Alexander (Michel) Agelasto

Notes:

Education: Smyrna and Athens

Alex. Agelasto, 32, East 10th St., New York, merchant, white, unmarried, born Greece, is registered in the consolidated list of persons eligible for military service, enumerated May-June 1863, Eighth Congressional District, New York. [The draft was initiated by Abraham Lincoln in 1862 and reformed in March 1863. All men between 20 and 45 years of age were required to register. This included non-citizens. With news of the Battle of Gettysburg, the draft resistance in July 1863, primarily from Irish immigrants, caused riots in New York. Parker Agelasto]

1900 US Federal Census for 54 York Street, Norfolk City, Virginia, headed by Alex M Agelasto, 67, b. Feb 1833, Greece; naturalized, parents b. Greece, Cotton Buyer, own home, Married 1866 (34 years); wife Polyrene M Agelasto, 53, b. Jan 1847, Greece; parents b. Greece, both immigrated 1859, 41 years in US; sons Peter A Agelasto, 31, b. Mar 1869, India, lawyer; Michael A Agelasto, 29, b. Apr 1871, Greece, electrical engineer, both immigrated 1877, naturalized, 23 years in the US; Alex M Agelasto Jr, 26, b. Dec 1873, Louisiana, all single, cotton buyer; and one servant.

Name:
His marriage certificate lists his mother as Maria Negroponte.

Birth:
The 1900 Norfolk, Va. census gives his birth date as Feb 1833. Extrapolation of data from the 1869 Syros voter register (in the Greek national archives) and the digitized oath of Syros citizenship register suggest the birth year to be about 1831. The baptism registers of the Holy Cathedral Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour Christ, Syros, available for the years 1831-1834, 1835-1851, 1852-1860 and 1897-1912, but have been examined for only for 1835, the year his brother John was born and baptized.

His passport application and naturalization papers do not give a birth date.

Died:
Cause of death: pneumonia

Buried:
Lot 15, 7th A. East Elm.

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Victoire Alexandria (Alexander) Agelasto was born about Dec 1861 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA; died on 13 May 1863 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA.

Alexander married Polyxene (Alexander) Mavrogordato on 02 Feb 1866 in Syros, Cyclades Islands, Greece. Polyxene (daughter of Alexander (Michael) Mavrogordato and Polunia (Pandias) Ralli) was born on 05 Jan 1846 in Syros, Cyclades Islands, Greece; died on 01 Sep 1934 in 4-C Hague Apartments, Norfolk, Virginia USA; was buried on 02 Sep 1934 in Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Married:
At 6 pm, in Alexander Mavrogordato´s domicile. Date from registered marriage certificate. Argenti says 08 Nov 1865.

Ceremony was performed by Father Ioannis Lagogiannis, priest at the Holy Church of the Transfiguration of Our Saviour Christ.

Marriage Contract: Syros, Greece, 9 Feb/28 Jan 1866 (Roman/Greek calendar).

1. Peter Alexander (Alexander) Agelasto was born on 23 Feb 1867 in Malabar Hill, Bombay, British India; died on 06 Nov 1939 in Warren, North Carolina USA; was buried on 07 Nov 1939 in Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
2. Michael (Alexander) Agelasto was born on 10 Mar 1869 in Syros, Cyclades Islands, Greece; died on 20 Sep 1949 in Norfolk, Virginia USA; was buried on 21 Sep 1949 in Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
3. Alexander Alexander [Michael] (Alexander) Agelasto, Jr. was born on 14 Nov 1870 in New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, USA; was christened on 12 Apr 1875 in Greek Church of St Nicholas, Liverpool, Lancashire, England UK; died on 22 May 1947 in Alexandria, Virginia USA; was buried on 25 May 1947 in Elmwood Cemetery, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.

Notes:

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 is the "Mr Agelasto" referred to in the following anecdote. According to John (Matthew) Ziffo, his father Matthew Alexander Ziffo "was born in the Island of Chios about 2 1/2 years before the Massacre. On that terrible day his Mother with her two daughters, and a young maid, carrying my Father, took to the mountains to cross the island; following a long trail of refugees and guided by shepherds over mule paths. The maid soon got tired, left the child on the mountain side and fled. A Mr Agelasto, the father of John Agelasto whose firm (Frangopulo Agelasto & Co of London and Liverpool) [Theodore (Matthew) Ziffo] joined when he came to London, was following and recognizing the child picked him up and took him to the island of Syra. By a fortunate coincidence his mother and sisters also landed in Syra. One can imagine her joy at being re-united with her boy whom she had feared lost."

He is the distinguished gentleman whose portrait is omnipresent at the top right of these webpages.

Parker Agelasto has found four copies of a photo taken in Marseille that is believed to be Michael Pandely Agelasto, same as the portrait miniature. There are a lot of similarities to the portrait miniature, but the two pictures are separated by about 20 years. Similarly, one is a real photo the other an artist likeness of the sitter.

He was in partnership as merchants, at Marseilles, under the firm of Petrocochino, Agelasto & Co.; at Constantinople, under the firm of E. M. Vuro and Co.; at Galatz [sic], under the firm of D. C. Climi and Co.; at Ibraila and Bucharest, under the firm of Parembli and Climi; and at London, under the firm of Petrocochino and Co., until it was dissolved 31 Dec 1861. The other partners included George Petrocochino, Michael Vuro, M. Parembli, Anthony Vlasto, J. M. Agelasto, A. D. Syngros and A. N. Damiano (London Gazette 28 Mar 1862). An earlier notice appeared 18 Mar 1862 with the typo M. P. Agelasts.).

Michel Agelasto, 55, merchant, allees des Capucines 15, was a signatory witness to the marriage of Michel Parembli and Aspasia Dromacaiti, 4 Jun 1857.

He was a signatory witness to the 1849 marriage of Antoine Nicholas Petrocochino and Euthalie George Petrocochino.

Michael Agelasto signed a letter to the provisory Greek Parliament in 1825 demanding it include a Chiot deputy. This suggests he lived briefly in Syros after fleeing Chios in 1822 and before settling in Marseille.

27 Nov 1834: Michael Agelasto, 32, married, born Chios, merchant, arriving Syros 1824, swore allegiance to the government at the Syros tribunal (before the town hall was built). Stephen Agelasto [possibly his third cousin Stephanos (Augustis) Agelasto], who arrived on Syros also in 1824, took the oath the same day.

M.P. Agelasto was among the 327 Chiot refugees in Syros who signed a letter dated 10 Jul 1829 to the Governor of Greece.

M. P. Agelasto was co-administrator of the will [see source] of a parish priest who set up scholarships for young Marseille Chiots in 1861.

P.P. Negroponte and M. Agelesti, both with the firm Negroponte & Agelastl (sic) were among the more than thirty merchants, "citizens of New Orleans and inhabitants of Louisiana," who signed an open letter written under the seal of the City of New Orleans to Dr. John E. E. Ealino in The Charleston Mercury 19 Jan 1860, p 2, praising the physician's skills as his former patients and welcoming him as a winter resident of New Orleans. This man's son, Alexander M., settled in New Orleans after an 1860 visit on which, perhaps, he was accompanied by his father.

"Brig Walter Scott, Leighton, Matamoras 30 ds., with cotton to Negreponte & Agelasto. Oct. 18 [1863], off Tortugas, was boarded by U.S. gunboat Clyde" (New York Times 6 Nov 1863, p 8.

Michel Agelasto is referenced as one of the 1822 massacre refugees who arrived in Marseille (Echinard); This Michel fled to Syros and didn't arrive in Marseille until at least after 1835.

1871 England census: 22 Pembridge Crescent household headed by J M Agelasto, 35, merchant, b. Syros, Greece; wife Aglaia, 29, b. Marseille; sons Michel, 5; Pendley, 4; daughters Katherine, 3; Mary, 2 mos., Alexandra, 11 months; all b. London; father Michael P., 68, retired merchant; mother Marie M., 57, both b. Chios [Scio, Turkey]; & 6 servants.

Philanthropy: in 1867 M(ichael) P. Agelasto donated 100 Francs to Chios Schools; Michael Agelasto & Son donated 250 Francs and M(ichael) P. Agelasto 100 Francs to the Chios Hospital according to unpublished research by Demetrios Melachrinoudis. In 1972 Michael P. Agelasto again gave 200 Francs to the hospital. According to Reports on Hygiene Institutions of Chios by the same author, he contributed to the hospital in various years from 1874-1880.

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

Petrocochino-Agelasto, Marseille, is listed among the diaspora Greeks donating 250 fr. to a fund for the Thebes earthquake in 1853.

Died:
Argenti incorrectly says 20 Oct 1886.

Buried:
Cemetery 1886 register line entry 9141 midi carré 1, ter grec, no. 2, residence rue de la Biblioteque 24. Register notes: 15 Oct 1894 [year after his wife's death] he was moved to carré 1, ter grec, 3d rue, no. 11.

Michael married Maria (Ioannis) Parembli on 12 Mar 1831 in Syros, Cyclades Islands, Greece. Maria (daughter of Ioannis Parembli and Arghyro Damiano) was born in 1811 in Chios, Greece; died on 18 Feb 1893 in quartier Sainte Marguerite, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur,France; was buried on 19 Feb 1893 in St. Pierre Cemetery, Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur,France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Residences: The 1851 London census registers "Maria Agelasto, Greek native, a merchant's wife", as living with her daughter, Lucy, her son-in-law and their newborn daughter, Angelica. The 1861 London census reports "Maria M Agelasto", merchant’s wife, hotel visitor; until 1889, 24 Rue de la Bibliothèque, Marseille; 1889, 1 Rue des Trois-Mages, Marseille; 1891-93, 17 allée de Meihan, Marseille.

She likely had a brother named Michael; her sister Despina (Ioannis) Parembli is on the Negroponte-Agelasto tree. Her nearest sibling may have been a boy named Matthaos, born about 1811. He was a student in Munich sometime between 1826 and 1844, according to Konstantin Kotsowilis, Die griechischen Studenten in München unter König Ludwig I. von Bayern (von 1826 bis 1844): Werdegang und späteres Wirken beim Wiederaufbau Griechenlands (Ausländerbeirat der Stadt München, 1995). He was from Chios and his father was murdered when he was only 11 years old. He had 6 brothers and sisters who moved to Livorno and then Marseille (Parker Agelasto).

1871 England census: 22 Pembridge Crescent household headed by J M Agelasto, 35, merchant, b. Syros, Greece; wife Aglaia, 29, b. Marseille; sons Michel, 5; Pendley, 4; daughters Katherine, 3; Mary, 2 mos., Alexandra, 11 months; all b. London; father Michael P., 68, retired merchant; mother Marie M., 57, both b. Chios [Scio, Turkey]; & 6 servants.

Buried:
It is likely she is buried with her husband, in the tomb to which he was moved a year after her death. She was initially buried midi carré 1, ter grec, no. 2.

Died:
DOD from death certificate. Argenti incorrectly says 28 Feb 1893.

Notes:

Held hostage and hanged by the Turks in the Massacres of Chios.

Pandely married Loula (Stephanos) Ziffo. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

John Parembli was among the Chiots held hostage and hanged by the Turks, 23 Apr 1822. Uncertain if this is he.

Ioannis married Arghyro Damiano. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mentioned in the Latin Codex for Chios in 1746. Strange that he had sons Pandia and Pandely who each had a son Michael.(Christopher Long)

Michael married [Agelasto]. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

For convenience sake Stephanos (George) Ziffo is also listed on the Negroponte-Agelasto tree, where his brother Ambrose (George) Ziffo is an ancestor of the Negroponte-Agelasto bloodline.

Stephanos married Franga (Stamati) Avierino. Franga was born in 1725. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]