Michel Emmanuel Rodocanachi
Encyclopedia
Michel Emmanuel Rodocanachi (1821 - 1901) was an influential Greek trader and banker of London
.
Rodocanachi's parents were wealthy merchants in their home at Chios
, related to the influential Vlasto and Mavrogordato families. They escaped the Chios massacre
, settling in Marseilles where they rebuilt their shipping
and trading business as Rodocanachi Sons & Co.
Recognising the importance of having a presence on the London market, in 1830 they sent their son Michael there to cover their interests and work with other family members who traded grain in Odessa
, St Petersberg, Italy
& Marseille
. In 1853 he returned to Marseilles to marry Ariadne Michael Petrocochino.
In London he obtained membership of the Baltic Exchange
and, assisted by other members of the Greek diaspora
, notably the Ralli Brothers
, he bought ships to transport the grain that he traded, and developed a property portfolio, including the Royal Automobile Club
Buildings Co.
This financial foundation enabled him to set up the Imperial Bank and the Bank of Athens
with fellow Anglo-Greeks Petrocochino & Schilizzi. When the Imperial bank was acquired by the London City and Midland Bank
his eldest son Emmanuel Michael Rodocanachi (1855–1932) 'inherited' a directorship of that bank, in addition to the other family companies.
Michel was an active member of the Greek Orthodox community in London, and raised money for the construction of St Sophia’s Cathedral there. He moved to Worthing
in his later years as his health failed, calling his house Chios. However he died in London and is buried, with his son Emmanuel, in West Norwood Cemetery
.
Rodocanachi Sons & Co. did not survive long after Emmanuel's retirement in 1925; it collapsed in the Great Depression
as a result of bad debts due from failed German and Italian trading partners.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Rodocanachi's parents were wealthy merchants in their home at Chios
Chios
Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, related to the influential Vlasto and Mavrogordato families. They escaped the Chios massacre
Chios Massacre
The Chios Massacre refers to the slaughter of tens of thousands of Greeks on the island of Chios by Ottoman troops during the Greek War of Independence in 1822. Greeks from neighbouring islands arrived on Chios and encouraged the Chians to join the struggle for independence. In response, Ottoman...
, settling in Marseilles where they rebuilt their shipping
Greek shipping
The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience...
and trading business as Rodocanachi Sons & Co.
Recognising the importance of having a presence on the London market, in 1830 they sent their son Michael there to cover their interests and work with other family members who traded grain in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, St Petersberg, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
& Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
. In 1853 he returned to Marseilles to marry Ariadne Michael Petrocochino.
In London he obtained membership of the Baltic Exchange
Baltic Exchange
The Baltic Exchange is the world's only independent source of maritime market information for the trading and settlement of physical and derivative contracts...
and, assisted by other members of the Greek diaspora
Greek diaspora
The Greek diaspora, also known as Hellenic Diaspora or Diaspora of Hellenism, is a term used to refer to the communities of Greek people living outside the traditional Greek homelands, but more commonly in southeast Europe and Asia Minor...
, notably the Ralli Brothers
Ralli Brothers
The five Ralli brothers, Zannis a.k.a. John , Augustus ,Pandia a.k.a. Zeus ,Toumazis , and...
, he bought ships to transport the grain that he traded, and developed a property portfolio, including the Royal Automobile Club
Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...
Buildings Co.
This financial foundation enabled him to set up the Imperial Bank and the Bank of Athens
Bank of Athens
The Bank of Athens was a bank in Athens, Greece. It was founded in 1893 and merged in 1999. It continued the name of an earlier but no longer operating Anglo-Greek bank that Michel Emmanuel Rodocanachi had established in the UK.-History:...
with fellow Anglo-Greeks Petrocochino & Schilizzi. When the Imperial bank was acquired by the London City and Midland Bank
Midland Bank
Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836...
his eldest son Emmanuel Michael Rodocanachi (1855–1932) 'inherited' a directorship of that bank, in addition to the other family companies.
Michel was an active member of the Greek Orthodox community in London, and raised money for the construction of St Sophia’s Cathedral there. He moved to Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
in his later years as his health failed, calling his house Chios. However he died in London and is buried, with his son Emmanuel, in West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery
West Norwood Cemetery is a cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery.One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries of London, and is a site of major historical, architectural and...
.
Rodocanachi Sons & Co. did not survive long after Emmanuel's retirement in 1925; it collapsed in the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
as a result of bad debts due from failed German and Italian trading partners.
Sources
- Stuart Thompstone 'Rodocanachi, Michael Emmanuel' Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (subscription)
- Christopher Long, Rodocanachi Family of Chios
- The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
Rodocanachi Sons & Co 27 Nov 1929 & 2 Sep 1933