The Londos family was a military family of Vostitsa (Aigio), which flourished during the years of Ottoman Greece through the Greek War of Independence. They declined in prominence beginning in the 1840s. They were a branch of the Achaean Londos family of Patras was a large family, mainly distinguished in the political life of the place.[1][2]
The Londos of Patras were a branch of the Londos family. The brother of Golfinos Londos settled in Patras creating the Patrinian branch, which soon starred in the political life of Patras and Greeces. The members of the family were pre-revolutionary prokritoi of the area, while they were also initiated into the Filiki Eteria. During the Liberation and the establishment of the independent Greek state, they assumed important public positions, first in Patras and then in Athens. The burial monument of the family is in the First Cemetery of Patras next to that of the Charalambi family.
Its members were connected by family ties with the families: Charalambi, Straight, Maximou, Geroulanou, Kalliga, etc.[3]
Origins edit
In 1715, Golfinos Londos, the progenitor of this branch of the Londos family, settled permanently in Vostitsa, coming from Kalanos Nezeron where he was born. There he began to purchase estates and engage in trade, which brought him enormous profits. Within a few years, Golfinos gained great influence among the Kocabaşis and was eventually recognized as the ruler of the region.
Acne edit
The Londos family of Vostitsa was actively involved in the Orlovic movement of 1770, but managed to escape the wrath of the Turks. From the testimonies of the time it seems that members of the family maintained friendly relations with the Turks. In 1778, Sotirakis Londos was appointed general commissioner of the Peloponnese. The family's influence grew even more a few years later, when Sotirakis Londos occupied the office of Moragianis (first tier of Kocabaṣı).
After that point, the prokritoi of Peloponnese were divided into two factions. The first was of Achaikos, headed by the Londos family and supported by the prefects of Vostitsa, Patras, Ilia, and the second was of Karytaina. Finally the nobles of Karytaina succeeded in beheading Sotirakis Londos. Taking advantage of this blow against the Londos family, Ioannis Deligiannis-Papagiannopoulos established a illegitimate branch of his own house in the area of Nezerohoria within the lands of Londos, who come from Kalanos Nezeron, thus aiming on the one hand at the constant friction of his main competitors with the relatives and allies of Papagiannopoulos, who they settled with a focus on the neighboring Kalanistra, and on the one hand in the general neutralization of any hostile influence in the area north of Gortynia.
During the Greek War of Independence in 1821 the Londos family gave their best. Its members had prepared for the impending rebellion since they had already been initiated into the Filiki Eteria since 1818. With the beginning of the revolution, he formed a corps of 700 soldiers and took part in the battles of Patras and Messolonghi, while he also played an important role in the civil war.
After the end of the revolution, many members of the Londos family held important positions such as prime ministers, ministers, senators, presidents of the Parliament, parliamentarians, generals, admirals, mayors, etc. Its most active member was Andreas S. Londos.
Decline edit
From 1840 the most important representative of the family, Andreas, began to face great financial difficulties. At first he borrowed money from his brothers, Loukas and Anastasios, but later his brothers, unable to continue lending to him, began to confiscate his estates. In particular, his brother Anastasios confiscated a large part of his real estate property, causing his financial problem to swell.
With the resignation of the Mavrokordatos Government, of which he was a minister, Andreas Londos was marginalized even more, while he was prosecuted by Ioannis Kolettis. Finally, on September 24, 1845, unable to bear his failure, he committed suicide with a gun at his home in Athens. His body was taken to Aigio and specifically to the house of his brother Loukas on October 15, but he was not buried with a church ritual due to the ban imposed by the Kolettis Government.
His funeral was finally held in September 1847, immediately after the death of Ioannis Kolettis. At the same time, since the death of Andreas, even though the members of the Londos family continued to be elected deputies of Vostitsa, the substantial influence of the family on the political events of the place stopped. The formal end came a few years later with the death of the last brother of the family, Loukas Londos.
Members edit
- Golfinos Londos, primates & patriarch of the Londos family in Vostitsa
- Sotirakis Londos, primates, Moragiannis and son of Golfinos
- Loukas Londos, Member of Parliament for Vostitsa and son of Sotirakis
- Konstantinos Londos, son of Loukas
- Anastasios Londos, rear admiral and son of Constantine
- Anastasios Londos, mayor of Aigio, member of parliament, minister and son of Sotirakis
- Andreas Londos, primates, chieftain, member of parliament, minister and son of Sotirakis
- Maria Londou, wife of Leon Messinezis and daughter of Sotirakis
- Miltiadis Messinezis, raisin merchant and son of Maria
- Aristotle Messinezis, raisin merchant and son of Miltiadis
- Ioannis Messinezis, son of Miltiadis
- Georgios Messenezis, merchant, consul of London and son of Miltiadis
- Miltiadis Messinezis, wife of Konstantinos Michalopoulos and daughter of Georgios
- Leon M. Messinezis, merchant, member of parliament, husband of Susana Stavropoulou and son of Miltiadis
- Miltiadis Messinezis, merchant and son of Leo
- Zoe Messinezi, wife of Stylianos Andreas Kontogouris and daughter of Maria
- Aristomenis Kontogouris, mayor of Patras, member of parliament, minister, husband of Victoria Chrysanthou Sisini and son of Zoe
- Nicolaos A. Kontogouris, army officer, member of parliament and son of Aristomenis
- Filippos Kontogouris, diplomat and son of Aristomenis
- Ioannis Messinezis, president of the Parliament & Council of State, MP, husband of Maria Doumas and son of Maria
- Leo Messenezis, governor and son of John
- Maria Messinezi, wife of Constantinos Sorriadis and daughter of Ioannis
- Teti Sotiriadis, wife of Kostas Iliaskos and daughter of Maria
- Sotirios Messinezis, landowner, mayor of Aigio, husband of Hyakinthi Georgiou Sisini and son of Maria
- Georgios Messinezis, lawyer and son of Sotiris
- Lykourgos Messinezis, husband of Kallistis Andrea Notara and son of Sotiris
- Sotiris Messenezis, lawyer and son of Lykourgos
- Filippos Messenezis, diplomat and son of Sotiris
- Hyakinthi Mesinezi, wife of Petros Margaritis and daughter of Lykourgos
- Loris Margaritis, composer, pianist and son of Hyacinthi
- Messinezis, son of Lykourgos
- Nysis Messinezis-Metaxas, employee of the National Bank, historian and son of Messinezis
Bibliography edit
- ^ Ιστορικόν αρχείον του στρατηγού Ανδρέου Λόντου : (1789-1847) / Εκδιδόμενον υπό της οικογενείας Λόντου
- ^ Αρχείο Αρ.Εισ. 32 - Αρχείο οικογένειας Λόντου
- ^ Νίκος Μπακουνάκης, Πάτρα 1828-1860. Μια ελληνική πρωτεύουσα στον 19ο αιώνα, Αθήνα: Καστανιώτης, 1995 (2η έκδοση), σελ. 226-227. ISBN 960-03-0000-3 (1η έκδοση: 1988).
- "Patridognossia", insert of the newspaper "Ethnos tis Kyriaki", issue 87 (Sunday October 12 2003).