62
NOTES AND QUERIES. DIS.XII. JULY 24, 1915.
which escaped the consequences of trans-
ference are of interest, although they are all
so recent as the beginning of the nineteenth
century. They are the names of the most
important personages of the community in
the last years of the Levant Company, and
some of them were the founders of the rich
and flourishing Levant families of the
present day.
Mr. B. D. Whittall has recently published an historical account of his family, which was founded in Smyrna by his grandfather, Charlton Whittall, in 1812.
So late as 1878, Murray's ' Guide ' devotes some space to the Smyrna Levantines :
"Smyrna possesses a peculiar institution in its Casinos or family clubs, founded by the English in the last century. Of these among others are the ' European or English Casino ' (consisting of
Levantines and Armenians), next to the English-
Consulate, and the 'Greek Casino' (supported by
the Greeks). A stranger can get admission for
three months on the application of a friend, and. if
in the ball season, receives invitations for himself
and family. The Casinos are suppoited by sub-
scriptions of members, and have a news-room, ball-
room, &c. At the carnival time, the only brief
season of gaiety in Smyrna, two or three balls are
given at each Casino. The persons invited are each
member of the Casino, and all his family residing
under his roof, the widows and orphans of deceased
members, and foreign members. The last ball is a
mask and fancy-ball. These balls no longer show
to any extent the local costumes of the country,
nor the rich display of diamonds once so striking.
French fashions are predominant now amongst the
native women, and there is a great display of"
wealth and dress. The handsome English Levan-
tines no longer attend the Casinos, as the English
exercise their hospitality in their own houses. At
the balls gambling is carried on systematically andi
to a great extent.
BRITISH CEMETERY, SMYRNA. (Near the Caravan Bridge.)
Block F.
6. Sarrell, Philip, Constantinople
9. Perkins, George, Smyrna
16. Barker, William, Smyrna
24. Wilkin, Atkinson, Smyrna
39. Jackson, Thomas, Smyrna
50. Fisher, John King, London
51. Jackson, John
56. La Fontaine, James
Werry, Francis, Consul, Smyrna
Brant, Richard W. t Smyrna
Whittall, Charlton, Smyrna
Admitted to the Levant
Company. 10 Feb., 1814 7 May, 1782 2 Oct., 1759 23 Nov., 1804 26 Aug., 1800 15 Aug., 1816 18 Jan., 1802 3 May, 1791
BOUDJA CEMETERY.
10 March, 1778 24 Jan., 1811
BOURNABAT CEMETERY.
13 Feb., 1812
Died.
26 March, 1839 14 Jan., 1835 23 July, 1825 22 Jan., 1826 30 Sept., 1854 8 Aug., 1827 1 Aug., 1820 7 Sept., 1802
27 July, 1832
24 July, 1856
1867 or 1868
The English Cemetery in 1878 was situated
at the Caravan Bridge.
In many cases the Levantine families of Smyrna and other parts of Turkey have originated in the circumstances attending the ownership of property by foreigners residing within the Empire. Landed and real estate could only be held by persons qualifying as Turkish subjects until very recent times, and as a consequence many foreign families, once established in the country, were surrounded by difficulties in the disposal of their property whenever they attempted to leave. Such matters were the causes of interminable disputes and litigation in the consular courts, and involved the ambassador in much trouble and diplomatic business. Russell in his ' History of Aleppo ' refers to the action of the French Government in dealing with Levantines at the end of the eighteenth century:
" Besides the merchants, a number of French subjects of inferior rank find their way to the Levant, and, by intermarriage with the native
Christians, produce a half-French race, or Mezzo,-
Razza. A variety of inconveniences found to result
from the Consul being obliged to afford protection:
to people who were often involved in low trans-
actions and disputes with Turks produced, not
many years ago, a royal edict by which all married
subjects of His Most Christian Majesty were
recalled from the Levant, and power was vested
in the Consuls to remand instantly to France
subjects of whatever rank who should marry in
future without special licence obtained through
the Embassador at the Porte." 'Hist. Aleppo,'
vol. ii. p. 1.
The English Government did not attempt to exercise so peremptory a control over its subjects settled in the Levant, although the consular records are full of complaints about the exactions of the Turkish officials, who claimed authority to administer the affairs of English subjects, arid to consider the children of Englishmen born within the empire as Turks in as far as their properties were concerned.
The Smyrna of the nineteenth century was characterized by the presence of a larger
