
Charles Frederick Thomas KNIBBS, son of Joseph KNIBBS and Harriett DAVIES , was born 09 January 1888 in Poplar, London, Middlesex, England. He died 08 October 1936 in Rouen, Normandy, France. Mariette Elisabeth Lucie LEVILLAIN was born 08 August 1897 in Bihorel, Seine-Maritime, France. She died 16 April 1982.
| 1. Rozanne Harriet KNIBBS, b. 14 December 1923 | See Richard James MARTELL & Rozanne Harriet KNIBBS |
| 2. Rozanne KNIBBS, b. 1919 |
Marriage/Union Events for Charles Frederick Thomas KNIBBS\Mariette Elisabeth Lucie LEVILLAIN:
Other Marriages/Unions for Charles Frederick Thomas KNIBBS:
See Charles Frederick Thomas KNIBBS & Alexandra FROGLEY
Other Marriages/Unions for Mariette Elisabeth Lucie LEVILLAIN:
See Charles Maurice GRIVET & Mariette Elisabeth Lucie LEVILLAIN
Notes for Charles Frederick Thomas KNIBBS:
See Charles' Birth Certificate
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Charles is aged 13, living with his parents in 1901.
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Charles' niece Kitty described Charles to me as a "charming rogue".
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The exact circumstances surrounding Charles' life after the end of WWI are quite puzzling so the best I can achieve is to outline the events that we either understand or know to have taken place:
We know that Charles served in France during WWI where he met and fell in love with a young French girl named Mariette Levillain. He returned to England when the war was over, and we know that at some time, he left his wife and two young sons in England and returned to live in France. We believe he remained in France for the rest of his life until he died in Rouen, Normandy, in 1936. Alexandra refused to divorce him.
It's understood that after returning to England at the end of the war, Charles was very much on edge, and continually asked his wife Alexandra whether there had been any post. It's assumed that Alexandra became suspicious so one day, when a letter arrived for Charles from France, Alexandra intercepted it and read it. The letter was from a woman in France informing Charles that she had a child. Whether Alexandra confronted him with it or whether she never showed him the letter, isn't known, but after this, he left Alexandra and went to join the woman in France - the name of the woman was never mentioned but the family remember that there was a connection with music. We know now that it was Mariette Levillain.
Nothing at all was known about the baby, but the natural assumption was that Charles was the father. In 2009, we learned that there was a child named Rozanne, born in 1919 who sadly died in 1921 at about two years of age. This child is buried with Charles at the Bihorel cemetery, so it is most likely that Rozanne was the
child referred to in the letter.
We know that Charles and Mariette lived together in Bihorel, Rouen, France and they were joined for a short while by Charles' sister Dorothy, her husband Charlton Wykes, and their daughter Lilian, but they returned to England several months before Charles and Mariette's daughter Rozanne Harriet was born.
Rozanne Harriet Knibbs was born on 14 December 1923 at the Middlesex hospital in England. She was registered as the daughter of Charles Knibbs and his wife Alexandra. The informant of the birth was Charles Knibbs. We now understand that Charles brought Mariette to England for the birth of their child, but used the name of his legal wife, Alexandra as the mother of the child to avoid the child being registered as illegitimate.
Charles died from natural causes in France, aged 48. His death was registered in Rouen by Mariette Levillian. He is buried at the Levillain family plot at the cemetery in Bihorel, Seine-Maritime, France with his daughter
Rozanne who died in infancy, Senateur and Josephine Levillain (Mariette's parents) and Suzanne Amouret who we believe to be Mariette's sister.
See an extract from the Death Register at Rouen
Sources for Charles Frederick Thomas KNIBBS:
Notes for Mariette Elisabeth Lucie LEVILLAIN:
Also known as: MadgeWe know that Mariette spoke perfect English and believe that she was a music teacher by profession.
During WWII, we know that Mariette hid allied airman in the cellar beneath her house in Bihorel. She received a medal for these brave acts but as yet I've been unable to find more details.
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The following shows a few generations of who we believe to be Mariette's ancestors in France. They're as given on the LDS IGI web site:
1 Louis Senator Fere
. +Marie Elisabeth Boullier
........2 Delphine Louise Fere b: November 9, 1844 in La Gaillarde, Seine-Maritime, France d: June 7, 1878
............+Pierre Isidore Levillain m: October 15, 1867 in La Gaillarde, Seine-Maritime, France
...................3 Alexis Senateur Levillain b: December 10, 1867 in La Gaillarde, Seine-Maritime, France d: 1931
.......................+Josephine Lucile Hinfray b: June 18, 1868 in La Gaillarde, Seine-Maritime, France
..............................4 Mariette Elisabeth Lucie Levillain b: August 8, 1897 in Bihorel, Seine-Maritime, France d: April 16, 1982
..............................4 Suzanne Germaine Levillain b:9 March 1892 in Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France
..............................4 Georgette Delphine Levillain b:20 October 1891 in La Gaillarde, Seine-Maritime, France d:3 Oct 1962
Mariette's maternal grandparents were:
1 Francois Victor Hinfray
. +Julie Lucile Ridel
Mariette's parents Alexis Senateur and Josephine Levillain, and we believe her sister Suzanne Amouret are buried at the Bihorel cemetery alongside Charles Knibbs.
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Mariette is buried at the cemetery in Bihorel, Seine-Maritime, France, with her husband Charles Grivet.
Sources for Mariette Elisabeth Lucie LEVILLAIN:
Notes for Rozanne KNIBBS:
Rozanne was born in 1919, assumedly in Bihorel, shortly after her father, Charles Knibbs, had returned to England having been stationed in France during WWI. Mariette wrote to him in England to say that the child had been born and he left England soon after that, returning to live with Mariette in France.
Rozanne died as an infant in 1921 and is buried alongside her father at the cemetery at Bihorel, Seine-Maritime, France.
Sources for Rozanne KNIBBS:
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