Sidney Louis Walter MERLIN

Sidney Merlin was the only British marksman to take part in the first Modern Olympic Games in 1896 and ten years later he competed in all eleven individual shooting events at the 1906 Games. He won the gold medal in the clay pigeon, double shot, with 15 hits out of a possible 20 and he also won the bronze medal in the single shot event. The considerable fortune of the Merlin family and their native-born knowledge of the Greek language placed them among the leaders of Greek Society at the turn of the century. The family were substantial landowners and one of the main thoroughfares of Athens is still known as Merlin Street. Sidney Merlin married Zaira, the daughter of George Theotokis, the Greek Prime Minister, and when they were later divorced Zaira married Ioannis Rollis who, like his father-in-law, also became Prime Minister. Sidney Merlin and Gerald Merlin are invariably referred to as brothers but this is not correct. A search of the British Consular Birth Register reveals that Gerald was the son of Charles E. P. Merlin and his wife Irene (nee Stournare) whereas Sidney was the son of the British Vice-Consul for Athens, Charles L. W. Merlin and his wife Isabella (née Green). However in fact they were uncle and nephew.