YEGVARTIAN from Smyrna

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Yegvard
Active Member
Posts: 10
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2005 10:00 am
Location: England

Hi Folks,

Well thats one way the name could be translated, also: YEGWARTIAN, EGDVARDIAN, etc. I'm told the family left the village of "Yegvart", just north of Yerevan around 1745, and moved with many others across the Ottoman Empire, now Turkey, to Smyrna, now Izmir. I believe they were in the carpet trade.

Garabed YEGVARTIAN had around 20 men working for him. I presume in using the Madder root as a light stable red dye for carpet wools. He died around 1829.

He had four children: Takouhi, Zaroouhi, Hovanness and Takvor. Takvor married Gayanne ALPIARIAN. Their only known child was Garabed T. Yegvartian, born 3rd August 1850.

Reaching manhood, the young Garabed then does "a runner," to join the priesthood in Constantinople (Istanbul). At some point his dad goes after him and persuades the "management" that after ordination he should go back to the village to see a bit of life before commiting to the celebacy of being a Bishop. So there was no family pressure he could even stay on a friend's farm, where olives and figs were grown. This was agreed and they returned home.

Garabed's name was changed to The Reverend der HAROUTUNE. Time went by and, guess what, Garabed fell in love with the farmer's daughter, Nouneh MAROUTIAN, her mother was Mariam KARAKHATCHATOURIAN.

They too had four children: Takvor (b. 1876), Gayane Araxie b.(1878), Ripsime (b. 1881) and Marout (b. 1885), my grandfather. According to Hrandt MADANIAN, son of Gayane Araxie and Caspar MADANIAN, the minister was also a schoolmaster somewhere around Smyrna.

Time went by and as the 20th century started the people of Manchester, England - who had their own Church - were in need of a new Bishop. A communication was sent to Constantinople. But there were few suitable candidates. I suppose Garabed could speak English, as he was chosen.

That's how we came to be in Manchester in the 20th century!

There's a lot of gaps and a lot needs authentication. Can anybody add to this? Better still any potential relatives?

Mike
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