Babcia

Midwives were often involved in the delivery of babies but they don’t usually show up on the birth record. In my family history, there are a few cases where they do. Instead of the father, they were the first declarant when the mother wasn’t married. Konstancja Kurkiewicz had five children when she wasn’t married and the midwife is listed. Marianna was born in 1856 and the declarant was midwife Agnieszka Jajkowska, 29, from Tomaszów Lubelski. Franciszek was work in 1858 and the informant was Marianna Zubawiecka, 50, a laborer and “babiąca” --a woman who assisted at births , not an official midwife. Karolina was born in 1863 and Marianna Zubawiecka again assisted but this time she was called “akusierka” or midwife. Marianna Wiciejewska had a child when she was unmarried. In 1874 Wladyslaw was born. Agnieszka Umińska, 52, from Tomaszow, assisted with the birth. ******************** What is interesting about finding these two separate single mothers who had midwives report their children’s birth is there was some sort of connection between them. Konstancja Kurkieiwicz married the father of her children in 1866. His name was Alexsander Umiński. Eight years later when Marianna Wiciejewska had her child, the midwife had the same last name as Alexsander. I am sure there was a connection between the two families. I looked at a few of the Polish records but without having them translated, I can’t be sure where they are connected. --------------------- Part 2 Here is some information about women who delivered babies from Jan Slomka’s book: “In those days, no one had heard of midwives who had passed examinations. In every village there were only so-called babki (literally, grandmothers, old women), who helped during delivery on the basis of their own experience. As soon as a child came into the world, one of the babka’s first actions was to heat enough vodka with honey and lard to fill two small glasses or mugs. The babka drank one of them, and gave the second to the other, urging her with the words, :Drink, drink, let this fill the empty spot where the little one lay--you’ll feel better right away.” “The christening party usually lasted up to three days, with fun, joyful singing, chatting --and the happies was the babka, who as a rule loved to drink most of all. After all, for several days of assistance to the sick woman, she received very little money, a gulden at most; and sometimes what she ate and drank was her only pay. The older folks called her ‘neighbor’, the young ones called her ‘grandmother’ and she called everyone who was there at the birth ‘neighbor’, and she called the children ‘grandchildren.’” ---------------- info Granted a dispensation for the first degree affinity from the Apostolic Capital on 29th October 1866 , above number 1784 , below number 141 . The married couple confirmed that they had children together before their marriage, Antonina and Maryanna. This marriage record on the strength of the above dispensation and according to Article 291 and Civil code of the Kingdom of Poland, status and rights of the children are recognised by law. ***** Image Credit: Autorstwa Georgios Jakobides - Nieznane, Domena publiczna, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1302386