William Sydney Churchill

William Sydney Churchill (1860-1918) was a British Gendarmerie officer who served in Egypt, Crete, and Asia Minor during the Ottoman Empire.

Early life and background He was born in Constantinople in 1860 the son of Alfred Black Churchill (1826–1870), and Evelyn (née de Balzac) (1837-1875). He grew up in a multilingual family. His British grandfather William Nosworthy Churchill moved to Turkey aged 19 where he learnt the Turkish language and founded the Ceride-i Havadis newspaper. His mother and grandmother were both French. He married Elizabeth Benci with whom he had three children, Alfred 1894 in Constantinople, Evelyn 1895 in Egypt, and Feride 1898 in Crete.

In his later life a report by the Intelligence Department of the War Office described him as ’quite Levantine in speech manners and disposition, about 42 years old and married. He spoke English, French and Greek fluently, Italian well and Turkish moderately.’ It also stated that he was ‘active and serious,’ but that ‘on several occasions in the last year displayed plenty of pluck and coolness when in danger, but he is wanting in discretion.’ A British surgeon who knew him very well described him as ‘half an Englishman and more Turk than a Turk.’

Career In 1879-80 he served as an interpreter in the Cyprus Pioneers before being ‘discharged for indiscretions, not of a serious nature’ after which he returned to Constantinople.

Intercommunal violence prevailed between Christians and Muslims and in Candia province (modern day Heraklion) all 36 mosques were destroyed In eastern Crete at least a thousand Muslims were murdered – around a quarter of the population, and the survivors moved to Candia where they were a resentful minority in a besieged population of 52,000 refugees living within the city walls under difficult conditions. Eighteen months later, in August 1898, the Western Powers, through the Council of Admirals, recognised the insurrectionary Christian Administration as the sole local authority in Crete. They then ordered the dismissal of the Cretan Muslims in the Dime or tax office and replaced them by Christians, which provoked an uprising. was also a moneylender and the Calechorino family were among the largest purchasers of Muslim land, No action was taken against Churchill and he left Crete.

He died in Constantinople on 30 July 1918 aged 57 and is buried in the Carré St Joseph Catholic Cemetery of Feriköy, Istanbul.