Title | The Strahl family on Mersea |
Abstract | Rene and Germaine Strahl lived in Mersea. They had moved to England from France and were directors in England of the
French Guerlain perfume company. They lived in London for many years before getting a house on Mersea.
Rene was Swiss and was born 1895. He married Germaine Barre in 1924 in Pancras, London - Germain was from Paris.
The Strahls lived in "Leeward" in Empress Avenue, which later became No.61 and first
appear there in 1939 (Rene is named Richard Arthur in the 1939 Electoral Roll,
but most documents have him as Rene Albert). Leeward was an impressive house with
battlements but has since been demolished and replaced.
They had a house in London - in Perivale, a short walk from Guerlain's English factory and office. They would drive down to
Mersea on Fridays and return to London Sunday or early Monday.
Rene Strahl had a boat - the GANNET, previously owned by Ken Gowen. The family thought the boat was destroyed soon after
they sold it - it was on dry land when a fierce storm passed through. But John Milgate said that towards the end of its
days it was in a mud berth near Simmonds caravan park, and was inhabited by some students.
During WW2 the family shared their time between Perivale, Mersea, and another house at Pertenhall in Huntingdonshire. Rene
settled into Mersea life and was a member of the Peldon Home Guard..
Germain and Rene had two chidlren - a Raymond Gerard born c1927 and daughter Michelle Jeanne born c1934. Raymond married
Isabella Roe at Abberton in 1951 and Michelle married Robert Schranck at West Mersea in 1954. Michelle has sent us a
number of pictures of her wedding - see "Related Images" further down the page.
With thanks to
Michelle Schranck
Pauline Winch
Read More
Peldon Home Guard - Beyond the Photo
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Source | Mersea Museum
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ID | MSD
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Related Images: |
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ImageID: | MSD_001 | Title: | Arriving at the church. L-R Anne Herrington, Michelle Strahl, Rene Strahl, Ann Craig.
Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck West Mersea Parish Church.
Photograh from a Halstead school friend. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_003 | Title: | Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck West Mersea Parish Church. Reverend T.G.R. Hughes. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_005 | Title: | Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck West Mersea Parish Church. Photograph in the Church Porch.
L-R Rene Strahl, Anne Herrington, Robert Schranck, Michelle Schranck, Germaine Strahl, Ann Craig | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_007 | Title: | Anne Herrington left and Ann Craig right.
| Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_009 | Title: | During a speech at the Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck. Mr Rainbird on the right. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_011 | Title: | Rene Strahl, Ann Craig, Mr & Mrs Carlo Chapuis.
Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck at West Mersea.
Carlo Chapuis was a director of Comoy Pipes. He and his wife Germaine lived in Broomhills Road. Louis (a brother?) Chapuis was also a director. He and his wife Adrienne lived in Beach Road.
Germaine and Rene Strahl were directors of the French Guerlain Perfume company. They lived at Leeward in Empress Avenue and also had a house in London. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_013 | Title: | Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck at West Mersea.
L-R Rene Strahl, Leo Michael-Smith, Carlo Chapuis, Mrs Ashcroft. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_015 | Title: | Bill Craig and Fid Harnack at the Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck, West Mersea. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_017 | Title: | Mr & Mrs Buckingham at the Wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck, West Mersea.
Robert Buckingham was Director and Chairman of Rowhedge Ironworks. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Michelle Schranck |
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ImageID: | MSD_021 | Title: | Howard and Betty Winch at the wedding of Michelle Strahl and Robert Schranck West Mersea Parish Church.
Margaret Stephens on the right - she lived next door to the Winch Family down Empress Avenue. | Date: | 17 July 1954 | Source: | Mersea Museum / Pauline Winch |
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