Name/Title
Ottoman Armenian Document #52Scope and Content
Section Reserved for Transaction Registration
Copy of a Legal Notice (İhtarname)
To the Esteemed Presidency of the Merzifon Abandoned Properties (Emval-i Metruke) Commission:
According to the contents of a duly certified debt instrument dated 11 May 1331 (1915) that was submitted, and in accordance with the official registration relating thereto, it is recorded that four months and twenty-two days after the date of the note—between the beginning of Teşrin-i Evvel of the year 1331 and the beginning of Teşrin-i Evvel of the year 1332—a debt became due.
The debtor is Anasun [Ulzarin?], daughter of (Krikor) Kasbaryan and wife of Kandilciyan, residing in the Hoca Süleyman Quarter (40.874802, 35.464221) of Merzifon, who is indebted in two installments to Mustafa Efendi, a merchant residing in the Cami-i Cedid Quarter of Merzifon, son of Saadedinzâde [Saadeddin?].
The amount owed consists of twenty-five Ottoman gold liras, the maturity of which has arrived. However, despite the debt having become due, payment has not been made. Consequently, the aforementioned creditor has applied for the settlement of the debt from Abandoned Properties (Emval-i Metruke), and has requested that the necessary enforcement measures be carried out.
Therefore, in accordance with the provisions of Article Nine of the Notary Clerk Law (Katib-i Adl Kanunu), a legal notice was drawn up. A duly certified copy of this notice was served upon the Deputy Presidency of the Abandoned Properties Administration on 1 Teşrin-i Evvel 1331 (14 October 1915) within the legally prescribed period.
Although the due date of the second installment has likewise arrived, payment has still not been effected as of today. Accordingly, it is required that the entire aforementioned amount be paid in full within eight days from the date of service of this notice. Should this requirement not be fulfilled, it is hereby made known that, pursuant to the final paragraph of the said article, proceedings shall be initiated through the Enforcement Office (İcra Dairesi) for the compulsory collection of the debt.
This notice is hereby formally served upon you for your esteemed information.
Dated Sunday, the 30th of Teşrin-i Evvel of the Financial Year 1332, and certified in accordance with Article Fifty-One of the Notary Clerk Law, under General No. 78 and Special No. 34.
Upon request, the certified copy of this notice was delivered and handed over to the concerned party, Mustafa Efendi.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Boghos Kasparyan CollectionGeneral Notes
Note Type
Historical NoteNote
An academic article titled “The Effects of the Armenian Relocation on Population and Economy: The Case of Merzifon,” written by Abdurrahman Bozkurt and published in 2020 (see weblink) and offers a detailed analysis of the demographic and economic changes in the Merzifon district following the 1915 Armenian relocation, with particular emphasis on how the local economy was restructured and what became of Armenian properties and social status. Drawing on archival records, the author highlights the roles Armenians played in local industries and the administrative monitoring of Armenian families during this period.
The article identifies Hacı Bogos Kasparyan as a skilled fabric roller/polisher in the weaving industry. Born around 1862, he is noted as having likely converted to Islam, adopting the name Fuad, and residing in the Cami-i Atik neighborhood with his wife, Makruhi Khisarlian, and their three daughters, Lusaper, Nevart, and Vahanush. The document further records that his wife and daughters were registered under new Muslim names: Pakize, Latife, Nadire, and Vasfiye. Moreover, the article notes that individuals exempted from deportation (tehcir dışı bırakılan kişiler) were reported to the central government by name on 1 September 1915, indicating that his conversion and official confirmation had already taken place by the time Mustafa Efendi sought repayment of his sister’s debt.
Several members of the family emigrated from Merzifon to the United States in the early twentieth century. In 1921, Lusaper emigrated and was able to retain the surname Kasparyan. She later married Leon Luscinian, became known as Lucy Luscinian, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. The couple had four children. Lucy applied for U.S. citizenship in 1925 and passed away on 26 March 1988. Vahanoush, born in 1905, later emigrated to the United States with her mother Makrouhi (born 1877), who adopted the name Maria after their arrival. Makrouhi entered the country as a widow, indicating that Boghos had died—most likely as a result of the Armenian Genocide. They arrived in the United States on 30 March 1927. Nevart, also a widow, emigrated under the surname Kechichian. She arrived with her two children, a son, Haig, and a daughter, Zabel.
Vahanoush Kasparian married a John J Yorganjian. Gave birth to John James Yorganjian Jr. in 1935, who lived in Philly. Her husband died in 1974, and she died in 1977, buried in Lake Worth.Created By
garenkazanc@hotmail.comCreate Date
January 19, 2026Updated By
garenkazanc@hotmail.comUpdate Date
January 28, 2026
