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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