Family Group Sheet
Family Group Sheet
NameColin Richard Theodore (Basil) Zarifi (Zaharoff), GGG Grandson
Birth24 Feb 1917, Christchurch, New Zealand
MemoBorn abroad presumably to avoid darwing attention to his illegitimacy.
Death19 Dec 2001, Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland, England
Baptism23 May 1919, Greek Orthodox Cathedral, St Sophia, Moscow Road, Bayswater, London, England
Residence1934, Queen Anne’s Mansions, St James’s Park, Westminster, London
MemoSW1 or SW7? As a student, see passenger manifest for ‘Arandora Star’ sailing Honolulu and West Indies cruise arriving Southampton 09-04-1934
Residenceabt 1934-1938, Colesdane, Harrietsham, Kent, England
MemoPresumably Colin’s mother bought this huge mansion following the death of her mother. It seems that Colin and his nanny, Jenny Burrell, lived there too till about 1938. (See passenger manifest ‘Bayano’ sailing Jamaica-Avonmouth arriving 29-03-1937) The house later became an old people's home and by 2009 had been split into eight flats.
ResidenceMonte Carlo, Monaco
MemoPerhaps at the Villa Riviera, 6 Avenue des Fleurs, Monte Carlo, formerly owned by his grandmother. His supposed father, Basil Zaharoff, lived in Monte Carlo, owned the casino there and Colin remembered playing their with him.
Residenceaft 1938, Coombe Manor, Coombe Hill, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, England
MemoApparently his kennels’ address from which he advertised a number of breeds of pedigree dog (e.g. The Times, 8 October 1938).
Residencebef 1956, South Africa
MemoIt is likely that a considerable portion of the Zaharoff fortune was held in South Africa and Colin was still visiting the country and having access to considerable funds in the last 20 years of his life.
Residenceaft 1956, Colesdane Kennels, Ellen's Green, Horsham, Sussex, England
MemoAddress of kennels where he lived and from which he advertised pedigree dogs for sale (e.g. The Times, 17 February 1961).
Residence1980s, Berwick-on-Tweed, Northumberland, England
MemoAppears to have died in poverty in hospital while based at a guest house of some sort in Berwick. A witness says he saw Colin’s papers being loaded into a van by three men and a woman
OccupationLife-long expert in dog-breeding and showing from a young age.
EducationBedford. Wrekin College, Shropshire.
Note 1Adopted at the time of his clandestine illegitimate birth in New Zealand by his grandmother Alexandra Zarifi, though brought up by his mother. Beneficiary of a trust devised by his grandmother Alexandra Zarifi (née Ralli) whose will was dated 28 Jun 1929.
Note 2Served on the General Committee of the Kennel Club in 1947 and was a renowned expert on several breeds of dogs. Lived for a time in South Africa and then in Monte Carlo, while at some stage is said to have had a house in England with 55 staff.
Note 3Spent nearly all his adult life accompanied by his childhood nanny Miss Jenny (Jane Emma) Burrell, a box of whose papers concerning Colin and his family were found at Pallinghurst and generously shared with CAL by Roger Nash in 2009.
Note 4Letters from Fanny How (née Zarifi) to Jenny in 1922 refer to a Tim and Uncle Bob who goes back to his beastly ship (Navy?) and also to ‘Doodie’ as well as ‘Col’. Did he have a step-brother?
Note 5Having inherited a colossal fortune he died in poverty, buried at the expense of a friend. Left his belongings in a lock-up garage in Monte Carlo having been unable to pay his rent.
Note 5According to E. Sutherland-Loveday, Colin Zarifi's father was Basil Zaharoff. See the excellent research into Colin’s life by Roger Nash.
God-parentsAlexandra Zarifi.
Flags***, Argenti, Avierino, Boscovic, Calvocoressi, Cantacuzene, Coressi, Giustiniani Fi, Giustiniani Pi, Grimaldi, Kaplanoglou, Mavrogordato, Maximo, Petrocochino, Ralli (Chaviara), Ralli (Pitsis), Rodocanachi, Scaramanga, Sechiari, Sevastopoulos, Vlasto, Vouro, Zarifi
FatherSir Basil (Vassili) Zaharoff (1849-1936)
MotherFanny (Theodore) Zarifi (1891-?)
No Children