Constructing Ionian identities: the Ionian Islands in British official ...

Ionian families the economic burden of sending their children to foreign universities.
It also distanced Ionian youths from the revolutionary and radical ideas in the
universities of Italy and France, which Douglas later blamed on teaching Ionians “to
hate England and the English connection”, and attendance was a precondition for
university education. 47
In the Septinsula Douglas argued he found “many peculiarities and strong
prejudices” hard to understand and even harder to accept, particularly in the area of
religion. 48 Traditionally, British administrators both in London and the Islands had
followed a policy of non-interference in religion. However, Douglas believed the
Greek Orthodox religion, the predominant denomination in the Islands, failed to
civilise the Ionian population, and he sought to free them from bondage to the Greek
Orthodox priesthood. As in New Brunswick, where he founded the Fredericton
College and fought for the admission of dissenters, Douglas believed the Ionian
Gymnasium would eradicate the “enemy within” associated with the high church
authorities and their teachings, which he felt led to superstition, prejudice and
passivity among the Ionian people.
He criticised the codes of matrimony and legitimisation of natural children in
the Islands. He criticised the system of dowry, which had negative effects on Ionian
society because of the difficulty of the brides’ families in raising the agreed funds. It
also gave couples the social status of marriage without the legal endorsement,
47 Douglas to Glenelg, 29 July 1835, CO 136/75; Douglas to Glenelg, Private and Separate, 21 June
1838, CO 136/88; Douglas to Russell 27 October 1839, CO 136/95. See also Gazzeta Jonie, no 476,
27 January 1840.
48 Douglas to Glenelg, 29 August 1836, CO 136/81.
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