My wife's ancestors - Maltass - Contents

William Maltass of Smyrna

Extract from will of William Maltass, 1780.
"I give and bequeath to my dearly beloved Wife Marguerite Maltass my house at Bugia with all its furniture and every Thing appertaining to it as also all the ffurniture Plate Table Linen etc. belonging to the Town House as like the Sum of twenty Thousand dollars to be employed in the safest manner with the consent of my Executors after named for her sole use and Benefit during her natural Life".

William Maltass,
born Ripon, N Yorkshire.
See Wikitree.

Moves to Smyrna, Turkey:
He went in mid-18th century (before 1762) to Smyrna, an important port in the western (Greek) part of what is now Turkey.
Many European merchants lived in Smyrna. See historical background.
He was a merchant in Smyrna.
He became a Member of the Levant Company on 14 May 1762.
Perhaps it was the wool trade that brought him to Smyrna. The Levant was a major source of wool for the wool trade in Yorkshire (where Maltass came from).
[1842 case] says he went to Smyrna about 80 years earlier (i.e. about 1762).
Listing of Buca graves thinks he came to the Levant in 1754. But it is unclear what the source is. It might be just someone's estimate.

He mar at Smyrna, pre-1763, to Marguerite Icard [born 30 Dec 1737].
[1842 case] says that soon after arriving in Smyrna, Maltass joined the company of Lee and Co., run by Richard Lee senior.
William became a partner in Lee's company and it became Lee and Maltass. William remained a partner until his death, and lived at Smyrna until his death.
[Clarke, 1860] says that in 1776, Richard Lee was head of the firm of Lee and Maltass.
William Maltass of Smyrna was described as "agent" for George Baldwin of Egypt, who controlled the trade route to the East through Suez. Baldwin married his daughter in 1779.

His will is dated 29 Nov 1780. He is a merchant, living in Smyrna. His daughter Jane is married, and he has 4 unmarried daughters.
His firm "Lee and Maltass" is mentioned in his will. The executors of the will are Richard Lee senior of London, Richard Lee junior (British Pro-Consul in Smyrna) and Valentine Humphrys.

William dies, 1782:
He died 6 Sept 1782.
Will proved 31 Jan 1783.
Marguerite and her daughters would be the widowed Mrs. Maltass and her 4 unmarried daughters who met Buck Whaley in 1788-1789 when the Irish hell-raiser stopped in Smyrna on his way to Jerusalem.
Whaley met the family in Dec 1788 to Feb 1789. [Moore's memoir, p.13] says the Maltass family were then living in Frank Street, Smyrna.
Marguerite fl 1789.
Some years after William's death, in 1797, his daughter married Richard Lee's son.
William and Marguerite had issue:

1. Sarah Maltass.
   [Goulburn, 1892] says she was elder sister of Jane.
   She is unmarried at time of her father's will 1780.
   She must be one of the 4 unmarried daughters at the time of Buck Whaley's visit 1788-1789.
   She mar 1789-1790 to Chevalier Ambroise de Cramer [born 10 Feb 1757] and had issue.

   
   

2. Jane Maltass,
   born 26 June 1763, Smyrna.
   [Starkey, 2001] says she was age 16 at marriage.
   She mar 1779 to George Baldwin and had issue.
   She was famously painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1782.

   
   

3. Margaret Maltass.
   "Marguerite" in her father's will.
   She is unmarried at time of her father's will 1780.
   She is clearly "Mademoiselle Margotten", one of the 4 unmarried daughters at the time of Buck Whaley's visit 1788-1789.
   She mar post-1789 to Frederic Constantin van der Schroeff [born c.1765, or possibly van der Schoeff or Vanderrchieff].
   He resided at Smyrna.
   He died c.1832.
   See signature from some member of this family on mar entry for William Maltass 1836.
   Margaret died 1848.
   They had issue:
   1. 3 sons, van der Schroeff.
      All died pre-1844.
      James F. van der Schroeff is left money in the will of John Maltass 1834 and is co-executor of the will. This must be one of the sons. The probate 1845 says he is not among the surviving executors.

   
   

4. Mary Maltass,
   Maria.
   She is unmarried at time of her father's will 1780.
   She must be one of the 4 unmarried daughters at the time of Buck Whaley's visit 1788-1789.
   She mar 4 Sept 1797 to John Lee and had issue.
   They mar at [British Chapel, Smyrna].

   
   

5. Susan Maltass,
   born est c.1774.
   Old enough to marry in 1791 and young enough to have a child in 1818.
   [Notarial Record 1851] says she was age 74 at death 1851 (born 1777) but she must be older if married 1791.
   [Notarial Record 1851] says she was born in Smyrna.
   "Susan" in her husband's will 1796, and at bapt of her dau 1796, and at bapt of her natural child in 1819, and her natural son's mar 1860.
   "Susanna" in her father's will.
   "Suzanne" in her will of 1850 and [Notarial Record 1851].

   
   

1. John Maltass,
   born 1764, Smyrna [1844 case].
   He built The John Maltass House in Bournabat, near Smyrna.
   He married in 1805.

   
   

2. William Maltass,
   born 1776, Smyrna.
   He married in 1806.

   
   

3. Peter Maltass.
   Mentioned in father's will 1780.
   He must be the son "George Peter Maltass" mentioned in Reebkomp's will 1796.

   
   

4. Benjamin Maltass,
   born 1778.
   Not mentioned in father's will 1780.

The young Buck Whaley meets Mrs. Maltass and her four unmarried daughters in Smyrna in 1788, and is impressed.
"These fair sisters were the first Smyrneottes we had seen, and from their beauty we formed a most favourable opinion of the charms of their countrywomen."

---

Houses

"Bujah" (Buca), a few miles outside Smyrna.
Map dated 1834. Revised 1860 and 1887.
William Maltass had a country house here as at 1780. Its location is unknown.
From here.

Possibly my wife's Turkish ancestral home:
The John Maltass House, Bournabat (now Bornova).
The "country" house of John Maltass just outside Smyrna.
His father died 1782. He built this house after 1788, maybe around 1790.
It is possible that John's younger sister Susan Maltass lived here (or visited here) after 1788 and before she married Augustus Montgomery in 1791.
The house would have been smaller then. It has been enlarged.
The house survives today, beautifully restored.

Maltass lived in Frank Street in the 1780s.
Photo is of the destroyed Frank Street after the 1922 fire.
From Levantine Heritage.
After 1922, most of Smyrna, including the entire "Frankish" or European area of the city, was cleared and re-developed. There is a new road system with wide streets. Old Smyrna was mostly wiped out.

---

References

• Will of William Maltass, British Merchant of Smyrna.
  • Will dated 29 Nov 1780. Proved 31 January 1783, Prerogative Court of Canterbury. PROB 11/1099/387 in [NA.UK].
  • See transcript by Bob Janes.

---

• Maltass trees on Geneanet (French site):
  • William Maltass in tree by Marie Anne Marandet.
  • William Maltass in tree by Quentin Compton-Bishop.
  • William Maltass in tree by Pierre-Jean Bellavoine.