History program explains how Meredith lad became Russian count

MEREDITH — Local lore tells the tale of a teenaged boy who ran away from his employer to join the crew of a merchant ship bound for Russia. He unexpectedly returned many years later as a decorated Russian nobleman.

For its premier program in the Meredith Historical Society’s 2026 Speaker Series, Jewel Fox will tell the unusual tale of “The Russian Count” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, at the Parish Hall of Trinity Episcopal Church. 

A member of the Laconia Historical Society, Fox first encountered the story while initiating a genealogy project, and she wanted to learn if it could be true.

“Before starting my intended writing project, my curiosity demanded that I put this question to rest. I thought the task might take a few weeks," she said. "Almost two years later, I am still researching the father and son at the heart of this story, which is more fascinating and implausible than I ever could have imagined.”

“Meredith and Laconia have a great deal of shared history,” said MHS President John Hopper, “and Jewel’s program helps keep alive one of the more remarkable tales from our communities’ early days.”

Fox is semi-retired from a career in project management and software support for media companies, which began with a few years working at The Citizen in the late 1990s. Prior to that, she worked in many roles while raising her three children. Her favorite job was as the Russian editor for Transparent Language, a language learning software company in Hollis, employment that related to her major in Russian from the University of Vermont.

Note the society’s April 7 program will be held in the parish hall at Trinity Episcopal Church on Route 25. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for refreshments and socializing, with the program starting at 7 p.m.

For more information about the Society’s Speaker Series, visit meredithhistoricalsocietynh.org.