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work courtesy of George Poulimenos, 2010
CHATZI KOSTIS of SMYRNA
Compiled by George Vassiadis
Compiled by George Vassiadis
Ioannes Chatzi Kostis, b. ca. 17601, the father of:
(I). Nikolaos Chatzi Kostis, b. Zagora, Thessaly, 12 December 1793; d. Smyrna, 12 December 1860 (bur. Greek Hospital, Smyrna, and afterwards Bournovas), m. ca. 1830, Sosana-Aristea Kapparis, b. 1810; d. Bournovas, 21 March 1882 (bur. Bournovas), daughter of Philippis Kapparis (Miser Philippis), b. ca. 1760, a native of Chios, by his wife Anna (Anetta) Omiros, a native of Smyrna, and had issue:
(1). Ioannes Kimon Chatzi Kostis, b. Smyrna, 2 September 1831; d. Bournovas, 12 July 1902 (bur. Bournovas), merchant and banker in Smyrna (bankrupt 1892); representative of the Greeks of Smyrna at the Athenian National Assembly of 18632, m. ca. 1860, Maria Mitchell, b. ca. 1840; d. 18?? (buried Greek Hospital, Smyrna, and afterwards Bournovas)3, daughter of Stylianos G. Mitzell/Mitchell (formerly Laskaris), by his wife Christina Mavrogordatos, and had issue, three children:
(i). Christina Chatzi Kostis, b. Smyrna 1869, d. Trieste 25 October 1925, m. ca. 1890, Ioannes (John) Mouratis, b. Bournovas, 1862; d. Bournovas, 24 June 1918, physician, and had issue:
(A). Joseph Mouratis, b. ca. 1890; d. Trieste, 1943, settled in Trieste 1913, m. 18 May 1927, Ag. Nicolas, Athens Ermina Saletnik, b Trieste 3 January 1899 d. 12 February 1969, and had issue:
a) Kimon Murat b. Trieste 5th February 1932, d. Trieste November 1932
b) Yiannaki Murat b. Trieste 31 August 1930, d. Trieste 1954
c) George Nicholas Murat Trieste 2 September 1933 d. Norwich 21 May 1995
d) Cristina Murat b. Trieste 28 December 1940
(B). Kimon Mouratis, b. 9 March 1899; d. Bournovas, 24 January 1916.
(C). Maria Mouratis, b. Bournovas, 29 May 1899, d Trieste, 27th November 1955
(ii). Stelios Chatzi Kostis / Mitchell, b. ca. 1862, established in Athens after 1892.
(iii). Nikos Chatzi Kostis, b. Smyrna, 28 August 1865; d. at sea between Athens and Trieste, 18 January 1924 (bur. Corfu)4, educ. University of Athens; journalist, historian and genealogist of the Greek families of Smyrna; fled to Trieste 1922.
Sources:
Kararas, Nikos. O Bournovas: istorika – anamneseis (Athens, 1955)
----------. “E oikogeneia ton Omeron en Smyrnei,” Mikrasiatika Chronika 7 (1957), 173-200
----------. Choria tou Bournova. Chatzelari-Narlekioi-Bournarbasi-Koukloutzas-Naldtoukeni (Athens, 1958)
Kostis, N. K. Ch. “Apospasmata ek smyrnaikou kodikos” DIEEE tomos ektos, teuchos eikoston deuteron (August 1903) 164-185.
Origin of the Laskaris / Mitchell family:
My source for origin of the surname Mitchell is:
Nikos Kararas, O Bournovas: istorika – anamneseis (Athens, 1955)
On pages 72-73 Kararas provides the following genealogical details, citing N[ikos] K. Ch. Kostis, Smyrnaika Analekta, Athens 1906, pp. 102-103 as his source:
Michael Laskaris, b. ca. 1740, a native of Macedonia, the father of:
Georgios Michael Laskaris, b. ca. 1770, English subject from 1815; died Bournovas 26 July 1839 and buried in the cemetery there, had issue:
Stylianos, b. ca. 1800, died Bournovas 14 May 1881 and buried there, adopted the surname Mitchell, married Christina Mavrogordatos, b. ca. 1810; d. 1862 buried Bournovas, daughter of Stephanos Mavrogordatos, and had issue:
Georgios Mitchell, b. ca. 1835, died 1867 buried Bournovas, married Countess Anastasia Jurassevich, died 1869, buried Bournovas, and had issue:
Stelios Mitchell, d. 1886, buried Bournovas
Alexandros Mitchell, d. 1896, buried Bournovas
Maria Mitchell, b. ca. 1840, m . Kimon Chatzi Kostis, and had issue, including Nikos Chatzi Kostis.
It has occurred to me that the Tzoane / Gianni di Missael of the documents in Joseph Murat’s possession might be Stylianos’ father, but he is not explicitly identified as such in the documents. Furthermore, this would also mean that Kararas and Chatzi Kostis made a mistake about his name - calling him Georgios instead of Tzoane / Gianni / Ioannes - even though his tomb seems to have been extant in their time. This seems highly unlikely. There is a slim chance he was Georgios’ brother. It is also quite possible he wasn't a Laskaris/Mitchell at all. He may have been kin of Aikaterini Phokiani. Whoever he was, Tzoane/ Gianni di Missael was probably involved in trading with Italian cities, such as Venice or Livorno, hence the use of “di Missael”. It was not unusual for Greek traders of the time to give their names in an Italian format, as Italian was the lingua franca of contemporary commerce. Likewise, Sior was used by many Greek traders as an honorific title, even as late as the 1870s. This is well attested in the memoirs of the banker Andreas Syngros, who died in 1899.
On the other hand, the use of the English surname Mitchell, ie son of Michael, seems to stem from the fact that Georgios Michael Laskaris was an English subject from 1815, and very likely involved in trade with Great Britain. He may have used the surname Mitchell to facilitate his business dealings, at any rate according to Kararas and Chatzi Kostis it was his son Stylianos who formally adopted the surname. We must keep in mind that the second document, in which Aikaterine Phokiani is referred to as the wife of G. Mitchell, only dates from 1865. As the source for the origin of the surname Mitchell is ultimately Nikos K. Chatzi Kostis, a descendant of the family in question, who was born in the 1860s and very interested in the origins of his family, I don't think there is much room for doubt.
The most fascinating person is all this is Aikaterine Phokiani, Catherine the Phocian, the wife of Georgios Michael Laskaris/Mitchell. It is very unusual for a woman to be referred to this way, with her place of origin serving as a surname. She must have been a well-known figure at the time, rather like the “Madama” of Sevdikoy.
Reflections on the origin of the Murat name:
Looking at Marie Anne Marandet’s genealogical website, where she lists a number of Murats from Smyrna:
The vast majority of these Murats are Catholic, and one of the earliest of them, Marie Murat, wife of Andre Maggiar, appears to be of Persian-Armenian extraction, by the name Mouradoglou! If all the Murats of Smyrna and Bornova were related, it would seem that they are of Armeno-Catholic origin from Persia. There are a few Murats of Orthodox origin in Marie Anne’s list, and Joe’s family was also Orthodox (though most of their Murat kin were Catholic), but I wonder if this has something to do with male Murats converting to Orthodoxy when they married. In the case of Jean Murat, Joe’s great-grandfather, conversion to Orthodoxy may have been a condition of his marriage to Christina Chatzi-Kostis, as she was something of an heiress.
The Persian connection reminded me of the fact that in the 1800 temesut expertly translated by George Poulimenos, Tzoane di Misael (Gianni di Missael) is referred to as an acemi, or Persian! This suggests he might have been of Armeno-Persian Catholic origin like the Murats. This is probably just a coincidence, as there were lots of Armenian Catholic families in Smyrna whose origins go back to Persia (Issaverdens, Missir, etc). However, it is an interesting coincidence nonetheless...
Referring to Elena Frangakis-Syrett’s book ‘The Commerce of Smyrna in the Eighteenth Century’, on pages 255-56 there are lists of Smyrna merchants dating to 1762 and 1787, including names like Lucas di Alexan, Agub di Petros, Bogos di Apel, Issay di Masse, Mirek d’Issai, etc., to give some of the Armenian sounding ones (there are also Jewish and Greek names with the “di”). Some of these individuals may be acemis like Gianni di Missael. In the 1787 list there is also a Giovanni Murad. In addition in a research article written by the journalist Ralph Barney on ‘The Levantines of Izmir’, he mentions that in the first of the ‘Smyrna Athletic Association’ field day of May 11, 1897, one of the competing sportsmen was a Murat with Turkish citizenship.
(I). Nikolaos Chatzi Kostis, b. Zagora, Thessaly, 12 December 1793; d. Smyrna, 12 December 1860 (bur. Greek Hospital, Smyrna, and afterwards Bournovas), m. ca. 1830, Sosana-Aristea Kapparis, b. 1810; d. Bournovas, 21 March 1882 (bur. Bournovas), daughter of Philippis Kapparis (Miser Philippis), b. ca. 1760, a native of Chios, by his wife Anna (Anetta) Omiros, a native of Smyrna, and had issue:
(1). Ioannes Kimon Chatzi Kostis, b. Smyrna, 2 September 1831; d. Bournovas, 12 July 1902 (bur. Bournovas), merchant and banker in Smyrna (bankrupt 1892); representative of the Greeks of Smyrna at the Athenian National Assembly of 18632, m. ca. 1860, Maria Mitchell, b. ca. 1840; d. 18?? (buried Greek Hospital, Smyrna, and afterwards Bournovas)3, daughter of Stylianos G. Mitzell/Mitchell (formerly Laskaris), by his wife Christina Mavrogordatos, and had issue, three children:
(i). Christina Chatzi Kostis, b. Smyrna 1869, d. Trieste 25 October 1925, m. ca. 1890, Ioannes (John) Mouratis, b. Bournovas, 1862; d. Bournovas, 24 June 1918, physician, and had issue:
(A). Joseph Mouratis, b. ca. 1890; d. Trieste, 1943, settled in Trieste 1913, m. 18 May 1927, Ag. Nicolas, Athens Ermina Saletnik, b Trieste 3 January 1899 d. 12 February 1969, and had issue:
a) Kimon Murat b. Trieste 5th February 1932, d. Trieste November 1932
b) Yiannaki Murat b. Trieste 31 August 1930, d. Trieste 1954
c) George Nicholas Murat Trieste 2 September 1933 d. Norwich 21 May 1995
d) Cristina Murat b. Trieste 28 December 1940
(B). Kimon Mouratis, b. 9 March 1899; d. Bournovas, 24 January 1916.
(C). Maria Mouratis, b. Bournovas, 29 May 1899, d Trieste, 27th November 1955
(ii). Stelios Chatzi Kostis / Mitchell, b. ca. 1862, established in Athens after 1892.
(iii). Nikos Chatzi Kostis, b. Smyrna, 28 August 1865; d. at sea between Athens and Trieste, 18 January 1924 (bur. Corfu)4, educ. University of Athens; journalist, historian and genealogist of the Greek families of Smyrna; fled to Trieste 1922.
1- Presumably a son or relative of the Chatzi Kostis Kyriazis from Salitzani in Thessaly (near Ambelakia), who was born in 1739, settled in Smyrna as a cotton merchant ante 1786, and died in Trieste on 4/16 January 1824. Cf. Kararas, Bournovas, p. 190. 
2- Cf. Kararas, Bournovas, p. 191.
3- There is a document on the main submission, derived from a Mouratis descendant, concerning a property in Smyrna given to Maria Mitzell by her father Stylianos G. Mitzell.
4- Kararas, Bournovas, p. 190, says he died, “se athlia katastasi [in a terrible state]” on board a cargo ship, returning to Trieste after a short stay in Athens.
2- Cf. Kararas, Bournovas, p. 191.
3- There is a document on the main submission, derived from a Mouratis descendant, concerning a property in Smyrna given to Maria Mitzell by her father Stylianos G. Mitzell.
4- Kararas, Bournovas, p. 190, says he died, “se athlia katastasi [in a terrible state]” on board a cargo ship, returning to Trieste after a short stay in Athens.
Sources:
Kararas, Nikos. O Bournovas: istorika – anamneseis (Athens, 1955)
----------. “E oikogeneia ton Omeron en Smyrnei,” Mikrasiatika Chronika 7 (1957), 173-200
----------. Choria tou Bournova. Chatzelari-Narlekioi-Bournarbasi-Koukloutzas-Naldtoukeni (Athens, 1958)
Kostis, N. K. Ch. “Apospasmata ek smyrnaikou kodikos” DIEEE tomos ektos, teuchos eikoston deuteron (August 1903) 164-185.
Origin of the Laskaris / Mitchell family:
My source for origin of the surname Mitchell is:
Nikos Kararas, O Bournovas: istorika – anamneseis (Athens, 1955)
On pages 72-73 Kararas provides the following genealogical details, citing N[ikos] K. Ch. Kostis, Smyrnaika Analekta, Athens 1906, pp. 102-103 as his source:
Michael Laskaris, b. ca. 1740, a native of Macedonia, the father of:
Georgios Michael Laskaris, b. ca. 1770, English subject from 1815; died Bournovas 26 July 1839 and buried in the cemetery there, had issue:
Stylianos, b. ca. 1800, died Bournovas 14 May 1881 and buried there, adopted the surname Mitchell, married Christina Mavrogordatos, b. ca. 1810; d. 1862 buried Bournovas, daughter of Stephanos Mavrogordatos, and had issue:
Georgios Mitchell, b. ca. 1835, died 1867 buried Bournovas, married Countess Anastasia Jurassevich, died 1869, buried Bournovas, and had issue:
Stelios Mitchell, d. 1886, buried Bournovas
Alexandros Mitchell, d. 1896, buried Bournovas
Maria Mitchell, b. ca. 1840, m . Kimon Chatzi Kostis, and had issue, including Nikos Chatzi Kostis.
It has occurred to me that the Tzoane / Gianni di Missael of the documents in Joseph Murat’s possession might be Stylianos’ father, but he is not explicitly identified as such in the documents. Furthermore, this would also mean that Kararas and Chatzi Kostis made a mistake about his name - calling him Georgios instead of Tzoane / Gianni / Ioannes - even though his tomb seems to have been extant in their time. This seems highly unlikely. There is a slim chance he was Georgios’ brother. It is also quite possible he wasn't a Laskaris/Mitchell at all. He may have been kin of Aikaterini Phokiani. Whoever he was, Tzoane/ Gianni di Missael was probably involved in trading with Italian cities, such as Venice or Livorno, hence the use of “di Missael”. It was not unusual for Greek traders of the time to give their names in an Italian format, as Italian was the lingua franca of contemporary commerce. Likewise, Sior was used by many Greek traders as an honorific title, even as late as the 1870s. This is well attested in the memoirs of the banker Andreas Syngros, who died in 1899.
On the other hand, the use of the English surname Mitchell, ie son of Michael, seems to stem from the fact that Georgios Michael Laskaris was an English subject from 1815, and very likely involved in trade with Great Britain. He may have used the surname Mitchell to facilitate his business dealings, at any rate according to Kararas and Chatzi Kostis it was his son Stylianos who formally adopted the surname. We must keep in mind that the second document, in which Aikaterine Phokiani is referred to as the wife of G. Mitchell, only dates from 1865. As the source for the origin of the surname Mitchell is ultimately Nikos K. Chatzi Kostis, a descendant of the family in question, who was born in the 1860s and very interested in the origins of his family, I don't think there is much room for doubt.
The most fascinating person is all this is Aikaterine Phokiani, Catherine the Phocian, the wife of Georgios Michael Laskaris/Mitchell. It is very unusual for a woman to be referred to this way, with her place of origin serving as a surname. She must have been a well-known figure at the time, rather like the “Madama” of Sevdikoy.
Reflections on the origin of the Murat name:
Looking at Marie Anne Marandet’s genealogical website, where she lists a number of Murats from Smyrna:
The vast majority of these Murats are Catholic, and one of the earliest of them, Marie Murat, wife of Andre Maggiar, appears to be of Persian-Armenian extraction, by the name Mouradoglou! If all the Murats of Smyrna and Bornova were related, it would seem that they are of Armeno-Catholic origin from Persia. There are a few Murats of Orthodox origin in Marie Anne’s list, and Joe’s family was also Orthodox (though most of their Murat kin were Catholic), but I wonder if this has something to do with male Murats converting to Orthodoxy when they married. In the case of Jean Murat, Joe’s great-grandfather, conversion to Orthodoxy may have been a condition of his marriage to Christina Chatzi-Kostis, as she was something of an heiress.
The Persian connection reminded me of the fact that in the 1800 temesut expertly translated by George Poulimenos, Tzoane di Misael (Gianni di Missael) is referred to as an acemi, or Persian! This suggests he might have been of Armeno-Persian Catholic origin like the Murats. This is probably just a coincidence, as there were lots of Armenian Catholic families in Smyrna whose origins go back to Persia (Issaverdens, Missir, etc). However, it is an interesting coincidence nonetheless...
Referring to Elena Frangakis-Syrett’s book ‘The Commerce of Smyrna in the Eighteenth Century’, on pages 255-56 there are lists of Smyrna merchants dating to 1762 and 1787, including names like Lucas di Alexan, Agub di Petros, Bogos di Apel, Issay di Masse, Mirek d’Issai, etc., to give some of the Armenian sounding ones (there are also Jewish and Greek names with the “di”). Some of these individuals may be acemis like Gianni di Missael. In the 1787 list there is also a Giovanni Murad. In addition in a research article written by the journalist Ralph Barney on ‘The Levantines of Izmir’, he mentions that in the first of the ‘Smyrna Athletic Association’ field day of May 11, 1897, one of the competing sportsmen was a Murat with Turkish citizenship.