Active Search Profile Details

Marguerite2

I am trying to locate my mother-in-law’s only full biological sibling‚ whose birth name was Valerie. The information we have is very limited‚ but I’m hoping someone may recognise the circumstances or have suggestions on where to search. My mother-in-law‚ Marguerite Ann‚ was born in Kalaw‚ Burma in 1943. Her parents were Marguerite Violet Collier (known as Violet) and George Nasse. They were not married. Violet’s second daughter‚ Valerie‚ is believed to have been born around 1944 in Rangoon. We have been told that Valerie was adopted out at birth‚ and that the birth was not registered with Violet as the biological mother. Family stories say that Violet gave the baby up for adoption after George refused to marry her. Reportedly she told him she would give the baby away if he would not marry her‚ and he replied that she should do what she felt she must. The only memory my mother-in-law has of her sister is seeing her once as a small child at a cinema in Rangoon. Valerie was there with her adoptive parents‚ while my mother-in-law was with Violet. Violet pointed the child out and told her‚ “That’s your sister Valerie.” The adoptive father was said to be a chemist‚ and his wife reportedly wore traditional Burmese clothing. Unfortunately we do not know their names‚ nor whether Valerie’s name was changed after adoption. If anyone has suggestions for records‚ adoption information‚ or research avenues relating to Rangoon in the mid-1940s‚ I would be very grateful.