John EPPS

1823 -

• Name	John EPPS
  Christened	20 Oct 1823	Faversham, Kent, England
  Gender	Male
  Person ID	I3012	Young Kent Ancestors
  Last Modified	28 Dec 2019

  
  

  Father	George EPPS,   c. 2 Jun 1799, Ospringe, Kent, England ,   bur. 11 Jan 1887, Ospringe, Kent, England  (Age ~ 87 years)
  Mother	Catherine NUTT,   c. 2 Oct 1799, Faversham, Kent, England ,   bur. 9 Feb 1883, Ospringe, Kent, England  (Age ~ 83 years)
  Married	20 Jan 1820	Faversham, Kent, England   [1]
  Family ID	F1213	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  John Epps left Kent early in life after obtaining his teaching degree. He eventually made his way to the Lyceum in St. Petersburg, Russia which was a high school for young nobles who were preparing for diplomatic life. During 1904 John was selected from the Lyceum to take the post of English tutor to the four Grand Duchesses, the children of Czar Nicholas II and Alexandria. That is a post he held until shortly before the tragic events of 1918. After John's death, a ring that had been presented to him by Czar Nicholas, was given as a bequest to Florence Dorothy Nutt, his grand-niece. Gilberts Books - the publishing division of Royal Russia - is pleased to present its latest title - The Forgotten Tutor: John Epps and the Romanovs is the first book written about the virtually unknown tutor to the Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, between the years 1905-1914. In December 1914 the eldest daughter of the last Tsar sent her former tutor a photographic portrait of herself. The soulful picture, signed ‘Olga 1914’, was the last communication the devoted tutor received from any of his former pupils. In July 1918 the family of Nicholas II were brutally murdered by a Bolshevik firing squad in the basement of the Ipatiev House in Ekaterinburg. After his return to England in 1914, John Epps took particular pains to preserve his Imperial mementoes. Over nine years - between 1905 and 1914 - he collected every letter, card and drawing he received from the ill-fated children. About 30 of his papers were discovered more than a decade ago at Maggs Bros. Ltd., an antiquarian book dealer in London, England. They had lain untouched at the bottom of a tin document drawer for nearly 70 years. Janet Epps - an Australian descendant of the tutor - and Dr. Gabriella Lang tell the story of John Epps, who arrived in Russia in 1880 to take up a post in an English school. From 1900, he was employed as a teacher at the Imperial Lyceum in Tsarskoye Selo. It was not until 1905, however, that he was offered the position of tutor to the four daughters of Russia's last tsar. On Monday April 25th, 1905, John Epps arrived at the Alexander Palace where he was met by Princess Sonia Orbeliani - the Tsarina’s lady-in-waiting who took him to schoolroom, where he encountered “a tall, slender woman.” He describes this meeting: “Have I the honour of speaking to the Tsarina?” he asked hesitantly. “Yes, you do,” she replied. His new August employer smiled and did her best to make him at ease. Many of John Epps’ observations of the grand duchesses are now preserved in the pages of this charming book. To John Epps, they had not been historical figures but real people with whom he had a relationship and these historical documents were tangible proof of that. The highlight of the book are the reproductions of the letters, cards and drawings created by the grand duchesses for their beloved tutor, and published for the first time in The Forgotten Tutor. These childish drawings and sketches - so lovingly prepared and just as lovingly collected and carefully preserved - coupled with Epps' impressions of life in the Alexander Palace, tell of a different age, a magical world that ended so brutally. The stage is now set for John Epps' story to be told, for acknowledgement of his contribution to the rich tapestry of the Romanov saga and - most importantly - to finally bring these poignant personal mementoes of the last tsar and his family into the public arena. The Forgotten Tutor: John Epps and the Romanovs is the 25th title published by Gilbert's Books - the publishing division of Royal Russia - since 1994.

  
  

• Sources

  [S98] Marriage Licences, Archdeaconry of Canterbury, Joseph Meadows Cowper and Arthur J. Willis, (England, Canterbury: Cross and Jackman, 1892-1898, c1967-1971), Volume 35, 1810-1837, 19 Jan 1820. Geo Epps of Faversham cordwainer bach & Cath Nutt of the s sp. 19 Jan 1820.