Sidney Merlin
Encyclopedia
Sidney Louis Walter Merlin was a British
botanist and sports shooter
. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
and the 1906 Intercalated Games
in Athens
.
, and married Zaira Theotokis, the daughter of the Corfiot
Prime Minister Georgios Theotokis
. He later divorced her and married Katia, a Greek by birth whose aristocratic family had lived in Russia before the revolution. Edwin, their only child, served in the Royal Air Force in England during the Second World War. The Merlins were large landowners in Corfu, Crete and Attica.
In the 1896 Olympics, Merlin competed in four of the five events. In the military rifle, he placed tenth with 1,156 points. His first (of four) string of 10 shots resulted in a score of 477. His score and place in the free rifle are unknown, but he did not win a medal. After two out of the five strings of 6 shots in the military pistol event, Merlin quit the competition. Similarly, he did not finish the rapid fire pistol event. He also participated in the men's trap shooting at the 1900 Paris Games
, where he came joint seventh with five other athletes. At the 1906 Games, he participated in all shooting events, coming first and third in the men's trap, double shot and single shot.
As the Germans approached Athens during World War II, Sidney Merlin and his second wife, Katia, moved to the Merlin estate on Crete, a large mansion dating back to Venetian times. The mansion, known as Bella Capina (Pelakpaina in some spellings) also provided a residence for King George II, and meeting rooms for the Greek War Cabinet and government for several months. This ended abruptly when the German aerial invasion of the island began. The King and Prime Minister, having been warned in advance, left the day before the invasion. This is historically interesting, as it is one of the very few occasions when information from Bletchley Park, where German intelligence was decoded by the British, was given to non-British individuals. Sidney and Katia remained, with the task of keeping the house running as if the King were still in residence. When the German advance was within shooting distance, Sidney, Katia and a small entourage of other British household members, fled on foot, making an arduous crossing of the island to the southern village of Sphakia, where they were rescued by the British destroyer, HMS Napier, and taken to Alexandria, Egypt.
In Greece, Sidney Merlin is best known for two botanological achievements. In ca. 1925, he introduced the "Washington Navel" orange
variety to his estate in Corfu. To this day, it is known in Greece as "Merlin". He also introduced the kumquat
tree, which is used in Corfu to make the kumquat sweet, one of the specialties of Corfiot cuisine.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
botanist and sports shooter
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
. He competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
and the 1906 Intercalated Games
1906 Summer Olympics
The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Athens, Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games in Athens" by the International Olympic Committee...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Life
His family had lived in Greece since the 1830s, where his father, Charles William Louis Merlin, was British Consul at Piraeus. His mother, Isabella (née Green) was an important figure in the British community in Athens. He was the Ionian Bank's agent at Piraeus/Athens from March 1853, and subsequently became, from autumn 1865 the bank's general inspector in Greece while continuing to be its agent at Athens and, from May 1890, a director in London of the bank. Sidney was born in PiraeusPiraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
, and married Zaira Theotokis, the daughter of the Corfiot
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
Prime Minister Georgios Theotokis
Georgios Theotokis
Georgios Theotokis was a Greek politician and four times Prime Minister of Greece. He represented the New Party or Neoteristikon Komma .- Biography :...
. He later divorced her and married Katia, a Greek by birth whose aristocratic family had lived in Russia before the revolution. Edwin, their only child, served in the Royal Air Force in England during the Second World War. The Merlins were large landowners in Corfu, Crete and Attica.
In the 1896 Olympics, Merlin competed in four of the five events. In the military rifle, he placed tenth with 1,156 points. His first (of four) string of 10 shots resulted in a score of 477. His score and place in the free rifle are unknown, but he did not win a medal. After two out of the five strings of 6 shots in the military pistol event, Merlin quit the competition. Similarly, he did not finish the rapid fire pistol event. He also participated in the men's trap shooting at the 1900 Paris Games
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
, where he came joint seventh with five other athletes. At the 1906 Games, he participated in all shooting events, coming first and third in the men's trap, double shot and single shot.
As the Germans approached Athens during World War II, Sidney Merlin and his second wife, Katia, moved to the Merlin estate on Crete, a large mansion dating back to Venetian times. The mansion, known as Bella Capina (Pelakpaina in some spellings) also provided a residence for King George II, and meeting rooms for the Greek War Cabinet and government for several months. This ended abruptly when the German aerial invasion of the island began. The King and Prime Minister, having been warned in advance, left the day before the invasion. This is historically interesting, as it is one of the very few occasions when information from Bletchley Park, where German intelligence was decoded by the British, was given to non-British individuals. Sidney and Katia remained, with the task of keeping the house running as if the King were still in residence. When the German advance was within shooting distance, Sidney, Katia and a small entourage of other British household members, fled on foot, making an arduous crossing of the island to the southern village of Sphakia, where they were rescued by the British destroyer, HMS Napier, and taken to Alexandria, Egypt.
In Greece, Sidney Merlin is best known for two botanological achievements. In ca. 1925, he introduced the "Washington Navel" orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
variety to his estate in Corfu. To this day, it is known in Greece as "Merlin". He also introduced the kumquat
Kumquat
Cumquats or kumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, either forming the genus Fortunella, or placed within Citrus sensu lato...
tree, which is used in Corfu to make the kumquat sweet, one of the specialties of Corfiot cuisine.