PRO 178,702 and HO 144/3136
Dikran Arslanian was born in October of 1871 in Yozgat, in the Ottoman province of Angora, to Ohaness Arslanian and Osanna Arslanian. An Ottoman by nationality, he arrived in England in 1896, likely a refugee of the Hamidian massacres of Armenians. He married Verkin Arslanian, née Missirian, a native of Erzrovono, Ottoman Armenia (born April 15, 1878), on October 24, 1895 in Istanbul.[1] Their children were Armine Victoria, Dirouhi Kohar Araxie, and Nivart Valentine Ida (ages 12, 9, and 2, respectively, in January 1921).
Dikran Arslanian moved to 15 Cranhurst Road, Cricklewood, County of Middlesex in London in July 1901. He had a 99-year lease at £550 from Messrs. Morgan and Upjohn at 51 Holborn Viaduct and another 5-year lease from March 1910 for his business premises at 30 Bishopsgate. On December 3, 1902, Arslanian was initiated as a mason of the Victoria Diamond Jubilee Lodge, along with Mihran Garabed Babayan and Mihran Kriker [Krikor?] Gudenian. All three were carpet importers. Arlsanian applied for and received British naturalization in 1909. His referees were a manufacturer’s agent and near neighbor, a baker, a company director, and a manager at Lloyd Bank. The timing was tricky. That summer, Arslanian was about to depart for another extended business trip to Italy and Anatolia, to return in late August or early September. His Certificate of Naturalisation had processed on July 20, 1909, but two days later, Arslanian did not yet have it in hand. Given the shortness of time, Arslanian decided to obtain an Ottoman passport and ask the Home Office to defer publication of the registration of his naturalization certificate until late August or early September, in order to avoid a “mis-understanding with the Turkish Authorities.”[2] But the Home Office indicated that such a deferral was not possible, so Arslanian opted to travel on his Ottoman passport.[3]
But Arslanian’s case did not end there. In June of 1924, two months before the Treaty of Lausanne was to take effect, Arslanian again approached the British government through his solicitor. As a naturalized British subject, he wondered, what would be his legal status in the eyes of the Turkish government during his upcoming business trip to Istanbul? He was aware that prior to World War I, the Ottoman government considered him their subject as soon as he entered its territory (irrespective of his British naturalization), but it was his understanding that after the Peace Conference at Lausanne, he would be considered British even by Turkey.[4] The British Secretary of State informed Arslanian’s attorney that the Treaty of Lausanne did not include any provision, corresponding to Article 278 of the Treaty of Versailles, “for loss of Ottoman nationality by Ottoman subjects naturalized in the UK.” If Turkey claimed him as one of its nationals while Arslanian was in Istanbul, he would not be entitled to the protection of the British authorities, who demurred to advise him on his legal status in Turkey.[5]
By this time, Arslanian had built up a lucrative Oriental carpet import business. Already in 1909, thirteen years after his arrival in England, the Home Office characterized “D. Arslanian & Co., Merchants,” located at 30 Bishopsgate Street, Without, E.C., in London, as “flourishing.” Arslanian’s periodic business trips were one important factor of his success. He reserved two months of each year for such journeys.[6] He undertook this travel to the Ottoman Empire and other parts of Europe for one month during each of the years 1903, 1905, 1907, and 1908.
While reviewing Arslanian’s naturalization application of 1909, the Home Office evinced suspicion. They wondered if the applicant had previously submitted other applications under a similar name and attempted to locate such a file by reviewing all the cases handled by Arslanian’s solicitors. At one point in 1909, they suspected him of plotting to return to the Ottoman Empire permanently after British naturalization.[7] Arslanian, however, was instead planning to immigrate to the U.S.A. His petition for U.S. naturalization, filed in Tampa, Florida, in 1918, indicates he was retired. He seems to have owned a rug store in White Plains, New York in 1928.[8] His “declaration of intent,” dated June 25, 1940, indicates that he departed Liverpool, England for New York on August 26, 1918 to take up permanent residence in the United States. His wife filed a parallel declaration the same day. By 1924 Arslanian was living in New York, having employed the same solicitor for the previous 25 years. The couple was naturalized in 1950.[9] Arslanian’s U.S. naturalization application revealed he had two additional children: Minnie (born May 22, 1897 in London and residing in New York City) and Ida (born February 14, 1907 in London, residing in Pass-A-Grille, Florida). His British naturalization application had identified Armine Victoria, Dirouhi Kohar Araxie, and Nivart Valentine Ida (born ca. 1900, 1912, and 1919, respectively).
As chronicler Joan George notes, Arslanian apparently prospered despite World War I, given the participation of his wife and daughters in charity work.[10]
Arslanian’s brother-in-law (his wife’s brother) was H. Missirian of 21 Cooper Street, Manchester, New York. Arslanian died in 1956 at the age of 84-85 and was buried in Saint Bartholomew Episcopal Cemetery in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
Subfile 3 was destroyed. This file was originally closed until 2025, but declassified at my request on May 23, 2024.
[1] United States of America, Declaration of Intention, Dikran Arslanian, June 25, 1940. According to Verkin Arslanian’s U.S. citizenship certificate, the couple was married on December 24, 1895.
[2] TNAUK, HO 144/3136, Case of Dikran Arslanian, W. Haseldine Jones, Solicitor, to Home Office, July 22, 1909; Metropolitan Police to Home Office, June 16, 1909, p.2
[3] Ibid., Metropolitan Police to Home Office, June 16, 1909, p.2
[4] Ibid., Popham, Starkie & Co., Solicitors, to Home Office, June 6, 1924.
[5] Ibid., June 6, 1924; Home Office to Messrs. Popham, Starkie & Co., July 8, 1924.
[6] Ibid., Metropolitan Police to Home Office, June 16, 1909, p.2.
[7] Ibid., chit of the Home Office, July 13, 1909.
[8] U.S. City Directories, White Plains, New York, 1928.
[9] February 20, 19d United States of America, Petition for Naturalization, February 20, 1950.
[10] Joan George, Merchants to Magnates, 44, citing A. P. Hacobian, Armenia and the War (Hodder & Stoughton, 1917), VII-VIII.