her mum for quite a while), thinks he may have been a merchant seaman, because when ever my hubby saw him, he was never in a uniform.....so maybe a merchant seaman or maybe as (*) says, working with the resistance.

When (*)'s mother died a few years ago, she found an old envelope in her handbag and also a short "love note", which her mother had kept since (*) was a tiny baby !  The address on the old envelope was CONAN CHARLES, c/o 39 Rue Du Dr Maguan, Sursenes Seine, Paris.....the writing is hard to decipher, so the spelling may be wrong.  Her mother must have kept it as her contact address for him.
Maybe he was a lodger at this address, although (*) seems to think that he might have been living there  with his mother.

Would her father's name have been Conan Charles.....or Charles Conan ?  He was known by the name of Charlo, maybe a nickname, which is what (*)'s mother always called him.

At 74, (*) now has this great urge to know who her father was.  Maybe he was married when he was having an affair in Liverpool with her mother.  Maybe (*) has half brothers or sisters. 

We just don't have a clue as to where to start looking !!!!!!  PLEASE can you help or advise us....or maybe you might be able to throw some light on this and be able to find some information.




(*) Moderator Comment:
Edited in accordance with RootsChat policy of not publishing details of living people here, or details of people who may still be living. This is to protect all concerned from spam, identity abuse, internet abuse, etc, etc.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.

Offline aghadowey

  • RootsChat Honorary
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 51,227
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 15 July 17 11:28 BST (UK) »
Google shows that the address might be "39 Rue Du Dr Magnan, 92150 Suresnes, France"- just search for "39 Rue Du Dr Magnan" Paris to see map/streetview as well as several references in French ;)
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline ShaunJ

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 24,012
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 15 July 17 12:08 BST (UK) »
"Charlot" was the French nickname for Charlie Chaplin
UK Census info. Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Londoner 1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 127
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 15 July 17 12:21 BST (UK) »
Thank you so much Aghadowey.   I would mail a letter there if I thought it might reveal something (anything !), but as Charlo would now be about 103 years old and probably long dead, it's very unlikely that there's any remembrance / knowledge of him now.

Thank you ShaunJ.  I guess now, that his name must have been Charles CONAN (could also be Coran), as the writing on the envelope is quite hard to read.  At least we have found out his surname !  I believe he was born around 1910-1914, but Patti doesn't know which area.

Can you, or can anyone help us any further ?  It would be so fantastic for Patti to know if she has any half brothers or sisters....or any family at all.

Can you advise what WE can do to try to solve this ?

Hopefully, for Patti's sake, it's not a lost cause.


Offline jorose

  • Global Moderator
  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • ********
  • Posts: 9,737
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 15 July 17 18:53 BST (UK) »
http://archive.is/CVCiK#selection-153.0-204.1
 - there is a list here of members of the Forces Navales de la France Libre, which was the naval branch of Free French Forces during WWII.

Among these names is Charles Conan, b. 17 March 1909 St. Cast ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Cast-le-Guildo ), he also appears to be listed as "marine marchande" (merchant marine).

I hoped to find this man's birth in the hopes that there would be "marginal notes" referencing a later marriage and/or death - unfortunately the Côtes d'Armor archives are not working for me right now. Also, not all departmental archives will have births as late as 1909 up yet, coverage post-1900 even for births that are over 100 years old tends to be a bit patchy.

An alternative would be to contact Saint-Cast-le-Guildo directly (the Mairie should handle such requests) and request a "copie intégrale" of his birth record.


ETA: this site has him as deceased 1954 in Cancale
http://www.francaislibres.net/liste/fiche.php?index=61923
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Londoner 1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 127
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 15 July 17 20:17 BST (UK) »
Hello Jorose......you've taken my breath away. 

I have just been chatting with my cousin and telling her of your findings and she was nearly in tears (VERY happy ones).  We just can't believe that there is some information on her father !

I don't understand the links that you've posted and for some reason, they won't open for me.

My internet went down for some reason and I've not been able to get on here for a while.  I've been on to BT for ages and it's now working again, so I want to give it another try, to connect to the links you've given me.......if I still can't connect, I will need to come back and ask you a couple of things about them.

Jorose, so far, this progress has reached far beyond any expectations !  Your information tells us that  Charles CONAN was born 17th March 1909 and that he died in December 1954, also, his place of birth and place of his death.  That means he was only 45 when he died.

This is all SO fantastic !!!!!

Would you know of any possible marriage in between these times ??

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you've found out so far.

Offline Londoner 1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 127
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 15 July 17 20:50 BST (UK) »
Jorose, please may I ask you the department and also address to obtain a birth certificate for Charles CONAN.  I know you said to contact Saint-Cast-le Guido directly and that the Mairie should handle it.

I have no knowledge of any French what so ever, so would you be able to help me by advising me what address to write to ?

I understand that the archives are not working for you right now........guess we're just getting far too excited !

A million "thank you's" would never be enough !

Offline Londoner 1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 127
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #7 on: Sunday 16 July 17 13:23 BST (UK) »
Jorose, I have managed to find out who/what a Mairie is....and then searched for an address in St. Cast, France to email.  I have now enquired there as to how I would obtain a birth certificate for Charles Conan.  Hope I get a positive reply from there.

I ultimately managed to open the links that you previously posted and they were absolutely amazing.....thank you so much (wish I could speak or understand even a little bit of French !).  It was all okay though and more than interesting too.

The HUGE question now, is how do I find out if Charles Conan was ever married ? 
Maybe he had a wife in France and even a family, when he fathered my cousin ? 

Can you advise me at all.




Offline Londoner 1

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 127
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: CONAN CHARLES / CHARLES CONAN from FRANCE
« Reply #8 on: Monday 17 July 17 11:56 BST (UK) »
Good morning Jorose....I have now applied to St. Cast for a birth certificate and also applied for a death certificate to Cancale. 

Also, I wrote to the address on the old envelope that my cousin found with her father's name on.  Even thought it's VERY old, I was maybe hoping that the house address was owned (not rented)and maybe passed to another member of the family. A VERY slim chance I know, but none the less, a chance.  Grasping at straws I know !

Please would you be able to guide me as to how I might find out if Charles CONAN was ever married, or had any children in France ?  I don't have a clue as to where to start to look, or where to even enquire.  I just don't know what else to do........

Sincere thanks.

P.S.  I'm DEFINITELY no expert at ancestry, far from it in fact, but I am a member of Ancestry.co.uk if that is of any help ?