HO 144/16261 and HO 334/129/1834
For Hrant’s brother Aram Abadjian, click here.
Hrant Abadjian was born in Smyrna on May 15, 1910 to Krikor and Haiganoush Abadjian, née Tabibian, whom he identified in his naturalization application as “Armenian.”[1] Krikor was registered as an alien with police, while Haiganoush was by 1932, the date of Hrant’s successful naturalization application, deceased. Hrant arrived in England on December 7, 1922 with his elder brother Aram. Although not stated in his application, it is likely that he and Aram fled the Turkish military capture of Smyrna in September 1922, the culmination of the Graeco-Turkish War (1919-1922). The invasion is best known for the large-scale rape and massacre of Christians, mostly Greeks and Armenians, looting by Turkish soldiers and mobs, and a fire that broke out on September 13 and left the city in ashes. Hrant attended Polytechnic School, Regent Street, W. until 18 years of age.Hrant worked as a manager for his father, who was a partner in Saghirian & Abadjian, importers and chemical washers of Oriental carpets and rugs in London. His financial status was “satisfactory” and he planned to become a partner after the imminent retirement of his father. He earned L100 annually, had saved L400 invested in the family business, and lived with his father, who also clothed and fed him. He undertook a three-month business trip to Austria and France in 1930, using a British identity certificate issued by the Home Office that year.
Hrant registered with police as an alien in 1930. He stated that he wished to become a British subject because he intended to reside in England permanently, and was educated and had all his interests there. He first applied for citizenship at age 20 in 1930, when he had been in England for about 9 years, and again in 1932, when he was naturalized. On his application, he identified his nationality as “Armenian,” but also claimed to be a citizen of the Armenian Republic, which existed from 1918-1920, before being incorporated into the Soviet Union. Hrant possessed an Armenian passport, issued in Athens in 1922, on which he appeared together with his older brother Aram. The Home Office noted that Hrant was certainly Ottoman at birth, but considered listing him as of Russian (Armenian) nationality. At one point in his application, Hrant declared he was of “no nationality.” A Metropolitan Police report dated 1932 indicates that Abadjian was born “at Smyrna, Armenia,” either a clerical error or an expression of Abadjian’s nationalism. Ultimately, officials classified him as Ottoman (Armenian),” as they did his parents.
Hrant’s referees included the chief clerk of the Bishopsgate branch of Barclay’s Bank, Limited, whom he met him through business at the firm of Saghirian & Abadjian; a carpet merchant named Wilfrid Eldon Jones, whom he met him through business; and two men who had also served as referees for his brother Aram: the insurance agent Eric Percy Fridaye and the chartered accountant Herbert Edward Hill, both of whom met the applicants through business and later developed friendships with them.
Subfiles 1, 3, and 4, indicating earlier, unsuccessful applications for naturalization, were destroyed. This file was originally closed until January 1, 2033 and was opened at my request on February 20, 2014.
[1] Smyrna is what is today Izmir (İzmir in modern Turkish).