Birth
A compilation of various records indicates that Apraham Melkon Hagop Azarian, AKA Abram, Apram, was born on April 7, 1865 in Sebastia (Sivas), Turkey, the son of Melkon Azarian and Gadar (Catherine). According to his death record his mother's maiden name was Hagopian. However, I suspect this is not correct and it is highly likely her maiden name was Birijian. See Other Azarians
According to family sources, his siblings were: Mary, Heghine, Gadar and Artin. However, it is highly likely that he had a siblings named, Tabougi (or something close to that) and Haroutian. See Other Azarians
As a young student in the 1950s Lucille Iorio, the daughter of Mary Azarian and the granddaughter of Abraham and Lucy Azarian, wrote a brief family history with information supplied by Abraham and Lucy's daughter, Christine Azarian Pace. The following is a transcription of Lucille's written report.
1 Unfortunately, the fact that Abraham Azarian was tall with red hair is probably NOT true. The only other description of him, his immigration information, says he was 5 foot 3 inches with brown hair. Photographs show him not much taller than his daughters who were not noted for their tallness." History of Family Prior to Birth (Azarian) My grandfather came from a little town in Asia Minor, where the traits of the people were red hair and tallness. My grandfather too, had red hair and was tall.1
He belonged to the Catholic religion.2 In the town, where he lived, they said mass in their native tongue.3 The people would not use the Latin language because they believed that had founded the Catholic religion first.
There is a legend that a prince was pass- (sic) though a mountain town and met a beautiful girl. He married this girl and they both founded a little town. All the people, who came from that town, are descendants of them; which of course includes grandpa.4
At the age of twenty, grandpa went to Istanbul and he became a purchaser for the French lines. Istanbul was the city in which he married; and, also, it was the city where seven children were born.5
After World War I, when most of his family had been killed by the Turks in the massacre, he and his family immigrated to America. In 1923 grandma died after living two years in Union City. Grandpa finished raising the children. A few months after I was born grandpa died."6
2 Records show that he was married and his children were baptized in the Armenian Catholic Church in Constantinople.
3 Eastern Rite Churches, including Armenian Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox do not say their masses in Latin, but in their mother tongue.
4 The old "descended from royalty" story. Lovely, but most likely not true. Abraham did come from the mountain town of Sivas in Eastern Anatolia, which existed at least as long ago as Roman times when it was known as Sebastia. HOWEVER, the word Pacradouni has been associated with the history of the family. A Google search for Pacradouni Armenia revealed several sites that give the history of the Pacradouni Catholic First Catholic Information Center on the Web and History of Armenia are two. Thanks to Ilda Restrepo Pace for this tip.
The Pacradouni story is connected to the village of Perkinik where Abram's wife, Lucy Arevian/Hagopian was born. The Armenian Catholic Archbishop, Hovhannes Tcholakian, told Tom and I in May 2008 that the Azarians of the Armenian Catholic congregation in Istanbul were from Pirkinik.
5The second part of the paragraph is true. Abraham was married and had his children in Istanbul. There were actually eight, but one died as a child. Is the first part of the paragraph true? Possibly. There is enough confirmable information in this little report, to lend credence to the possibility that Abraham went to Istanbul circa 1885 at age twenty and worked as a "purchaser for the French lines". I believe that his parents were in Istanbul by 1890. There is a baptismal record for a child of Melcon and Catherine Azarian born in Istanbul in 1890. See Azarian
6 The last paragraph is true.
All of the known records agree that Abraham's parents were Melkon and Catherine Azarian. In addition, traditional naming patterns reaffirm the names, Melkon and Catherine, as the names of his parents. His first daughter was named Catherine and his first and only son was named Melcon.
The place of Abraham's birth and his age are taken from the information he supplied on his immigration in 1920. His death record listed him at age 80 in 1941, which would mean he was born 1861.
Sebastia, AKA Sepastia and Sevastia, is known in modern Turkey as Sivas. Sivas is both a Turkish villayet (province) a sanjak (a subdivision or state of a villayet) and a city in eastern Anatolia. The town of Sivas is located at 4, 183 ft above sea lever on the north side of the Kizil (Red) (Kizilamk) River. The climate in the area includes, short hot summers and long, cold and "harsh' winters. Rain and snowfall are minimal and the resulting dry climate causes the area to be predominately steppe or prairie vegetation.
Robert H. Hewsen in Armenia, A Historical Atlas says,
"In the sanjak of Sivas, there were approximately twenty- six Armenia villages, the local peasants being engaged in agriculture and handicrafts.Under the city of Sivas he says,In the town, the Armenians were the merchants, traders, and artisans but were also involved in money changing and money lending and most of the rather extensive trade of the province was in their hands."
" Altogether the city contained 30 mosques. The Apostolic Armenians possessed four churches, the cathedral built in 1840 being the largest. There were also an Armenian Catholic church, a Catholic chapel attached to the Jesuit mission, and a single Greek Orthodox church."And
"There was a Roman Catholic "college" in Sivas, and the city possessed an American mission hospital."Hewsen further says that there was a Armenian Catholic "bishopric" established in Sivas in 1858
Hewsen quotes the Viscount Bryce, 1916.
"This province is less mountainous and much richer than its eastern neighbors. Agriculture is flourishing, the nomad shepherd is comparatively rare, and there are a number of populous towns with the beginnings of local Manufacture. "This area of Turkey is a semi-arid intermountain plateau with few trees, hot summers, and cold harsh winters.
Marriage
Family stories, as told to me by Alice Azarian Blanck and to George Parnegian by his mother, Catherine Azarian Parnegian, relate that Abraham and Lucy eloped to Constantinople because Abraham was supposed to go into the priesthood and their families did not approve of their union. While it makes a very romantic story, I am skeptical. Given the strict cultural isolation of the women in that part of the world at the time of their marriage, elopement all the way from Sivas to Constantinople would have been out of the question. Furthermore I believe that they were both living in Constantinople at the time of their marriage. The clincher, is that they were married by a bishop. It seems highly unlikely that the bishop would have married a nineteen or twenty year old woman without her parents permission. Therefore, I believe that their marriage was fully approved by their parents (or at least hers).
Stories of romance are very common in all societies. My Irish great grandmother and great grandfather were supposed to have met on the ship coming over from Ireland. The only problem is that she immigrated in 1890 and he immigrated in 1894.
The records indicate that there were Azarians living in Constantinople in the 1830s and Hagopians and Arevians by the 1890s. It is my understanding, however, that Azarian is a common Armenian name, so it is possible that some of these Azarians in Constantinople were not related.
There are indications that Abraham was living in Constantinople by 1890.
It is highly likely, given the customs of the time, that the marriage between Abraham and Lucy was arranged. It is also possible that Lucy was a relative of Abraham's mother. Both Abraham's mother's maiden name and Lucy's maiden name have been listed as Hagopian.
The Marriage Record
Abraham Azarian, the son of Melkoni (Melkon) Azarian, married Ezisabet Hagopian, daughter of Hagovpas (Hagop) Hagopian, on May 25, 1895. The marriage was performed by Bishop Abigian. The witness was, Matos Dezetsian, place of residence, Ho Prgiz.
The marriage record was taken from LDS microfilm # 1037106, records for Surp Savour, Armenian Catholic Church, Beyoghle, Constantinople, Turkey.
Clearly, either Abraham or Lucy had connections, since they were married by the bishop.
Note:
Ezisabet would transliterate as Elizabeth. In all other records she was known as either Lucy or some variation of Lucy. There is no question that this is the correct record as the records for the Armenian Catholic Churches in Constantinople are very limited.If Lucy's date of birth as listed on her immigration record and her death record are correct, it would mean she was close to 20 years old at the time of her marriage. This strikes me as on the "oldish" side for a first marriage in the culture of the time and place. The slightly older age at marriage may reflect European influences on the family.
Children
Abram and Lucy had:
- Catherine AKA Gadarine.
Gadarine Azarian, the daughter of Abraham Azarian and Lousia Hagopian, born October 3, 1896, Galatia, priest, Bishop Abigian, godfather, Avitis Hagopian, church------, baptized October 6, 1896. LDS film #1037106, Surp Savour, Beyoghle, Istanbul.
Note:
Avitis Hagopian was also the godfather of: - Christine Azarian, the daughter of Abraham and Lucy Azarian in 1899
- Anna Arevian, the daughter of Batist Arevian, in 1909.
- Christine
Kristine Azarian, the daughter of Abraham Azarian and "Liousi" Arevian, born March 8, 1899, baptized on March 28, 1899, priest, Bishop Gomitas, godfather, Avitis Hagopian. LDS film #1037106, Holy Trinity Church, Beyoghle, Istanbul.
Notes:
- The records that include the baptism of Christine are a little odd, in that there are two sets of records for this church. Both include the baptism of Christine in 1899 and contain the same information which does not include the place of residence.
- There were no other records in Holy Trinity for any Azarians, Arevians or Hagopians
Family history says that Lucy had a sister named Christine.
- Melcon
"Milkon" Azarian, the son of Abraham Azarian and Lousia Hagopian, of Galatia, born March 1, 1901, baptized on March 17, 1901, priest, Father Nourijian, godfather, Stepan Gougoujian place of residence, Ho Prgiz. LDS film #1037106, Surp Savour, Beyoghle, Istanbul.
Notes:
- Melkon was named for Abraham's father.
- Gouchujian was the maiden name of Batist Arevian's wife, Elizabeth.
- Zabel
Zabel Azarian, the daughter of Abraham Azarian and Louzia Arevian, born ---4, 1903, baptized, October 5, 1903, priest Haroutini -----, godfather, Martiz Margosian. LDS film #1037108, Church of Surp Ohannes, Vosgeperan, Taksim, Istanbul.
Notes:
- Zabel must have died as a child because Zabel (Alice) was born in 1915. I could not find the death record.
- Who was Zabel named for? None of the siblings of either Abraham or Lucy were listed in the family history as being named Zabel.
- Virginia, AKA Ermina and Eftik
Ermina Marta Azarian, the daughter of Apraham Melcon Jacob Azarian and Louzia Arevian, born September 15, 1905, baptized on December 4, 1905, Priest------, godfather, Anton Aslanian. LDS microfilm #1037108, Surp Ohannes, Vosgeperan, Taksim, Istanbul.
Notes:
- There were no other Azarian, Arevian or Hagopian baptisms recorded in Surp Ohannes.
- None of the siblings of either Abraham of Lucy were listed in the family history as being named Ermine.
- Anna, AKA Annik
Anna Azarian, the daughter of Abraham Azarian and Lousia Hagopian, Galatia, born March 25, 1908, baptized May 18, 1908, priest, Ekmekjian, godfather, Tibalti Arevian, place of residence, Ho Prgiz. LDS microfilm #1037106, Surp Savour, Beyoghle, Istanbul.
Eileen Claveloux, the granddaughter of Anna Azarian Claveloux, gave me a copy of a baptismal certificate that Anna Azarian Claveloux obtained from the Armenian Catholic Church in Istanbul in 1969. It reads:
Note:" Acte de Naissance et de Bapteme L'Archeveche Armenien Catholique d'Istanbul declare et certifie que Anna (Annik) Azarian, fille des epoux legitimes Abraham Azarian et Lucie (Nee Agopian), est nee a Galata (Istanbul) le 25 Mars 1908 et qu'ell e ete baptizee et confirmee, selon le reit Armenien Catholique le 18 Mai de la meme annee par Monsiur l'Abbe Raphael Ekmekdjian en eglise paroissiale du Saint Sauveur a Galata, ayant eu pour parrain Monsieur Stepan (Etienne) Tibaldi.
En foi de quoi le present certificat e (can't read two words) pour servir et valoir ce que de droit.
Fait a Istanbul, le 20 Aout 1969
Translation:
"Certificate of birth and baptism. The archives of the Armenian Catholic Church of Istanbul declares and certifies that Anna (Annik) Azarian the legitimate daughter of Abraham Azarian and Lucie nee Agopian, was born at Galatia (Istanbul) on March 25, 1908 and was baptized and confirmed according to the Armenian Catholic rite on May 18 of the same year by the Abbot Raphael Ekmekdjian in the parish church of Saint Savior at Galatia and her godfather was Stepan (Etienne) Tibaldi.
This certificate will serve as proof.
Istanbul August 20, 1969."
The godfather's name in the church records was given as Tibalti Arevian and in the 1969 certificate as Stepan (Etienne) Tibaldi.
- Mary AKA Hephine and Helen.
Heghine Miriam Arevian Azarian, the daughter of Abraham Azarian and "Linsi" Hagopian, born September 22, 1910, baptized on ----21 1910, priest "Ekmikjian", godfather, Batist Arevian, place of residence, Chechtik (?) Galatia". LDS film #1037106, Surp Savour, Vosgeperan, Taksim, Istanbul.
Note:
Family history says that Abraham had a sisters named both Mary and Heghine.
- Alice AKA Eranin Zabel
Eranin Zabel Azarian, the daughter of Abraham Azarian and Lousia Hagopian born December 9, 1914, baptized on December 27, 1914, priest, Jakob Mazarian, Godfather, Haroutias Azarian, residence Galatia (there are two other words written here that I don't understand). LDS film #1037106, Surp Savour, Vosgeperan, Taksim, Istanbul.
Note:
Alice told me that her name was changed by her school teacher.
