The Lemos family is a prominent
Greek ship owning family which has been involved in shipping since the 18th century. They originated from Kardamyli in Mani as the 'Lemaki' family. During this period Turkish soldiers had violated many local villages and as a response members from the Lemaki family assassinated all of the Turkish troops stationed there. They emigrated to Chios and changed their names to Lemos during the journey to avoid detection. Having moved from Kardamyli and Langada in the Mani region they then named the areas in Chios "Kardamila" and "Lagada". From 1860 to 1914 the family owned 52 vessels.
Historical highlights
*In 1905, Capt. Christos M. Lemos was co-owner and first
Master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
of the ''Marietta Ralli'', which Greek shipping lore has commemorated as the first
steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
owned by seafarers from
Oinousses
Oinousses ( el, Οινούσσες, alternative forms: ''Aignousa'' (Αιγνούσα) or ''Egnousa'' (Εγνούσα)) is a barren cluster of 1 larger and 8 smaller islands some off the north-east coast of the Greek island of Chios and west of ...
, one of the country's foremost maritime islands.
*In recognition of their contribution to the war effort, the family was a recipient of one of the famous 100 ''
Liberty Vessels''
[
][
][
] which restored the fortunes of the Greek merchant fleet in the aftermath of the Second World War.
*Another touchstone of family pride is Capt. Leon C. Lemos, founder of Efploia Shipping, one of the most renowned Greek shipowners in the 1970s and 1980s.
*After selling off 15 of his 17 vessels in 1980 just prior to the crash, Capt. Lemos re-entered the market in 1985 while conditions were still at a low ebb, ordering a series of 10
bulker
A bulk carrier or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo — such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils, and cement — in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, econ ...
s from
Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (HHI; ) is the world's largest shipbuilding company and a major heavy equipment manufacturer. Its headquarters are in Ulsan, South Korea.
History
HHI was founded in 1972 by Chung Ju-yung as a division of the ...
.
*Even though most of the Lemos family still live in Greece, a substantial amount now reside in multimillion-pound houses in London's Mayfair and St. John's Wood Districts.
See also
*
Atlas Maritime
*
Marcos Lemos
Captain Marcos Lemos (died 2009) was a Greek shipping magnate and racehorse owner who was an important figure on the racing scene in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1980s he sold his Warren Park stud farm at Newmarket to Gerald Carroll of the Carroll ...
References
{{Reflist
Reference found but needs to be inserted about the origins of the Lemos family is all from the book "Diplomatic archive of Chios" by Philip Argentini. Published 1954- Cambridge
Businesspeople from Chios