HC Deb 23 May 1870 vol 201 c1192
Mr. MONK

said, he wished to ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Whether the Courier, Alexander Anemoyanni, who accompanied our fellow-countrymen to Marathon on the 11th of April, is the same individual whose name appears in the Foreign Office List for 1870 as a Courier in the service of Her Majesty's Minister at Athens; and, if so, whether he was at the time of the massacre still in Her Majesty's Service, or when, and for what cause, he had been dismissed from that employment?

Mr. OTWAY

said, in reply, that the courier, Alexander Anemoyanni, who accompanied the unfortunate party to Marathon, was the same person whose name appeared in the Foreign Office List as interpreter in the service of the Legation at Athens. The Foreign Office List, however, was not an official publication, although held in much esteem in the Foreign Office, and was not altogether free from errors. The facts with regard to this guide were these—Mr. Scarlett reported on the 8th of July, 1863, that he had appointed Alexander Anemoyanni messenger to the Mission; and, on the 19th of April of this year, Mr. Erskine reported that the man having misconducted himself it became necessary to replace him; but he did not explain in what respect he had misconducted himself, nor did he give the date of his dismissal. That, however, could be ascertained from the receipts of salary, from which it appeared that he was paid up to the 30th of September, 1866, and that his successor's salary commenced on the 1st of October. A period of nearly three years and a-half had, therefore, elapsed since he was in the service of the Legation.