The Orthodox Church is the state religion in Greece and, but for few exceptions, it is the faith of the people. Its records are kept in village churches, priests’ homes, monasteries and Metropolis (archdiocese) offices. This “covid summer” sadly put a halt to my digitization work in Sparta, but my colleague, Gregory Kontos of GreekAncestry, headed there in June to digitize yet another collection of church records, Parish Voter Lists of 100 Sparta villages.

Gregory’s detailed post about this collection explains that prior to 1967 when priests became state employees, each village was responsible for finding a priest for its church and paying his salary. Those eligible to vote were the heads of households–either men or widows–and a list of their names and ages was compiled. This specific collection spans the early to mid-1900’s and information includes:

• name of head of household
• father’s name
• age
• village
• a column for notes

If there is a collection for your village (a list is at the end of this post), you are in luck! This name-indexed, online collection will help you find your ancestor in a specific village at a specific year, and provide his age and father’s name. This information is mandatory to access records such as Male Registers and Dimitologion/Town Registers from Archives and Town Halls, whether you go in person or write a letter.

This image is the cover page of the 1933-34 Parish Voter List for Kato Chora, Mystras. It reads:  Eκλογικός Κατάλογος ((Electoral Catalog) Κάτω Χώρας-Μιστρά (Kato Chora-Mystra) Ίερου (Priest) Ναου ό Άγιος Δημήτριος (Temple of Agios Dimitrios), 1933-34.

(Click on any image to enlarge it)

Kato Chora, 1933 Parish Voter List, cover page

This is a page from the Kato Chora Parish Voter List. First column is the number of the voter, second column is voter’s surname and given name, third column is his age. Translation of line 1: Kanellakos, Petros age 85.

Kato Hora Parish Voter List, 1933

The page below is a 1939 Parish Voter List from Agios Ioannis, Sparta. It has two additional columns because it is a combination voter list and contribution list. Column one is the voter number, column two is the voter’s serial number in the contribution list,  column three is the grade/level of donation given, column four is the voter’s surname and given name, column five is notes.

Translation of line1:
Number 36, contributor number 21, contribution level B, contributor: Zervos, Sotirios, age 48.

1939 Parish Voter List, Agios Ioannis, Sparta

It is fascinating to look at the contribution levels of various families. This page shows four levels:  Α, Β, Γ, Δ (A, B, C, D). Those who could not donate have a horizontal line in the contribution level column, and are marked άωπρος (destitute) in the notes column. For example, see lines 72 and 73 on the left side, and several on the right side.

Important notes about these records:

1. Whenever a new priest was needed, the village compiled a Voter List. Those which changed priests several times have a list for each election. Be sure to get all lists for your village. Look at the years and compare the names and ages to see who is in the village for each year.
2. Many villages have undergone name changes between 1913 and today. The villages are listed by their names at the time the Voter List was created, NOT today’s name.  A quick search on Wikipedia reveals that 827 villages were renamed in the Peloponnese between 1913-1966, and that does not include additional changes made since then. Use the website Πανδέκτης to find the old and new village names; or, contact GreekAncestry.net.
3.  When you research the old and new village names, you will learn such interesting history. For example, Κοντεβιάνικα (Kontevianika) which is the village name in the records, is now Άσωπος (Asopos). The first settlers of that area were the Conte family who originated in the village of Viani, Crete–thus,they named the settlement Kontevianika after themselves.
4. To research old village names, copy the village name in Greek (as it is written below) and paste it into a search engine. A webpage will come up in Greek, then use Google translate to turn the page into English. In the example of Kontevianika, one “hit” was the website of the local government of Monemvasia (the village region) which provided the story of the naming of the village.
5. Another example: I put the name Κουρτσούνα (Kourtsouna) in Google. The search went to the EETAA.gr website where the history of the village, from 1835 to present, was given as taken from notices in the ΦΕΚ (Government Gazette). It was renamed Βασιλική (Vasiliki) in 1955. That’s a recent change, so if you have cousins today living in Vasiliki, but your grandparents or great-grandparents came from Kourtsouna, the family remained in the same village.

As with any new record collection, there is so much to explore in these Parish Voter Lists. The list can be searched by name or village, in English or Greek, at the GreekAncestry website. If you search by village, you will get a list of all the names in that village in all collections current on the website.

This is a list of the villages and the years as found on GreekAncestry here.

Metropolis of Sparta, Parish Voter Lists by Village & Year
Ag. Kyriaki – Αγ. Κυριακή – 1913
Ag. Andreas – Άγ. Ανδρέας – 1935
Ag. Dimitrios Monemvasias – Άγ. Δημήτριος Μονεμβασίας – 1934
Ag. Dimitrios Zarakos – Άγ. Δημήτριος Ζάρακος – 1934
Ag. Ioannis – Άγ. Ιωάννης – 1934, 1939-40
Ag. Ioannis Theologos – Άγ. Ιωάννης Θεολόγος – 1932-33
Ag. Nikolaos – Άγ. Νικόλαος – 1934
Ag. Nikolaos Monemvasias – Άγ. Νικόλαος Μονεμβασίας – 1930
Ag. Nikolaos Voion – Άγ. Νικόλαος Βοιών – 1934-35
Ag. Vasileios – Άγ. Βασίλειος – 1927, 1933
Agoriani – Αγόριανη – 1936, 1938
Agrapidoula – Αγραπιδούλα – 1935
Agrianoi – Αγριάνοι – 1932-33
Alampei – Αλάμπεη – 1928
Alampei [Alaimpei] – Αλάμπεη [Αλαΐμπεη] – 1926, 1934
Alepochori – Αλεποχώρι – 1934-35
Alevrou – Αλευρού – 1934-35
Anavryti – Αναβρυτή – 1932-33, 1935
Angelona – Αγγελώνα – 1934-35
Anogeia – Ανώγεια – 1935
Apidea (Apidia) – Απηδέα (Απηδιά) – 1934-35
Apidia – Απηδιά – 1920
Arachova – Αράχωβα – 1915
Asteri (Vriniko) – Αστέρι (Βρίνικο) – 1920, 1933, 1936
Charakas – Χάρακας – 1915, 1934-35
Chatziaga – Χατζήαγα – 1912
Chrysafa – Χρύσαφα – 1934-35
Dafni – Δαφνί – 1931, 1933, 1938
Daimonia – Δαιμονιά – 1932-33
Elaia (Elia) – Ελαία (Ελιά) – 1932
Elia (Elaia) – Ελιά (Ελαία) – 1916
Elika – Ελίκα – 1926-29, 1932-33
Faraklo – Φαρακλό – 1927, 1930, 1935
Filisi – Φιλήσι – 1926, 1928-29
Foiniki – Φοινίκι – 1925-27, 1929, 1936
Foutia – Φούτια – 1933-34, 1936
Fregkra – Φρέγκρα – 1936
Georgitsi – Γεωργίτσι – 1926, 1929, 1934-35
Geraki – Γεράκι – 1926, 1929, 1935
Gkoritsa – Γκοριτσά – 1934-35
Godena – Γοδένα – 1939
Goranoi – Γοράνοι – 1934-35
Gounari (Gounari) – Γούναρι (Γούναρη) – 1935
Gouves – Γούβες – 1927-29, 1933-35
Grammousa – Γράμμουσα – 1925, 1933, 1935
Ierakas – Ιέρακας – 1932-33
Ierax (Ierakas) – Ιέραξ (Ιέρακας) – 1927
Kalogonia – Καλογωνιά – 1925-26, 1930, 1934-36
Kalyvia Sellasias – Καλύβια Σελλασίας – 1934
Kamaria – Καμάρια – 1935
Kaminia – Καμίνια – 1934-35
Kampos – Κάμπος – 1925,1934, 1936
Karitsa – Καρίτσα – 1925
Karotsa – Καρότσα – 1933
Karyes – Καρυές – 1934-35
Kastorio (Kastania) – Καστόριο (Καστανιά) – 1934-35, 1940
Katavothra (Metamorfosi) – Καταβόθρα (Μεταμόρφωση) – 1923-29, 1934
Kato Chora Mystra – Κάτω Χώρα Μυστρά – 1933
Katsarou – Κατσαρού – 1939
Katsoulaiika – Κατσουλαίικα – 1934-35
Kefalas – Κεφαλάς – 1929, 1934-35
Kladas – Κλαδάς – 1929, 1930, 1932-33, 1935
Kokkinorachi (Tsouni) – Κοκκινόραχη (Τσούνι) – 1926, 1929, 1935
Koniditsa – Κονιδίτσα – 1928-29, 1933-35
Kontevianika – Κοντεβιάνικα – 1924-25, 1929, 1934-35
Kotsatina – Κοτσατίνα – 1922
Koulentia (Elliniko) – Κουλέντια (Ελληνικό) – 1933, 1934, 1936
Kounoupia – Κουνουπιά – 1933, 1935
Koupia – Κουπιά – 1927-29
Kourtsouna (Vasiliki) – Κουρτσούνα (Βασιλική) – 19335, 1935-36
Kremasti – Κρεμαστή – 1915, 1933
Krokees – Κροκεές – 1934-35
Kyparissi – Κυπαρίσσι – 1931
Lachi – Λάχι – 1924, 1926-28
Lagia – Λάγια – 1917
Lagio – Λάγιο – 1936
Leimonas – Λεήμονας – 1919
Magoula – Μαγούλα – 1927-28
Mari – Μαρί – 1933
Molaoi – Μολάοι – 1927, 1929
Monemvasia – Μονεμβασία – 1913, 1915,1927, 1929, 1933
Mousga – Μούσγα – 1935
Myrtia – Μυρτιά – 1929-30
Mystras – Μυστράς – 1916
Niata – Νιάτα – 1924, 1929
Nomia – Νόμια – 1912
Pakia – Πάκια – 1916
Palaiochori – Παλαιοχώρι – 1934-35
Panigyristra – Πανηγυρίστρα – 1929
Pantanassa Monemvasias – Παντάνασσα Μονεμβασίας – 1928
Pardali – Παρδάλι – 1932
Parori [Parori] – Παρόρι [Παρώρι] – 1929-30
Pellana (Kalyvia) – Πελλάνα (Καλύβια) – 1934, 1936
Platana – Πλατάνα – 1921
Platanaki – Πλατανάκι – 1933
Polovitsa – Πολοβίτσα – 1928-29
Pritsa (Palaiovrysi) – Πρίτσα (Παλαιόβρυση) – 1915
Pyri – Πυρί – 1931
Sellasia – Σελλασία – 1935
Skala – Σκάλα – 1940
Sklavochori – Σκλαβοχώρι – 1939
Skoura – Σκούρα – 1912
Sparti – Σπάρτη – 1934
Syrkia – Σύρκια – 1912
Tarapsa – Τάραψα – 1917
Tsasi – Τσάσι – 1926, 1928-29, 1935
Varsiniko – Βαρσίνικο – 1932-33
Varsova – Βάρσοβα – 1934-35
Vassaras – Βασσαράς – 1932, 1935
Velanidia Voion – Βελανίδια Βοιών – 1932-34
Vergadeika (Bergadeika) – Βεργαδέικα (Μπεργαδέικα) – 1927, 1933
Vlachiotis – Βλαχιώτης – 1921, 1925, 1934-35
Vordonia (Vordonia) – Βορδώνια (Βορδόνια) – 1932, 1934, 1936
Voutianoi – Βουτιάνοι – 1925
Vresthena – Βρέσθενα – 1935
Vrontamas – Βρονταμάς – 1933-35
Vroulias (Sellasia) – Βρουλιάς (Σελλασία) – 1924-25
Xirokampi – Ξηροκάμπι – 1935
Zagana – Ζαγάνα – 1921
Zarafona – Ζαραφώνα – 1913, 1915, 1933
Zelina (Melitini) – Ζελίνα (Μελιτίνη) – 1933, 1939
Zoupaina (Ag. Anargyroi) – Ζούπαινα (Άγ. Ανάργυροι) – 1932-33