Michael (Ioannis) Zarifi & Fanny (Theodore) Kessisoglu

Family Group Sheet

NameMichael (Ioannis) Zarifi, Grandson

Birth1818, Constantinople, Turkey/Byzantium

MemoAnother source says 1819

Death24 Sep 1891, 2 Third Avenue, Brighton, Sussex, England

Burial29 Sep 1891, Greek Orthodox Cemetery, West Norwood, London, England

Residence1885, 25 Pembridge Square, Kensington, London, England

Residence1891, Office: 21 Great Winchester Street, City of London, England

Residence1891, 2 Third Avenue, Brighton, Sussex, England

MemoThis house appears to exist in photographs.

OccupationBanker and founder of Zarifi Brothers & Co., London, England, ca. 1850.

OriginConstantinople. Took British nationality on 22 Aug 1862.

Note 1Photographed by Félix Nadar in Paris. Trustee and generous sponsor during the construction of St Sophia Church, London.

Note 2A director with Paraskeva G. Sechiari and Peter P. Rodocanachi of the Anglo-Foreign Banking Company, 2 Bishopgate Street, London, established in 1872.

Note 3Settled in London to establish the London end of his family’s banks run by his brother George in Constantinople and Marseilles.

Note 4On 30 June 1886 Zarifi Brother & Co (London) was dissolved (partners were: S. Zafiropulo. P. Simiriotti. N. Zarifi. Michael Zarifi. P. G. Zarifi. J. M. Zarifi. L. G. Zarifi. Theodore M. Zarifi)

Note 5He and his two sons were generally considered to be among the best and most successful of London’s private merchant bankers.

Flags***, Kaplanoglou, Zarifi

FatherTselebis Ioannis ‘Ianko’ (Zarifis) Zarifi (1780-ca1850)

MotherKokona Tarsitsa ‘Tarsi’ (Iordanaki) Kaplanoglou (~1780-1850)

Marriage15 Feb 1855, Church of Our Saviour, London Wall, City of London, England

Married MemoMarried by Archimandrite Narcissus Morphinos at 49 Inverness Terrace, the home of Xenophon Balli.

SpouseFanny (Theodore) Kessisoglu

Birth1837, Kurucesme, Bosphorus, Turkey

Death12 Dec 1911, London, England

Residence29 Porchester Terrace, Bayswater, London, England

Residence1885, 25 Pembridge Square, Kensington, London, England

OriginSmyrna

Note 1Her oil portrait almost certainly by Victor Mottez (1809-97) if not Bernard Amiconi. Photographed by Félix Nadar in Paris.

Note 2In 1885 Fanny and Michael applied to the Queen’s Bench of the High Court in London to have their marriage validated under English law following the introduction of the Greek Marriages Act (1884).

Note 3In Oct 1883 they learned that their Greek Orthodox marriage might be invalid in England. They were represented by Edwin Freshfield of Freshfield & Williams (Solicitors) who spoke Greek and represented many prominent members of the Anglo-Greek community.

Note 4She may be the elderly lady pictured seated in a cane garden chair at a Vlasto family house party at Saltmarsh Castle in 1911. However, this person may instead be Natalie Winkler-Vlasto.

Marr. WitnessXenophon & Calliope Ballis.

Flags***, Boscovic, Giustiniani Pi, Mavrogordato, Maximo

FatherTheodore KESSISOGLU (?-?)

MotherAngeliki (Giovanni) Boscovic ! (?-?)

Children