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Archiver > AFR-ALGERIA > 2003-11 > 1068036202


From: "Quest" <>
Subject: [ALGERIA] Fw: DEMETRI CAROLUMBUS PETMEZAKI
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 06:44:23 -0600


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----- Original Message -----
From: <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 2:48 AM
Subject: DEMETRI CAROLUMBUS PETMEZAKI


> This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
>
> Classification: Query
>
> Message Board URL:
>
> http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/G.2AEE/106
>
> Message Board Post:
>
> DEMETRI CAROLUMBUS PETMEZAKI, was born in October 1895 in Ephesus, Asia
Minor (now Turkey). In earlier years Demetri's father had been the Mayor of
Ephesus and was also a Consul, a Diplomat for Greece. Demetri studied for
some years at the College of Athens.
>
> Demetri left Ephesus and travelled to Egypt and on through the Sudan. At
the age of 17 (about 1912) he arrived in Omdurman (north west of Khartoum)
and opened his first company, Dem Petmezaki and Co, specialising in the
exporting of the produce of the Sudan.
>
> In 1920, the Turks began ejecting the Greeks from Ephesus. Demetri went to
the rescue of his mother and two brothers; Kosti (Constantine) who was two
years older than Demetri and Spiro who was two years younger. Demetri
brought them all to Omdurman and placed Spiro in charge of DEM PETMEZAKI &
CO. This became the head office of Demetri's operations. It would appear
that 1920 was perhaps the last time that he was in Asia Minor (Turkey)
>
> In 1923 Demetri took on a partner; a Swede by the name of Alfred Joenssen
who lived in New Jersey, USA. Demetri and Alfred set up SAPCO New York.
Demetri set about creating distributing offices in Hamburg, Paris, Marseille
and Trieste. The collecting centre was set up in El Obeid. SUDAN AMERICAN
PRODUCE COMPANY INC was established & exported Sudanese product through the
drug department of a London agent in Idol Lane, which was managed by Mr
Hockley, also to Boots in the UK. DEM PETMEZAKI & CO was distributing
through R.L. FULLER LTD.
>
> Florence Gaisford was born in 1907 in Clapton, London. She first met
Demetri in 1924, because Florence's official religion was Church of England
& Demetri's was Greek Orthodox, they used the registry office in Hackney,
London to marry on 12 July 1928. She was 21 and he was 33.
>
> On their return to Sudan, Demetri took Florence to Abyssinia, ( Today,
Ethiopia) to show her the hundreds of acres of coffee plants, that he owned.
They arrived in Omdurman in October 1928, where Demetri introduced her to
his dear friends Mr. & Mrs Cowell whose daughter Millie was later to become
Florence's confidante and best friend. Shortly after their first meeting,
Millie, who was two years younger than Florence, married Bill Frost.
>
> Demetri & Florence had their first child, Daphne Anne was born on 26
September 1929. Their second child arrived, Denis Charles, on 18 July 1931.
Around 1934, they returned to England & bought a home called 'Allways' in
Medway Crescent, Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. This was staffed with one maid by
the name of Dorothy. The children were put into St Michaels Convent boarding
school.
>
> In March 1936 Demetri returned to Omdurman where he met up with his
brother Kosti. Together they travelled to Kano, Nigeria and bought out an
ailing soap factory which they soon sold to Lever Brothers. They then set up
The African General Trading Company which primarily dealt in ground nuts.
>
> In 1938 Florence returned to Khartoum, by which time, Demetri had left
Kano and settled in Abeche in French Equatorial, (now Chad), to trade in
pineapples where Florence joined him in 1939. In September 1939 Britain
declared war on Germany making it impossible for them to return to the U.K.
as she had had to rescind her British passport on marrying Demetri. Also the
war logistics rendered movement of civilians from North Africa to England
virtually impossible. The space, expense and risk was reserved for military
personnel.
>
> They returned to the Sudan & bought a home in North Khartoum. In June 1942
Demetri returned to Kano to start a new venture, El Obeid Anglo Egyptian in
the Sudan. Florence said that she never heard or saw Demetri again. She
wrote to the District Commissioner de Candole in Geneina, as well as many
other organizations but was never able to find the truth. As late as 1990,
an advertisement in the leading newspapers in the Sudan, asking for any
information on the Petmezaki's has failed to unearth anything significant.
>
> Any info or advice would be very much appreciated.
> Sincere thanks,
>
> NL Spice.
>
>
>


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