Stephen Demetrios (Demetrios) Agelasto

Notes:

Residence: Constantinople bef 1821; possibly Syros 1824-34; Athens aft 1836.



Occupation: Merchant

According to his obituary, published in the Athens newspaper Alithia (The Truth), 14 February 1867, Stephen D. had made a fortune as a successful merchant in Constantinople in the period before the Greek Revolution of 1821. He settled in Athens in 1837 and gained the reputation of a great philanthropist, contributing to or participating in several welfare institutions. In the last years of his life he was treasurer of the Athens Orphanage.

A graveside monument reads : "For Stephanos D. Agelastos, from Chios, a pious and honest man, a great patriot, a lover of all beautiful things, who passed away on the 2nd of February of the year 1867 at the age of 70, this stone was erected by his relatives as a memorial of their gratitude." To have been a successful merchant before 1821, he would probably have been born no later than 1780. (photo by George Agelasto).

27 Nov 1834: Stephanos Agelasto, 55, married, born Chios [abt 1779], merchant, arriving Syros 1824, swore allegiance to the government at The Orthodox Church of Christ's Transfiguration (Metamorphosis), Syros, (before the town hall was built). Michel Pandely Agelasto, who had arrived on Syros the same year, took the oath the same day. It is likely that this is another Stephanos Agelasto, Michel P.'s third cousin, as this man never married according to probate.

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

Buried:
Sec 5, n 708

Died:
The Mayor of Athens issued a hereditary title certificate for Stephanos D. Agelastos. Another document, issued by the same office, claims that his sole heir is the adult son of Eugenios Agelastos.

George Agelastos comments:

The first certificate must have been issued shortly after Stephen’s death in 1867, the second in 1904. Franca K. died in the same year as Stephen D.; Maria E., whose birth year appears to be 1820, had most probably also died before 1904. So it does make sense that since both heiresses were dead, someone else appeared in 1904, some 40 years after Stephen’s death, and claimed to be the sole heir to Stephen D.

That claim was, of course, sustained by the testimony of two witnesses. But why didn’t that person show up by the time of Stephen’s death? Why, during all those years, didn’t he undertake anything against Franca and Maria being recognized as sole heiresses to Stephen? My conclusion is that this Eugenios Agelastos found (or just paid) two persons to make a false testimony in his favor. In Greece (at least in earlier times, but perhaps it is nowadays still possible), you just need two false witnesses and then you can claim anything. That is my only possible explanation for this confusing story.