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Hello.

I am a young woman looking for my biological father Juan. With so little information I appreciate that only a miracle could help me. I only found out the truth in December. The man I believed to be my father, passed away some years ago. My mother Margaret Smith was a single mum of two living in Bootle, Merseyside, when she had just a brief affair with a Spanish seaman. She found out that she was pregnant, and he was gone. She named me Joanne, as it was similar to his name. I have no other information. I was conceived around September/October 1967, and at that time, was the historical Liverpool Dockers strike that lasted around six weeks. I am assuming that my fathers ship was maybe caught up in this strike, and therefore kept him here for longer than expected. One last piece of information is that he may have been travelling on a Portuguese ship named the Covilha. :-(

Hi Joanne

Indeed you need a miracle

I'm guessing your father is not named on your birth certificate?

Do they keep records of ships docked at Liverpool? Not sure it would help, but if this is the case, you might be able to ascertain the exact name of the ship, which would be a start.
Jan

As Juan is a very common name in Spain or Portugal the ship may have had quite a few of them on board

Hi

Many thanks for all your responses. Yes Juan is a common name, but I have been informed that there would have been no more than 15 crew on board. My original birth certificate states "father Unknown". At the time that I was conceived there were actually no Spanish ships in Liverpool Docks. A gentleman who I have become friends with online through World naval ships Forum, actually attended the chambers of commerce in Liverpool, following my many trips to Liverpool Maritime, and it would appear that the other ships in port was the Portuguese Covilha, and a few other British ships. It was around the Liverpool 1967 Dockers strike. I have contacted Lisbon Port authorities and the Portuguese Embassy in London. Sadly there appears to be no papers available for this vessel. Another gentleman that I was in contact with actually knew the ship and lives in Lisbon, however, soon after he promised to help he was diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment. I have heard no more from him.. :-(

https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=ie7&q=covilha&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ACAW_en___GB383&gws_rd=ssl

The above is a search I did justentering Covilha which is also a city in Portugal. You may find the various sites interesting.

Best Wishes