Do you know Arthur de la Perelle?

His son who lives in Queensland, Australia, is hoping to make contact or to learn more about him especially for the sake of his children – three daughters and a son – who have no knowledge of their grandfather.

Lucien John (de la Perelle) Lowe, who is aged 59 and has been married to Wendy for 37 years, first contacted Fred de la Perelle, of St Peter, whose efforts to find other family members was to no avail.

Lucien explained in a letter the circumstances that led to him having no knowledge of his biological father.

‘I believe my biological father was a man named Arthur de la Perrelle and I believe he may have lived in the Channel Islands.

‘In 1949 Arthur posted either an advertisement or story in the Sydney Morning Herald late in that year some time, asking for a crew to help him sail in his yacht to the islands then known as the New Hebredes.

‘My mother, Ada Medlicott took up the offer and sailed with him. During this time a romance blossomed and I was the result. However as time progressed they went their separate ways and by the time I was three my mother met and married my adoptive father.

‘We know very little of Arthur and all my mother told me, when she was alive, is that I have French blood and told me of the story of the De La Perrelle family escaping to the Channel Island during the French revolution.

‘I have tried to find Arthur’s advertisement/story in the Sydney Morning Herald but so far have not found it. Now that I have a grown up family, my children especially are keen to find their ancestry.’

Lucien, a registered piano tuner/technician, and his wife run a business specialising in pianos and organs, and can be contacted by e-mail at lowespno@bigpond.net.au.