The Trikoupis family was among the wealthiest and most important in Missolonghi. The family could trace back its origins to the 1700s. The earliest members were shipowners, merchants, and primates. Ioannis Trikoupis (1750-1824) was a liberal politician and banker, who became a member of the Filiki Eteria when he was 70 years old. He participated in the Greek War of Independence, during which he lost his fortune and two sons, who died during the third siege of Missolonghi. His wife was Alexandra, a member of the erudite Palamas family of Missolonghi; one of her relatives had founded the Palamas School, a famous local educational institution. Their first-born son was Spyridon.