Plaoutine family

[BingandNelsonFan]

I am hoping that someone (or multiple people!  ) will be able to help me learn about Michael Sergevitch "Serge" de Plaoutine. As far as I have been able to learn, he served as Aide-de-Camp to Alexander II and Alexander III. He was the son of a famous "General de Plaoutine", but I don't know the father's Christian name or the date of Serge's birth.

De Plaoutine married Eleanor Hester Mary Pringle (an English woman) in Nice, France, on 30 Apr 1867. They obviously lived in Russia for decades. They had at least two children:

A daughter, Selina, who was born at Tsarskoe Selo on 05 Aug 1869
A son (name unknown to me), also born at Tsarskoe Selo, on 28 Aug 1873

The de Plaoutines moved to the South of France around 1900. Serge de Plaoutine was back in Russia in August 1918, because he was arrested by the Bolshevists on 01 Sep 1918 and confined in prison. He was not heard from after that time, and it was assumed that he died on 04 Sep 1918. His wife had actually gone to see the head of the Cheka, to inquire into the whereabouts of her husband, but was able to learn nothing. De Plaoutine was legally declared dead in the Probate Court in London on 28 Nov 1927.

Mrs. de Plaoutine had died at the family chateau in Nice in 1924. The daughter, Selina, went to London in 1921 and naturalized as a British citizen. She married George Neame in 1925. She died in England in 1951.

That is everything that I know, but I am really hoping that others will be able to add to this information. I have been working on some genealogy and just found a link to them, so it would be cool to know more. Thanks a lot!

[rudy3]

Russian sources give somewhat different details: Serge, most likely, is Sergei Nikolaevich Plaoutine (in Russian Plautin), born 1837, died 1927, A.D.C. until his retirement in 1883.
His father was General Nikolai Fedorovich Plautin (1794- 24 Dec.1866 in Nice), his mother Severina Iosifovna Kalinovskaya (1814-1852) and he had one sister Olga (b.1839) and one brother Nikolai, who did not live long (1845-1845)
Sergei was married to Eleanora Pringle (1843-1924) and they had two children: Nikolai (1868-1918) and Elizaveta (1875-1921).
Nikolai married Maria Mikhailovna Raevskaya (1872-1942), lady-in-waiting of the Empress.
As said, all according to Russian sources……
Rudy

[BingandNelsonFan]

Thank you for all of that info. That gives me a lot more leads than I've got, and more names always make things easier. My sister and I are having so much fun with this, as we've always enjoyed studying Imperial Russia, and this gives us something fun to look into.

That is interesting to see that his name is actually different. There's no doubt that it was Michael Sergevitch in the English world and that he must have just been called "Serge". Of course, that wouldn't be the first time that the English changed a name when "translating". I have included a transcript of a 1927 newspaper article that I've found which explains the circumstances of his death (see bottom of post). Probate was granted the following year to Selina de Plaoutine.

About the son, Nikolai: That makes great sense, as I had found some references to a Nikolai. In fact, there is a Nicholas de Plaoutine who was born 02 Feb 1868 and attended Brighton College. So, I would assume that is there son.

Birth announcements were published in English papers for a son and daughter, each born at Tsarskoe Selo on the dates given in my first post. So, that's why I could only find two children but wasn't sure of names. Selina is on naturalization records in 1921 and was granted the probate of De Plaoutine's limited English estate --- which is why I assumed that she was the daughter. Despite the discrepancy in the birth years, I am wondering if Elizaveta and Selina are the same --- and the Russian records show the year of her naturalization as her death. Of course, there could be two daughters, too. Something fun to work on!

Again, thank for the reply, and any information is most appreciated. This is the first time that I've ever tried to do any "research" in Russian history --- other than reading a book.



Aberdeen Press and Journal
Tuesday, 29 Nov 1927

SOVIET REVOLT ECHO
Court Presumes Death of
Russian Noble

There was an echo in the Probate Court, London, yesterday of the dramatic events in Russia following the introduction of the Bloshevist regime, when Lord Merrivale had before him an application to presume the death as having occurred on or since September 4, 1918, of Michael Sergevitch de Plaoutine. Applicants held a power of attorney for the widow, an Englishwoman by birth, who married the presumed deceased, a Russian noble-man. According to the evidence of the widow on affidavit, the presumed deceased was arrested by the Bolshevists on September 1, 1918, and confined in the prison. He had not been heard of since September, 1918.
Her husband said the wife, was an aide-de-camp of the late Tsar of Russia and a noble-man of considerable wealth and social and political standing. After the arrest of her husband she went at great personal risk to the head of the Cheka, who assisted her in her inquiries because she was an Englishwoman.
The application was granted.

[BingandNelsonFan]

I posted this the other day in the "Servants, Friends and Retainers" board, but now I'm beginning to wonder if I should have posted here. I am hoping that someone (or multiple people!  Smiley ) will be able to help me learn about Michael Sergevitch "Serge" de Plaoutine (who seems to be know by the Russians as Sergei Nikolaevich Plaoutine or Plautin). As far as I have been able to learn, he served as Aide-de-Camp to Alexander II and Alexander III. He was the son of a famous "General de Plaoutine".

De Plaoutine married Eleanor Hester Mary Pringle (an English woman) in Nice, France, on 30 Apr 1867. They obviously lived in Russia for decades. They had at least two children:

A daughter (I believe that her name was Selina) who was born at Tsarskoe Selo on 05 Aug 1869
A son (name unknown to me), also born at Tsarskoe Selo, on 28 Aug 1873

There is a Nicholas de Plaoutine who was born 02 Feb 1868 and attended Brighton College. Someone responding to the other post says that Nikolai de Plaoutine (b. 1868) was, indeed, their son. They also stated that they had a daughter, Elizaveta (1875-1921). Birth announcements were published in English papers for a son and daughter, each born at Tsarskoe Selo on the dates given above. Despite the discrepancy in the birth years, I am wondering if Elizaveta and Selina are the same --- and the Russian records show the year of her naturalization as her death. Of course, there could be two daughters, too.

The de Plaoutines moved to the South of France around 1900, give or take. Serge de Plaoutine was back in Russia in August 1918, because he was arrested by the Bolshevists on 01 Sep 1918 and confined in prison. He was not heard from after that time, and it was assumed that he died on 04 Sep 1918. His wife had actually gone to see the head of the Cheka, to inquire into the whereabouts of her husband, but was able to learn nothing. De Plaoutine was legally declared dead in the Probate Court in London on 28 Nov 1927. (See transcription of newspaper report at the bottom of this post).

Mrs. de Plaoutine had died at the family chateau in Nice in 1924. The daughter, Selina, went to London in 1921 and naturalized as a British citizen. She married George Neame in 1925. She was granted the English probate of Serge's estate in 1928. She died in England in 1951.

That is everything that I know, but I am really hoping that others will be able to add to this information. I have been working on some genealogy and just found a link to them, and my sister and I would LOVE to know more. Smiley Thanks a lot!


Aberdeen Press and Journal
Tuesday, 29 Nov 1927

SOVIET REVOLT ECHO
Court Presumes Death of
Russian Noble

There was an echo in the Probate Court, London, yesterday of the dramatic events in Russia following the introduction of the Bloshevist regime, when Lord Merrivale had before him an application to presume the death as having occurred on or since September 4, 1918, of Michael Sergevitch de Plaoutine. Applicants held a power of attorney for the widow, an Englishwoman by birth, who married the presumed deceased, a Russian noble-man. According to the evidence of the widow on affidavit, the presumed deceased was arrested by the Bolshevists on September 1, 1918, and confined in the prison. He had not been heard of since September, 1918.
Her husband said the wife, was an aide-de-camp of the late Tsar of Russia and a noble-man of considerable wealth and social and political standing. After the arrest of her husband she went at great personal risk to the head of the Cheka, who assisted her in her inquiries because she was an Englishwoman.
The application was granted.

[BingandNelsonFan]

I have been spending a lot of time this weekend working on this, and am finally sorting things out.

Eleanor Pringle married Sergei Nikolaevich "Serge" de Plaoutine (or Plautin) in Nice on 30 Apr 1867. They had at least four children, only two of whom seem to have survived to adulthood. Eleanor died in Nice in 1924. Serge died in 1927 (assuming in Nice).

Michael Sergevitch de Plaoutine married Selina Rogers Woodhouse (ex-wife of Arthur Woodhouse, Consul at St. Petersburg, and mother of Ella Winifred Woodhouse Cordasco). Michael de Plaoutine was killed around 04 Sep 1918 and legally declared dead in 1928.

Serge and Michael seem to have been related, as they both seemed to have lived at the house 25 Millionaya at some point between the years of 1913 and 1918.

Serge and Eleanor's son, Nicholas, seems to have attended Brighton College. I cannot find if he and his wife had any children.
Serge and Eleanor's daughter married and had at least four children. She and two of the children were shot to death at Smolensk in 1921.

If anyone is able to continue adding information here, I would be most appreciative. Thanks!

[rudy3]

Some more from Russian sources about Elizaveta Sergeevna Plautina (1875-1921), daughter of Sergei Nikolaevich Plautin (1837-1926) and Eleanora Pringle (1843-1924):
Elizaveta was married to prince Sergei Borisovich Shcherbatov (1870-1919), they had four children, Boris (1897-1920), Irina (1901-1921), Dmitri (1903-1981), Tatiana (1905-2000). They lived until the revolution in their manor Mitino, in Preobrazhenskoe, close to Smolensk. Later it was used as War hospital and hospital for tuberculosis patients. The manor did not survive to our days.

Elizaveta, Irina and Dmitiri were arrested and accused of contra-revolutionary activities on May 14, 1921. Irina was shot shortly afterwards. Elizaveta died that same year, either in captivity or at home.

Some sources, like the memoirs of his cousin Alexei Shcherbatov, have Dmitri shot in 1921 as well, but he escaped, fled to Siberia, changed his name to Vasili Kuzmich Shcherbakov, became a well-known scientist and died in 1981. He had two sons and many (grand)grandchildren.


Their daughter Tatiana married Boris Vladimirovich Shevyakov in 1930, in Leningrad, both were talented artists, he an art conserver, she a copier of freco’s. Their daughter Vera was born in 1931. However, Boris was arrested and sent to Solovki camp in 1935, where he died some years later.
 Tatiana and her daughter escaped to Georgia (South of Russia), where she became well-known in her art. She died in 2000. Her daughter Vera became an archeologist and lives today in Dedovsk, close to Moscow.

[BingandNelsonFan]

Fabulous info. Thanks, too, for the e-mail. This certainly adds a lot to the little amount that I know. I was not able to find reference to either Dimitri or Tatiana, though the "Nouvel Almanach du Corps Diplomatique: Ancien Almanach de Gotha" from 1939 lists two other girls. I am assuming that they died either as infants or children. Here is the listing (this has just been translated on Google Translate from French, so that's why it's a little rough):

(Stcherbatov, Scherbatow, Scherbatoff)
Serge, born in St Petersburg 21 Jan 1870 f Kharkov May 31, 1919, att. the min. the Russian interior, m. St Petersburg 12 Jan 1897 Elisabeth Plaoutine (Hered Russian nobility.), born in St. Petersburg March 2, 1875, f (shot to death) to Smolensk. . . 1921 Bridesmaid empresses of Russia
Children: 1 Prof. Boris born in St. Petersburg October 17, 1897 (rifles) has Archangel 1920 Russian apirant
2) Psse Elizabeth, born in St. Petersburg November 5, 1898
3) Psse Marie, born January 5, 1900 in Florence
4) Psse Irena, born September 2, 1901 in Lebanon (Executed) Smolensk 1921


What about Elizaveta's brother, Nicholas (married to Maria Mikhailovna Raevskaya)? I am pretty sure that he attended Brighton College, so I have an e-mail out to them asking if they know anything about him. Thanks again for the great info!

[rudy3]

It is, of course possible he attended Brighton College, but I wonder at what stage in life: Nicholas Sergeevich (1868-1918) was already serving in the Hussars Life Guards and appointed chief of the mounted regiments in 1904 (-1907) and as officer in command of a brigade of the Kuban Cossacks from November 1914, as Major-General. He retired in April 1917. Died in Oct/Nov 1918 in Poland.

[BingandNelsonFan]

After finding a few newspaper clippings and stories, I have been inspired to learn about Sergei Nikolaevich de Plaoutine (Plautin) and his wife, Eleanor Pringle. Thanks to some very helpful people on this forum, I have found out about three of their four children. Their second child, however, has proved so elusive. I only know a couple of facts about her, and I am hoping that someone here may know a little more.

Vera de Plaoutine (Plautin) was born at Tsarskoe-Selo on 05 Aug 1869. She died between 1916-17.
She married Serge Denissieff (Denisov). He died in 1926 at Petrograd.
They had five children:
Serge (escaped Russia and served in the British Forces with the name Sergei Denissieff --- must have died during the First World War or shortly afterwards).
Alec (died in some kind of air accident during or shortly after the First World War).
Elena
Iza
Marrianne (or Mariamne). She married twice. Her first marriage was to her first cousin, George N. Plaoutine. He died in a German Air Raid at Algiers in 1942. They had one daughter, Helene (or Elena), who also died in the Air Raid.
Marianne's second husband was a British Naval Officer. His name was Robert Alexander Smith. They married in 1945 and had a son, Andrew.

I am really trying to find out anything about Vera and her husband, Serge. I have browsed through a few Russian pages online, but they seem to have Vera mixed up with a Vera Plautin Zubov. She was born in 1845, but the sites have added Marrianne as her youngest child.

Thanks to anyone who is able to help with this!
Regards,
Sarah

[Forum Admin]

I tried to find them in my original 1889 "Annuaire de la Nobilite Russe" but Ploutines aren't even mentioned and the Denisovs are mentioned only that there are two branches of the family, one branch permitted to call themselves Denisov-Orlov due to a marriage to an Orlov Princess.

Sorry I can't help more.

[Превед]

Vera de Plaoutine (Plautin) was born at Tsarskoe-Selo on 05 Aug 1869. She died between 1916-17.
She married Serge Denissieff (Denisov). He died in 1926 at Petrograd.
They had five children:
Serge (escaped Russia and served in the British Forces with the name Sergei Denissieff --- must have died during the First World War or shortly afterwards).

If they romanized the name into Denisieff (à la française), mustn't it have been денисев (Denisev) in the original Russian?

[BingandNelsonFan]

Thanks for looking! I have been able to find that Marianne (youngest child of Vera and Serge) was born around 1905. Maybe that will help!

If they romanized the name into Denisieff (à la française), mustn't it have been денисев / Denisev in the original Russian? It most likely had an Ukrainian / South Russian origin.

That sounds right. Apparently, Marianne (and her sisters, maybe) left Russia and went to France. Her cousin (and first husband), George Plaoutine, lived in France with other members of his family. Maybe she went near them. "Denisev" would be the original Russian, then? I will try looking for that. I had found a couple translations with "Denisov", but it is so difficult, since I'm relying on computer translators, to figure out the names. Thanks!

[Превед]

The noble Plautins are described on the Russian Wikipedia: Bикипедиа: Плаутины Further information in volume 16, page 17 of the General Armorial of the Noble Families of the All-Russian Empire.

[Forum Admin]

Vera de Plaoutine (Plautin) was born at Tsarskoe-Selo on 05 Aug 1869. She died between 1916-17.
She married Serge Denissieff (Denisov). He died in 1926 at Petrograd.
They had five children:
Serge (escaped Russia and served in the British Forces with the name Sergei Denissieff --- must have died during the First World War or shortly afterwards).

If they romanized the name into Denisieff (à la française), mustn't it have been денисев (Denisev) in the original Russian?

The Annuaire published in Petersburg in 1889 spells the name "Denisov". 

[Превед]

As can be seen from the link on the Wikipedia page, their arms feature on a house at the prestigeous adress 15 Millionaya Street in St. Petersburg.