Jacques De Castro Efendi

Jacques De Castro Efendi was born in Istanbul in 1812/13 (AH 1227), into the Musevi community. Work began in 1839/40, at about 27, on a first salary of 1,000 kuruş. The first annual entry, for 1839/40, names Jacques De Castro as Sercerrah, with no place. For 1841 to 1846 and 1870 to 1873 the lists have no entry. Next came Istanbul in 1873/74. The lists have no entry for 1877 to 1878. At the same time, from 1876/77, the lists also place Jacques De Castro in Istanbul as Heyet-i Ayan azası. The last entries, from 1878 to 1880, name Jacques De Castro as maaştan öşr (1/10) kesinti, with no place. For 1880 to 1884 the lists have no entry. In place of a title the lists give Vefat (death) for 1884/85. Entries spanning 48 years are rare, reached by fewer than 2 per cent of the 8,239 officials.

The salary went from 1,000 kuruş a month in 1839/40 to 10,000 in 1876/77, the peak, in Istanbul, when 97 per cent of paid officials earned less. In all, 29 years of salary come to 1,056,000 kuruş, 6.4 times what an official on the median salary earned in those years, a level reached by fewer than 4 per cent of the 4,381 officials paid for five years or more. The last annual entry is for 1884/85.