Gertrude-Micheline (Michel) Agelasto

Notes:

unknown to Argenti

The natural daughter of Michel Agelasto and Gertrude Mildé. After her father's death 1915, she and her mother were forced to leave France for Geneva due to her mother's German nationality. WW I had interrupted Michel's plans to marry Gertrude; after his death his friend Paul Rodocanachi arranged a sort of annuity, approved by French President Raymond Poincaré, a friend of Michel, who had authorized an exemption to permit their marriage. Michel Demosthene Agelasto's paternity is annotated on her birth certificate, 11 Aug 1914, and this was formally accepted by the mother, 26 Mar 1915, at the city hall, Monléon-Magnoac, Hautes-Pyrénées.

Her portrait was drawn by her art tutor, Henri Matisse, Quai Saint-Michel, Paris, late November or December 1914. Charcoal on paper 35 x 25.4 cm (13 3/4 x 10 in.), signed l.r.: Henri-Matisse. Plate 30 in Portraits par Henri Matisse (Henri Matisse, ed., André Sauret, pub., Paris, 1954). Printing limited to 2,850 copies, numbered 1 to 2,850, of which 500 were printed in English, numbered 1,501 to 2,000. Printing of the English edition was completed 1 Feb 1955.

Residence: 81 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, Paris; 1915- Geneva; -1929, Paris; 1930, Australia; 1944- Freidorf, Switzerland.

Education: Sorbonne, Paris.

She exhibited at the Lyceum Club, Sydney, Australia, 4 Apr 1930 (The Sydney Mail, 19 Mar 1930, p. 30).

Gertrude Barbier of Basil exhibited a watercolor "The Window" at the 38th Exposition of the friends of the arts (L'Impartial [La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland], 7 Sep 1944, p. 6). She exhibited a 'portrait rapidly removed' at the 39th Exposition of the friends of the arts (L'Impartial [La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland], 19 Sep 1946, p. 6).

Artist. Name is on artprice.com website, Dec 2009.

Birth:
She was born in the domicile of the mid-wife.

Gertrude-Micheline married Charles Henri (Francis) Barbier on 20 Mar 1929 in Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia. Charles (son of Francis Barbier and Milka Frank) was born on 29 Aug 1902 in Chaux de Fonds, Neuchâtel, Switzerland; died on 16 May 1984 in Basel/Bâle, Switzerland; was buried on 21 May 1984 in Basel/Bâle, Switzerland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
The marriage of Gertrude M Agelasto and Charles H Barbier was registered in 1929, Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia: registration no. 2567 (LDS microfilm).

1. Living
2. Living
3. Living
4. Living

Notes:

Residence, Paris: 1885 - 1886, 62 Boulevard de Clichy; 1897, 28 rue Jouffroy; 1912, avenue Malakoff 148, 16e (with his father).

One M. Agelasto was employed at 1 Place Centrale (1892-3) and at 9 rue de la Republic (1894), the latter being the same address as the office of his uncle, Demetrius Michel Agelasto (1884, the year before he died).

A photo of mother and infant, circa 1860 by André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri in the collection of the Musee d’Orsay, Paris, is possibly Mrs. Demosthenes Agelasto née Arghyro Sechiari, and her son Michel.

On the Electoral Lists, Paris, France (1912)

Michel Agelasto, 28 rue Jouffroy, Paris, member of Société des études historiques, from 1894 (Revue de la Société des études historiques, Paris, 1897.

Attended sister’s wedding in 1885.

Birth:
Signatory witnesses on the birth certificate include Eustradio Petrocochino and Theophile Mettze, merchants.

Died:
Of fragile health, he fell and broke a leg. After an apparently successful operation, his injury did not heal correctly. During a subsequent operation, he died from a blood clot.

Buried:
Cemetery 1915 register midi carré 2, ter grec, no. 10.

Funeral at the Greek Church, Paris, 3 Mar 1915, 9:30 a.m.

Michel married Gertrude Betty Adelheid Milde. Gertrude was born on 20 Mar 1875 in Konigsberg/Kaliningrad, Russia; died on 24 Dec 1955 in Basel/Bale, Switzerland. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Occupation: artist

As a German citizen she was interred in a prisoner camp located in the Pyrenees. Michel Demosthene Agelasto's paternity is annotated on her daughter's birth certificate, 11 Aug 1914, and this was formally accepted by the mother, 26 Mar 1915, at the city hall, Monléon-Magnoac, Hautes-Pyrénées.

Notes:

M. Agelasto purchased at auction a work by the French painter Alfred Dehodencq (1822-1882): "140. — Christophe Colomb au couvent de la Rabida. — 1864. — Réduction du grand tableau. — H. 0.90, L. 0.60. — Acheté à la vente par M. Agelasto." Source: Gabriel Séailles, Alfred Dehodencq : l'homme et l'artiste (Société de propagation des livres d'art, Paris, 1910), digitized by the Internet Archive, 2011.

Died:
DOD according to death certificate.

Buried:
Cemetery 1912 register midi carré 2, ter grec, no. 10, line entry 196 s

Demosthenes married Arghyro (Georges) Sechiari on 08 Jan 1859 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Arghyro (daughter of Georges (Paraskeva) Sechiari and Marigo (Pandely) Rodocanachi) was born on 30 Oct 1837 in Constantinople/Istanbul Turkey; died on 28 Jun 1916 in Paris, Île-de-France, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

The daughter of her elder brother, Paraskeva George Sechiari, was Marigo Sechiari whose husband was the grandson of Marietta Agelasto.

A photo of mother and infant, circa 1860-186 by Eugene Disderi in the collection of the Musee d’Orsay, Paris, is likely Mrs. Demosthenes Agelasto née Arghyro Sechiari, and her son Michel.

Name:
Name appears as Argentine on her son George's death certificate.

Died:
Funeral at the Greek Church, Paris, 2 Jul 1916, 10:30 a.m.

Notes:

Agelasto-Sechiari marriage alliance is depicted on a web of Greek marriage alliances, 1849-1876.

Married:
Witnesses included Michel Petrocochino, 65, merchant, allees de Meilhan 6; Demetrius Agelasto, 30, merchant, allees des Capucines 49; Etienne Sechiari, 48, merchant, allees des Capucines 10; Paul Rodocanachi, 46, merchant, allees des Capucines 12.

Notes:

Residence: 1824, 37 Montgrand; 1826-1831, 8 Rue Canonge; 1835-53, 45 allées de Meilhan, known as 45 allées des Capucines. 49 allées des Capucines is likely the 1862, 1864 business address. The 1840 business directory lists: 47 allées de Meilhan and 45 allées des Capucines (commercial insurance).

Occupation: merchant, insurance broker, accountant. 1820: Zizinia, Petrocochino & Agelasto founded. "It began with Smyrna for cotton, Retimno [Crete] and Hydra for oil. In 1821 it received several products from Livourne and cotton from Alexandria, a little before the dissolution of their company, then the formation of Zizinia & Co. and Petrocochino-Agelasto, two houses that played an important role in Marseille commerce, during and especially after the Greek War of Independence" (Echinard). 1850-52: 47/49A allées des Capucines. After his death the company was known as Agelasto, Michel & Fils (1855-). In 1870, it moved to 1 Rue Beaumont; in 1872, 23 allées des Capucines; in 1884, 9 Rue de la République; in 1895, 2 boulevard du Nord; in 1900, 11 Cours du Chapitre; there in 1907 with phone no. 1.72; in 1915, 137 Rue de Rome; in 1920-33, 15 Rue Gustave-Ricard; in 1950, 5 Cours Honoré d?Estienne d?Orves. The company was run by his sons and eventually his grandson Theodore.

Origin: Chios. He and his business partner, Michel Petrocochino, struggled and finally obtained French naturalization (Echinard). Granted French naturalization, 15 May 1834. File N°6012, Série 9, tome 5 states he arrived in France 1819, was in business as "Petrocochino & Agelasto" and that he first expressed his desire for French citizenship: "…transporté a Marseille, depuis treize ans, son établissement de commerce [connu] sous la raison Petrocochino et Agelasto. En 1822 frappé dans ses affections les plus chères par suite des calamités de sa patrie, le soussigné a depuis longtemps renoncé à y retourner et décide de passer sa vie en France." The petition was initially rejected and Michel was required to renounce allegiance to the King of Greece (provided by Michel Calapodis). French naturalization (see particulars). He is cited in reference to streamlined immigration procedures for the earliest Greek immigrants.

Dictionnaire historique des Rues de Marseille, Edition 2001, in describing Rue Agelasto, 9e arrondissement, Marseille, says Michel Pandia arrived in Marseille in 1819.

Ralli & Agelasto operated in the silk trade in Marseille in 1860-61. See, Gregorii Valerianovich Melgunof, Das südliche Ufer des Kaspischen Meeres oder die Nordprovinzen Persiens (Adamant Media Corporation, 2004), p. 286.

He was a signatory witness at the birth of his wife's nephew, Eustratio (Michel) Petrocochino, the brother of Demetrius M. Petrocochino.

He was a signatory witness to the births of Marigo (Petros) Vlasto and older brother Jean Vlastos.

The 1841 Marseille census for 45 allee de Meilhan lists for the Agelasto household: Piarius [Michel], 48, merchant; Agarith [wife Arghyro], 39; Spar (clerk), 17 [Pandia]; Demetriu, 14; Thermistocle, 10; Theano, 5 [Despina Theano]; Lucise, 2; Bethzi, 1, and two domestic servants. The latter two Agelasto have no registered Marseille births or deaths.

Michel Agelasto, 52, merchant, allees de Meilhan 45, was a signatory witness to the 19 Dec 1848 Marseille marriage of Michel Zygomala and Marie Metaxa.

Michel Agelato [sic], 52, merchant, allees de Meilhan 41, was a signatory witness at the 5 Sep 1846 Marseille Marriage of Jean Demetrius Apalyra & Despinou Scaramanga, along with Michel Petrocochino, George Sechiari and Paul Rodocanachi.

Michel Agelasto is referenced as one of the 1822 massacre refugees who arrived in Marseille (Echinard); This Michel arrived in 1819.

1835, Petrocochino & Agelasto, Marseille operated the Pegasus, 198 tons and the Chariklia, 155 tons. In 1850, handling 13 ships, the firm imported a total of 2,255 tons: from Tarsous 585,066 ocques sesame, 88,000 ocques linseed, 42 bales wool, 183 bales cotton; from Odessa, 4,055 chetwerts wheat; from Berdiansk 6,574 chetwerts wheat, and from Cyprus 201 bales cotton. 1850: 30 rue Sénac. In 1860 it imported 2,165 tons by 10 ships A History of Greek-owned Shipping).

Michel Agelasto was among the twenty-one founding members of the Greek church, Marseille, in 1836, a group which also included Paraschewa Sechiari, Emmanuel Rodocanachi, Andre Argenti, George D. Zizinia, Michel Dromocaiti, Michel Petrocochino [probably Michel Dimitrios Petrocochino, rather than Michel Andre Petrocochino,] George M. Zizinia, Jean Baltazzi, George Petrocochino and George Grimanelli (Echinard 284). Michel Pandeli Agelasto participated in church deliberations in 1875 & 1876 (Calapodis). Through his company Zizinia, Petrocochino, Agelasto, he contributed to the church. In 1830 Michail Agelastos was elected a curator of the Greek Orthodox church on the rue de la grande-Armée, Marseille.

M. Agelaso, Marseille, is listed among the diaspora Greeks donating 300 fr. to a fund for the Thebes earthquake in 1853.

He took in his sister Zenobie around 1829. According to the charity who was taking care of her sons, Michel: “He himself, like his whole family, was also a victim of Turkish atrocity but managed to flee to Marseille, where he is now living in destitute conditions.” "Madame Sagrandy is living since her arrival in Marseille with her brother Michael Ageletto, a good man, father of a number of children, living himself in very difficult conditions." (footnote p. 33)

The commercial house Zizinia, Petrocochino, Agelasto was founded by the brothers Pandia and Etienne Zizinia, arriving Marseille in 1813/1816, Michel Petrocochino and Michel Agelasto, both arriving Marseille in 1819. Its initial 1823 location was rue Third Calade 31. After the Zizinias' departure, Petrocochino Agelasto located to rue Montgrand 37 bis in 1825. By 1831 it was located at rue Canonge 8. In 1851 it was at rue Mazagran 51. Michel Agelasto is listed as negociant at various addresses: (1836, 1841) Allees des Capucines 37; (1845 as negociant/assureur, 1851) Allees des Capucines 45; (1851) rue Senac 30.

M. Agelasto & sons contributed 100 francs to a group of hospitals in Marseille, (J. Gazan, Rapport au Préfet et Compte-rendu administratif de l'hopital Saint-Louis et des autres établissements hospitaliers créés par la Commission nationale des secours aux blessés à Marseille, 1872).

Notes:

Residence: 1849 (DOD), allées des Capucines 45, Marseille, France.

Notes:

Occupation: merchant.

Residence Marseille, France: 1843, allees de Meilhan 80; 1848, allees des Capucines 4; 1849, allees de Meilhan 4; 1856, allees des Capucines 22; 1873, allees des Capucines 20.

As witness he signed the birth certificates of Aspasia (Georges) Zizinia; Jenni Rodocanachi; Emmanuel (Paul) Rodocanachi.

The 1856 Marseille census says the household in allees des Capucines 22 included four domestic servants and: Georges Sechiari, 52, merchant; wife Marie Rodocanachi, 42; Paraskeva, 20; Pandelli, 15 [Pandely]; Henrietta and Arguri [Arghyro]. Henrietta Sechiari is unknown; Pandely's future wife is Arietta 'Henrietta' (Paul) Rodocanachi (1847 - 1894), his second cousin twice removed. Perhaps she was living with them at the time of the census.

George Sechiari, 43, merchant, allees de Meilhan 4, was a signatory witness at the 5 Sep 1846 Marseille marriage of Jean Demetrius Apalyra & Despinou Scaramanga, along with Michel Agelasto, Michel Petrocochino and Paul Rodocanachi; Signatory witness to the Marseille marriages of: Lucas Ralli & Eugenia Argenti, 1873; Constantine Negroponte and Angelique Zizinia, 1861; Michael Sevastopoulos & Smaragda Zizinia, 1854; Sechiari-Rodocanachi (his brother), 1849.

Zorzis Sechiari, 50, b. Chios, married, having arrived Syros 1834, merchant, swore allegiance to the Greek state at the Greek consulate, Marseille, on 25 Feb 1853.

Paraskevas Sechiari with his two sons, Thomas Paraskevas Sechiari and George Paraskevas Sechiari, managed the Galatz branch of the Argenti enterprise, at the time named Argenti & Cie.

His father may be Paraskeva (Augustis) Sechiari (1766-1841).

He appears on the Negroponte-Agelasto tree with daughter Zenni.

Georges married Marigo (Pandely) Rodocanachi in 1834. Marigo was born on 5 Feb 1812 in Chios, Greece; died on 20 Sep 1868 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France; was buried in St. Pierre Cemetery, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur,France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Four children of Pandely Rodocanachi & Yangou Pandia Calvocoressi are on the Agelasto or Negroponte tree: Marigo, Emmanuel, Smaragda and Viera.