Notes

Dr Sergei de Wesselitsky Bojidarovitch

(Who became Sergei de Vessilitsky in 1923 and became Sergei de Vesselitsky Merriman in 1932)

Introduction: Background and Up-bringing 1882 -1957

Lived 74 years

Sergei's background and family circumstances have been referred to in earlier chapters.

His parents,Gabriel and Julia met whilst Julia and her mother, Mrs Monroe, were on a visit to Saint Petersburg. I understand that they met at Court Receptions.

They were married in Geneva, Switzerland in 1870. An account of their wedding was recorded in the form of cards and newspaper articles in the Monroe Family scrapbook, a picture of the Russian Orthodox Church and documents are held by the family. We also have their marriage certificate.

Gabriel and Julia settled down in a house in Dresden, Capital city of the Kingdom of Saxony. Three children were born to them there. The eldest, Vava,was born on the 16th August 1871. A dedicated artist, she never married and died at Vevey, Montreaux, Switzerland in 1927.

Vava - Varvara- Barbara.

Vera was born on the 8th August1872 in Dresden. She lived in England and was a

very hard working Social Worker, spending many years working with people in the poorer parts of the East End of London in conjunction with the Settlement there.

She wrote a book called"The Homeworker and her outlook". A descriptive study of Tailoresses and Boxmakers. This was published in London in 1916.

She never married. She died in London in 1932. Earlier she had become a naturalised British subject.

Sergei was born on the 31st August 1882 in Dresden, a Russian subject. As can be understood from his background he certainly experienced a cosmopolitan upbringing.

His father was a Russian Diplomat living in Saxony before it became part of the German Empire (in 1871).

His father's family were of Balkan origin. Sergei's mother was a citizen of the United States of America, daughter of a State Senator and the family were of Scottish and English origin.

His upbringing Sergei's grandmother was a considerable influence on him an became a particular friend especially during their many travels together. They appeared to have shared a similar outlook.

Sergei recalled later in life that he had a Swiss Governess in 1888 and that it was from her that he had learnt to speak French. He also learnt from her a liking" for her beautiful country; its grand mountains and valiant people". She gave him much advice bout travel in Switzerland particularly the importance of being sure footed and not hurrying in the mountains, stressing how important it was to understand the nature of the mountains and travelling conditions.

Sergei wrote that from the year 1799 onwards some member or other of the family had visited Switzerland almost every year until1939.

He wrote that his mother though delicate in health most of her life, was able to climb Alpine peaks from the age of 44 to 66 years, reaching summits of 14,000 and 15,000 feet above sea level.

Both Vava and Vera, neither strong in health, also climbed considerably in the Alps a number of peaks including the Matterhorn (14,780feet) and the Dent Blanche (over 13,000 feet), both in Switzerland.

When Sergel was christened in Dresden in November 1882 one of his Godfathers was M. de Nouikoff (means Newman) who had been Ambassador for Russia to the Austro—Hungarian Empire. As he could not attend in person, his place was taken (by proxy) by M. de Kazarin off, Russian Charge d'Affaires of the Court of Saxony. The family

Still have his Korch Christening cup in silver.

One of Sergei's earliest memories was of breaking up large blocks of beet sugar in the cellar for the use of the family .He was enrolled at a private school in Dresden and well remembered cycling to and from school. On some occasion she said that he had "to ride through"groups of boys who were antagonistic to those at the private School and who themselves went to state schools.

Sergei's first visit to England was in 1892 on a family holiday.

In 1895 as a boy of thirteen he climbed his first mountain which was the Ortler,12,800feet, the highest mountain in Austria—Hungary. It was not until 1901 that he commenced regular annual visits to the Alps for climbing.

His feeling for (also) knowledge and understanding of foreign languages developed from an early age. He was always a keen philologist. He was brought up on Russian and English primarily.

Sergei's education continued at the University of Leipzig, Saxony,from 1900 to1904. During the University vacations he took the opportunity to travel widely.

His studies continued in political economy and human geography as well as in history, and in due course he was awarded a Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The family still have the relevant documents. For his degree he wrote a thesis on "The Railway systems of Southern Russia and Trans—Caucasia". His studies continued for many years particularly in history, biography and geography.

Travels and Mountain Climbing

Railway building during the second half of the 19th century in Western Europe and beyond developed in a remarkable manner. In certain advanced countries it amounted to "a railway construction mania" in association with further Industrialisation and favourable trading developments.

By the end of the 19th century this had spread at least to some extent into Eastern Europe and beyond.

Growing prosperity and the fruits of long periods of overall peace in Europe saw the

Beneficial effects to many people of different countries with sufficient means to travel at their leisure.

In fact railway travelling to a reasonable standard was cheaper and in many way better during this period1870-1914 than it had been before or has been since in Western Europe. Great numbers of people with means were then travelling and doing so for the first time, mainly for pleasure.

Sergei's father travelled extensively by train and had done so regularly in conjunction with his diplomatic and journalistic work throughout Europe over a considerable period. It should be noted, as examples of railway development at this time, that two important wars were waged to a rapid and devastating conclusion in each instance principally because of these new factors. The Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 and the American Civil war of 1861 — 1865.

Sergei,with a good allowance from his father as far as I can judge, was able to travel widely and enjoyably on the whole in the period 1890 - 1910 and beyond,sometimes alone and sometimes with his American Grandmother, Mrs Monroe, and less often with his mother.

During this time he travelled through much of Western Europe following his enjoyment of geography and history in frequent sightseeing.

In the appendix I show an indication of such tours and visits, many of which he recorded in outline .Yet he did not comment on them or describe them very often.

In many instances he and his party travelled at will staying a few days or weeks in places of their choice, seemingly with fewer pressures of time and expense upon them than most people today. Indeed Sergei could be said to have been fortunate to be able to travel widely by train from either Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin or Paris according to where his home was at the time, also in Eastern Europe and widely in the Russian Empire.

His journeys in Russian Central Asia to Samarkand and to Tashkent were notable, with a number of exciting incidents, mainly because it had only been a matter of a few years since the Russian Army had completed the conquest of Central Asia and their engineers laid the railway system. When he was there the railway line had

just been engineered through the deserts for the first time and was in fact still being constructed.

In those days it was custom for no food to be available on the trains but for meals to be available in station restaurants and intervals along the line. On this occasion Sergei was travelling with his mother.

The building of the railway to Samarkand and beyond was specially remarkable as before that time one had only been able to travel that way with caravans of camels on the age old trading routes from the Mediterranean Sea right across Asia to China

(Often known as the Silk Road).

Sergei at this time was able to cross the Mediterranean to Tripoli for a visit. Whilst he there he was enabled to visit a mosque and in fact witnessed the dancing Dervishes in the course of their Mohammedan practice of working themselves into a frenzy and cutting themselves with knives (Whirling Dervishes).

Whilst travelling in Russia during the year 1900, his only year in Russia, he visited the family home and estate in the vicinity of Kieff. This estate was immediately adjoining the city of Kieff as it then was.

Sergei planned a visit to Russian Central Asia with his mother in about1900. His American mother rather naively booked third class return tickets to Samarkand and Tashkent.

They went by train in January to the western shore of the Caspian Sea. The Trans-Caspian Railway begins on the eastern side.

The Caspian Sea was frozen solid that night. Sailing across had to be postponed.

The passengers all hired blankets and slept in the railway station waiting room.

The men arranged themselves in rows on the floor and the ladies made beds for themselves on the benches.

Sergei got into conversation with the man next to him, by a coincidence he too was a Slav whose family had fled after the defeat by the Turks at the Battle of the River Pruth. He also had an estate in Russia.

His companion said "Do you really want to go to Samarkand? If so I suggest you go in a State Coach; that is the only way of making the long voyage comfortable."

"Too expensive "said Sergei."No" said his friend,"Just leave it to me".

58 He pulled out a large crested business visiting card which announced that he was Chief Secretary of the Imperial Russian Railways. He wrote on it: "Please supply one State Coach with servants". He wrote on a second card:"To all employees of Imperial State Railways; Please render every assistance to Dr and Mrs de Wesselitsky on their journey to and from Samarkand". So they made the journey to Tashkentand Samarkand in great comfort,able to stop the train whenever they wished. Meals were supplied at railway stations.

In the course of travelling and long stays in the Caucasus Mountains (which rise to a height of 18,471 feet above sea level at Mount Elbruz) he frequently went riding with the local men who have a world-wide reputation for good horsemanship. He told me that whilst riding in those mountains she had often seen eagles. Mount Elbruz is the highest mountain in Europe.

During all these travels he made good use of his gift for languages, both spoken and written,in whichever county he was travelling.

(inherited from his father? ).

Between1895 and 1914 Sergei fulfilled his enjoyment and love of mountain climbing in the Alps where he had a great feeling for Switzerland in particular.The family has details of Sergei's list of mountain ascents which he made. These were mainly with the aid of local mountain guides,sometimes in the company of more experienced climbers and from time to time he himself led parties of mountaineers in ascents.

This love of mountaineering continued for the rest of his life, also his enjoyment of sharing travels and adventures with his friends. It was in 1910 that he joined the Swiss Alpine Club.After a few more years Sergei also joined the Association of British Members of the S.A.C which afforded use of valuable hut facilities on the mountains. His membership continued until 1952.

During the course of his climbing career Sergei was more skilled on snow and ice climbs than in undertaking rock climbing although he had a wide experience of all types of Alpine climbing.

It was during these years mentioned, up to the time of the Great War, that Sergei did his notable climbs and the greater number of them; and accordingly gained the qualification, as it afterwards turned out, for entrance to membership of the Alpine Club of London. Membership of this club can only be gained by approval of a submitted list of climbs.

He was a member from 1921 - 1957 Sergei's visits to Switzerland were fairly consistent from 1900 to 1939, almost every year,and then from 1946 right up to 1951.

There was a period of about five years when Sergei held teaching appointments in the Middle West of the United States America. During this time he was able at intervals to visit his numerous relatives mainly in New York State and elsewhere including Massachusetts. No doubt he also fitted in a good deal of sightseeing and travel.

I have no doubt that his many crossings of the Atlantic Ocean in the smaller passenger steamers of those days provided a great deal of interest and adventure.

I remember him telling me that from time to time he had accompanied relatives to their place of worship of whatever kind it was, and there were many variations, with the exception of Roman Catholic. I suppose he was broad minded about such things and when in due course made his own choice it was as a member of the Church of England.

1t was from 1908 that he moved to London and regarded it as his home. The family had certainly moved house a number of times and there were occasions when moving house and home were obligatory in Sergei's early years. In 1890 his father, in the course of his diplomatic and journalistic career,had decided to leave Russia as a country of residence and his own home and estate in Kieff.

After 1908 Sergei helped his father with Diplomatic receptions and other work at his house in conjunction with his duties in London.

From 1908 until1917 Sergei was engaged in journalistic writing and was London Correspondent of the Saint Petersburg newspaper "Novoe Vremya" (New Times).

Sergei joined the social life of the diplomatic community in London over some years.

In 1911 Sergei's father received an invitation to the Coronation of King George V in Westminster Abbey, but because he had attended the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902 he felt that it would be an opportunity for his son, so he passed the invitation to Sergei,who attended in his place.

Once again,Sergei had to adapt to living in a different country. I remember his telling me that he had typhoid fever in his early thirties. This he attributed to a visit made to Rome when he also visited the catacombs of the city where he must have picked up the infection. Sergei's visits abroad continued until 1914 when the Great War began.

Note by Dr Gabriel Merriman

My version of my father's story is that he contracted typhoid fever in Russia,possibly in Kieff.

Sergei's father said that as a Russian he must spend at least one year of his life in Russia. That was about1901.

He visited the Russian Cathedrals, as he was always very keen on sightseeing.

Being the only well-dressed man amongst a crowd of peasants,they insisted that he should lead the way paying homage to the shrines and remains,i.e.

Skulls and other bones of certain ancient saints. He was expected to show devotion and reverence for this by kissing each article.

Needless to say the skull or bone in question had previously been kissed very recently by many people of peasant origin amongst whom carriers of typhoid were frequently found.

Sergel met Aelfreda Edith Westall in London in 1914 and after some months of courtship they were married on the 4th August1914 (the day of the outbreak of the Great War) .She was the eldest child and only daughter of Alfred Westall, a merchant in the China trade who was mainly resident in the British Settlement in Shanghai, where Aelfreda was born in 1882.

There were two services in London,first the Church of England service at All Souls Langham Place, St Marylebone (now also the B.B.C Church) and then the Russian Orthodox service at the Embassy Church at 32 Welbeck Street, Kensington, London.

At the former service the Groomsmen were Freda's brothers Sydney and Douglas as well as M. Georgevitch (First Secretary of the Serbian Legation) while the best man was a friend, Mr H Charles Woods.

At the Russian service there were four crown holders (groomsmen) who literally held crowns over the heads of the betrothed.

They were Freda's eldest brother,Ronald (Captain in the Royal Sussex Regiment) who was bestman, and three diplomats; Alexander de Nelidoff (a friend at the Russian Embassy),Gabriel de Wolkoff (a boyhood friend of Sergei's, also of the Russian Embassy, whose mother was English) and M. Georgevitch, First Secretary at the Russian Embassy in London.

Sergei and Freda spent their honeymoon walking extensively in the Lake District.

For some eight years they lived in a house in Wimbledon, Surrey ("The Ark" ) Montana Road.

During the war Sergei was not called to the Russian Army as he was the only son of a Russian nobleman, as was the custom.

On account of his knowledge of languages Sergei offered his services and was accepted in 1917 as a linguist in the censorship of the British Foreign Office. This continued until l1919. Sergei's father was also serving as a linguist at the censorship.

Sergei's journalistic work continueduntil1917 when later that year Russia was overwhelmed by revolution ,and all family possessions and friends there were lost.

In 1919 Sergei's and Freda's first child was born at home in Wimbledon

Gabriel on the 12th May.

In 1921 Sergei's and Freda's second child was born at home in Wimbledon Michael on 20th September.

During 1921 Sergei was put up for the Alpine Club of London on the proposal of Dr Oliver K Williamson. Sergei continued to enjoy membership of the club for over 36 years and was for a time Honorary Librarian.

During the earlier part of the War Sergei was a War Correspondent for his newspaper and made visits to ships of the Royal Navy and to factories etc., also reporting for the Illustrated London News.

In 1923 Sergei became a naturalised British Subject. He was recommended by Viscount Grey of Fallowden who as Sir Edward Grey had been Foreign Secretary (1905-1916) and by Sir Maurice de Bunsen (a retired British Ambassador).The Foreign Office wrote to the Home Office in support of this application pointing out Sergei's services to the War Office 1917 - 1919 and to the News Department of the ForeignOffice 1919 -1921, referring also to his father's services to the Foreign Office.

In 1923 the family moved house to Biggin Hill, Kent where they remained for about a year. After that they decided to buy a large house called Hern Lodge, 9 Surbiton Hill Park, Surbiton,Surrey,which they ran as a Private Hotel for a number of years.

Sergei and Freda took in many foreign visitors, especially Dutch people, and I remember well going up to London with parties of these visitors. Sergei used to act as guide and interpreter on these sightseeing visits to London which he himself enjoyed. Numbers of foreign students were accommodated in a large hut in the garden, divided into rooms. Dr Merriman and his parties became well known.

In 1923 Sergei was proposed for the Royal Geographical Society and became a Fellow. This he followed with considerable interest and it continued over many years until 1957, the year of his death.

Sergei's annual visits to Switzerland during the month of August continued regularly until 1939. He told me that on his return from Switzerland in that year he had seen French Soldiers standing on the Maginot line and waving (at the end of August) . He often stayed at Zermatt Valais, his favourite place of resort although he had travelled widely within Switzerland.

Sergei's name when he was born was Sergei de Wesselitsky Bojiderovitch, the first part Russian and the later part Hercegovinian.

In 1918 Sergei decided that this surname should be de Vesselitsky.This was not easy in general use in England. He considered this would be simpler and still acceptable to his father.

In 1931 after the death of his father in 1930 Sergei applied for change of name by Deed Poll to de Vesselitsky Merriman, adding the latter part as a direct translation of the former. He was keen that the family retain Vesselitsky to indicate its origins. This made life easier for his young sons.

Throughout much of his life, in fact from 1919 -1952, when Freda died, Sergei kept a diary (only a few years are missing ) and maintained it conscientiously. This is still held by the family.

During the year 1924 whilst his father and his two sisters Vava end Vera were still alive, Sergei had an interesting surprise. A large chest—trunk ,which had been

Packed with family possessions, it arrived from Leipzig,where it had been in storage since the year 1904. So many things had happened to the family during the intervening years. It was full of interesting family possessions.

In the year 1926 Sergei and Freda decided to undertake a new venture. They took a lease on a guest house called at 11 Granville Place, Portman

"Claremont. Hotel" Square, LondonW1 from the Grosvenor Estate.

The hotel was managed, then after a while Sergei himself visited it regularly to ensure satisfactory running. This continued for many years.

For about four year s from 1936 — 1940 Sergei and Freda also ran a small business near to South Kensington Underground Station, called The Merry Elves Restaurant.

This proved to be difficult to keep adequately supervised and satisfactory and was sold.

During1932 it was considered necessary because of the economic situation to sell the business in Surbiton and move into London. The family then settled at 11 Granville Place W1.

When the Second World War came in 1939 Sergei and Freda were as busy as ever. In 1940 Sergei became an Air Raid Warden.

Sergei offered his services as a linguist to the censorship once again and was accepted for service with the Ministry of Information from 1940 to 1945. In 1946 he continued to iwork for a few more years in the Civil Service. In all, Sergei served eleven and a quarter years in Government Service.

This censorship work, although interesting,was hard work which was quite a grind he had not been used to. He did not get paid quite so well in World War Two as he had been in World War One because Russian was no longer rated as an uncommon language.

On the other hand Sergei often helped other censorship people who failed to understand letters written in various Swiss Dialects with which he was familiar.

Both Sergei and Freda were professing Christians and conscientiously attended services at their local church all through their married life.

For about twelve years from 1940 Sergei was Church warden of Saint Mary's, Bryanston SquareW1. All this time Freda took a very active part in church work.

They stayed in their house all through the worst of the bombing of London, some periods were of course arduous and testing. On one occasion a land mine was dropped by parachute from a German aeroplane nearby. It failed to go off.

The whole area was evacuated. All the people were accommodated temporarily in the basement of the Orchard Hotel in Orchard Street until the Royal Naval Engineers were able to de-fuse the land mine and have it removed.

All through the war, Freda undertook nursing duties at the Ophthalmic Hospital (Samaritan Hospital) in Marylebone Road.

During 1943 it was decided to sell the remainder of the lease on 11 Granville Place and to move to a first floor flat at 2562a Gloucester Terrace, Paddington W2.

Sergei and Freda enjoyed a happy married life and gave their sons a very happy home and up-bringing.

After the war life continued fairly quietly for them for a few years. They visited Switzerland again a few times and thoroughly enjoyed their holidays.

In 1952 Freda was taken ill and went to the Samaritan Hospital (where she had worked during the war) and died suddenly following an operation.

Sergei was broken up by his loss and spent his rather sad four remaining years living part of the time with Michael and Beryl and their family in Northampton and part in a residential home nearby.

He died on the 17th January 1957 at St Edmunds Hospital, Northampton. He was buried at Moulton near Northampton.

Sergei's life was one of many changes. He found adjustments to new conditions difficult particularly in later years, which was not surprising considering the difference in social and financial circumstances he had experienced.

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