Christella & Evangelos Augustes

[florence]

Hi Nicholas
I am in the midst of organising a family reunion in October of this year for the descendants of my maternal great-grandparents Christella (nee Theodore and as her father was a priest aka Papapanagiotou; born 1879) & Evangelos Augustes (born Circa 1871). They had 8 children all who emigrated to Australia over the time period 1916 - 1922. Christella also emigrated as a widow in 1922.

I was wondering whether you could help me as we have v little info on the family wrt life in Kastellorizo and I would like to provide some detail for the family at this reunion.

I believe they married around 1899 as their eldest Emmanuel was born in 1900. Is there any chance you could trace a dowry contract for us? I wonder which part of Kastellorizo they lived in.

We believe that Evangelos died 1919 (Spanish Flu???). Are there any death records available to identify his cause of death?

Just after Evangelos died Christella went to live in Port Said with the 6 children remaining at home. According to family folklore Christella never "packed up house on Kastellorizo" which makes me wonder why. Was she like many others who thought Port Said and even Australia were just interim measures?

I am hoping you or your readers can help

Regards
Florence

[Administrator]

Hi Florence,

Your great-grandparents, Evangelos Emmanuel Avgoustis (a shoemaker) and Krystalla Papapanagiotou (a priest's daughter) married on Castellorizo on 21 February 1899.

Their accompanying dowry contract was signed on 18 February 1899 and was in the short form common prior to the turn of the century. It may be translated to read as follows:

There appeared personally before me today Papadia, widow of the late Fr Panagiotis, and Evangelos Emm. Avgoustis and they informed me that the said Papadia had betrothed her daughter Krystalla (to Evangelos) and gives to her by way of dowry a house next to the house of Nikolaos Ag. Nikolaou, 32 eikosafranga, a pair of bracelets, and a plot of land in Pera Meria next to the house of Nikolaos Barbousas which is to be shared with Kotsos Kannis. The wedding will take place on 21 February this month.

In Castellorizo today, 18 February 1899.
[signatures follow]

As both the bride's mother and the groom were illiterate, they both signed with an 'x' which was witnessed by Iakovos H'Ioannou (in Papadia's case) and Agapitos Emm. Avgoustis (in Evangelos' case).

Evangelos died on 16 July 1919 aged 50. His cause of death is noted as kidney disease.

If you want to see either or both of these documents, please let me have your private email address.

Regards,
Nicholas

[florence]

You really are amazing Nicholas. I cannot thank you enough for filling in the gaps in our family history. I cannot wait to tell my cousins!

Just one more thing... are there old maps of Kastellorizio available, labelled with the areas noted in the dowry contracts so I can get a feel for which part of Kastellorizo they lived in or owned land.

Thanks again
Florence

PS I have sent you an email as I would love to have a copy of both documents

[Administrator]

Not really, Florence - in the early period, the location of properties was communicated by citing the owners of the adjoining lots.

Later, the lots were numbered and allocated into parish districts, but this was ten or so years after the dowry contract here.

Nicholas