General views of St John’s, Alsancak

A letter addressed to the Anglican Chaplain of the time, Reverend Lucius Fry from Miss Gladys Routh, trying to clear objections for a dance class at the church hall, possibly sullied by gossip from some members of the congregation. She stated ‘Smyrna is a very difficult place owing to its lack of public institutions - as you must have found out for yourself by now - for young men and women to meet socially and have pleasant and innocent intercourse together. A Church Hall is peculiarly adapted to such intercourse; I would have thought that the Church Council would be only too pleased to see the Memorial Hall used by the young men and women of the congregation and I sincerely hope it will not put its veto on these classes of ours which I am glad to think have yours and Mr. Ashe’s [Rev. Robert Pickering Ashe - info] approval.’. Ms Routh was for many years later the secretary of the church in Boudjah. According to the contributor the late Rose Marie Caporal, ‘A life long lesbian, though respected, she moved to Bornova in 1953 from her house near the Buca train station, and is buried abroad.’