Rogozno Part 2: From Curt Wolf

Why would this group of Germans move east? (George Eiffler was Curt Wolf’s 5x great grandfather) At the time of George Eiflers arrival to Poland in 1784, both the land in Germany and Poland was ruled by the Hapsburg Dynasty of the Austrian Empire. To extend their wealth, the Hapsburgs wanted people to settle these empty lands to the east. There was a notable nobleman in Poland’s history named Andrzej Zamoyst who worked a deal with the Hapsburgs to have these families come live on his estate. The Emperor paid for their travel, new housing, livestock, and many other things. George Eifler, who lived on less and poorer land in the foothills than the offer in Poland figured this was a much better situation so he went for it. None of the “colonists”, as they were called, were forced to go but went freely for their own economic advantage. Each colonist family signed the contract along with Zamoyst and a representative from the Hapsburg family. According to the contract, George received 40 acres to lease with his family The actual contract . . . is a fascinating read of a “do it yourself commune of the 18th century”! Andrzej Zamoyst was well respected, holding one of the highest positions in Poland. He was considered a great man of integrity, was influenced by the enlightened principles that gave birth to America, and was the first of the large landowners in Poland to create positive reforms in the abusive Serfdom system. It is nice to know that our ancestors enjoyed some of these reforms. This contract was for the most part honored by many families until the early 1900s although some released themselves from the contract over time. The Russians honored it when they took over the area from the Hapsburgs in 1815 but it was totally disregarded when Russia turned communist. Finally, to keep these “family writings” within reasonable length, I will end with a paragraph summarizing the contract done by a descendant of the Thor colonist family. More on the Eiflers next time before we get to the Niedzwiedzki side. Curt Contract Summary: It was December 1784, when the Thors came to Zamość with representatives of, among others of the Klaudel families (Claudel spelled at the time), Gryn, Sprenger, Belz, Müller, Albinger, Pfeiffer, Lambert, Szmidt, Tur, Altmajer, Eifler, Bender and others. Among hundreds of colonist families, 90 were farmers, the rest were craft families. Among them was a blacksmith, carpenter, carpenter, miller, tailor, shoemaker, fisherman, beekeeper, stonemason, and nail builder. Settlers were settled in various places of the Zamość Ordinance. Eight families in each of the following colonies: Białobrzegi, Huszczka, Płoskie, and Zamch. Six in the Brody Stare colony, five in the Rosary colony, nine in the Korchów colony, 10 in the Rogóźno colony and 12 in the Sitaniec colony. On February 28, 1785, at the Zamoyski estate office in Zamość, the ordinate Andrzej Zamoyski signed a contract with German settlers. Zamość contract. 100 colonists (including four illiterates) and a representative of the Austrian authorities signed it. The contract concluded for eternal times, precisely defined rights and obligations in 44 points. He normalized that every farming family would receive from the ordinance in a designated colony 30 morgas (40 acres) of land for development, including the arrangement of an orchard, vegetable garden and meadow. He warned that artisans could not have more than 15 morgas so that they would not neglect their profession. Within 2 years, the ordinate undertook to build a residential house for the colonists, consisting of a large room, a chamber and a kitchen with a brick oven and a chimney, which led to the roof. Covered with straw and a wooden floor in living quarters. Each farm was to have a wooden stable for 8 cattle and a granary for grain at the cost of the ordinate. Each settled family was to receive, in proportion to its land, in the first spring of settlement 2 horses, one gelding and one mare, 2 draft oxen, 2 cows and 1 sow, all of the best species. And also 1 iron forged wagon, iron plow, 2 wooden harrows with iron teeth and an iron shovel. The value of dead and livestock was to be returned in six installments over a period of six years, starting from January 1791. The contract regulated the issues of farm inheritance, compensation, obtaining wood for fuel from ordinance forests, courts, rents, taxes, settlements, and fortunes. He stipulated that in the event of neglect, rascality, bad will, destruction of the farm by the settler or rent debts, the ordinate may remove the colonist without compensation.

Antoni Jozef Kurkiewicz Died March 20, 1852

The record of the death of Antoni Jozef Kurkiewicz (my 3x great grandfather) is cool for several reasons. He is only the 2nd person with a middle name that I have found so far. Also, his son Jozef (my 2x great grandfather) signed the record and there are very few records signed by anyone other than the priest. Also, when I originally received this record, I found out his parent's names so it helped me work one more generation back in that line. There are 16 people in this generation and I have found parents for eight of them. Antoni Jozef Kurkiewicz died March 20 1852 at 7:00 in the morning in Tomaszów Lubelski. The cause of death is not given. A cholera outbreak was going on in Poland at the time. He was 67 years old and his wife Marianna (nee Kiszczynska) had died six years earlier. He worked as a shoemaker. He was the son of Marcin Kurkiewicz and Franciszka nee Rzeczycki. His son Jozef, age 37 and his son-in-law Jan Kaminski, age 23, both farmers from Tomaszów Lubelskie. went two days later to report the death.

Theodore Kaszucki and Feodysia Czyszakiewicz are married!

Theodore Kaszucki and Feodysia Czyszakiewicz are married at Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker Greek Catholic Church in Tomaszow Lubelski. The groom’s name was Teodor Kaszucki (my 3rd great grand uncle) and the bride’s name was Teodora Czyszkiewicz, they were both 23 years old and they were married February 25, 1816. Both families were furriers. You might remember I had a difficult time sorting out the brothers from Uhnow. I had Fedor, Fedir, Theodore, Fedora, and Teodor. At first, I thought they were the same person with different versions of their name. Then I thought that the youngest one had died and the parents had used the name again. Eventually I figured out that one was Teodor and one was Fidory. That would be enough name complication for one story but it turns out it isn’t. His wife Theodora/Teodora went by the nickname “Teska” and also had the name Feodysia. Again, different versions of the same name and this time all the same person. The really weird thing though is that Teodora’s father Stefan changed his LAST name from Panczyszak to Czyszkiewicz. The father was a furrier and lived at #219 Krasnobrodzki St. in Tomaszów Lubelski. Her mother was Anna nee Jewniczuk. First wedding announcements (banns) happened 11 February and the second one 18 February around 12 PM in front of the door of the municipal clerk's house

House Numbers: Wisniowski (Tomaszow Lubelski)

Blazej Wisniowski and Jagnieska nee Szczesnicka (my 4x great grandparents) may have moved around a bit. Blazej is referred to as “famous” in the middle of the time period captured -- 1813 to 1818 -- I am not sure if that is due to his work in pottery or to differentiate him from a Blazej who was in the “poor house.” Blazej Wisniowski and single mother Anna Paszkoska had a child Francis in 1814 when he lived in the poor house and she worked there. This was located at #27. This is a different Blazej My 4x great grandparents had various house numbers in the records for the time period of 1813 to 1817. (349, 360, 36, 36, 339, 339, 276) The Blazej that is my 4x great grand parent and his wife Jagnieska had their son Wojcieh in 1813, #349. In 1815, Blazej Wisniowski and Jagnieska nee Szczesnicka had Jozef in their house #360. A year later Jozef dies and the house is recorded as #36. Anna is born the the “famous” Blazaz in 1817 in his house #339. Anna died the following year (1817) in their house #339. In 1818, they had another child named Anna and she was born in #276. The Wisniowski family was potters. The other family of potters--the Wiciejewski family-- lived in the area of 206 and 207.

House Numbers: Kurkiewicz (Tomaszow Lubelski)

Antoni Kurkiewicz and Marianna nee Kiszczynska (my 4x great grandparents) lived in house 60 from 1812 to 1814 then moved lived in house #16 and #17 for several years (1815-1818.) By 1823, they lived in house #23. Marianna’s mother died in house #89 in 1814. ********** Details: Antoni Kurkiewicz and Marianna nee Kiszczynska (my 4x great grandparents) had their child Jagniezka in 1812 in their house #60. In 1814, Marianna (Kisczynska) Kurkiewicz’ mother Justyna Kiszczynska died in #89. Anthony Kudlicka was a neighbor.Their son Jozef was born in 1815 in #60. Their daughter Jagnieszka died in 1815 in house #16. In 1818, their daughter Katarzyna was born in house #17. In 1821, daughter Apolonia was born in house #76. In 1823, Wincenty was born in his father’s house #76. In 1823, 2 month old Felix died in his parents’ house #76. ********** Other Kurkiewicz: Tomasz Kurkiewicz was born in house #432 in 1814. His father Walenty Kurkiewicz was later married to my 4th great aunt, Katarzyna Wiciejewska. In 1817, Walenty’s wife Aniela (nee Kata) died in the same house. Some of the Kurkiewicz’s lived in the 200’s like the Kaszucki family. Ezekiel Kurkiewicz was born to Antoni Kurkiewicz and mother Xenia (nee Bratkiewicz) in house #247 in 1817. Antoni’s father was Pawel Kurkiewicz. Pawel died in 1818 in house #77. In 1821 Antoni Kurkiewicz died in #244 (his own house) and his brother-in-law, a blacksmith was a witness. In 1823, Tekla Kurkiewicz was born to Konstanty Kurkieiwcz and Apolonia nee Jablonska in house #75. The next year in 1824, daughter Katarzyna was born in the same house.

House Numbers: Kaszucki story (Tomaszow Lubelski)

The records on the Kaszucki side include some house numbers. These would all be in the city of Tomaszow Lubelski. I don’t know if they lived and worked their trade in the same building but if they did, these would also be the addresses of their business. Only one of the references includes a street name-- 219 Krasnobrodzki Street. I don’t know if the other numbers in the 200 range (204, 206, 207, 213, 215, 225) were all on the same street. Most of the addresses were in the 200 block, the only others were 106, 160, and 425. The time period is 1814 to 1827. All the addresses refer to the three Kaszucki brothers from Uhnow: Andrzej, Fedory and Teodore. Two were furriers and one was a shoemaker. ********** Andrzej Kaszucki’s (a furrier)and his wife Salomea nee Wiciejewska (my 3x great grandparents) do not have records where their house number is given. There are records that her parents Maciej Wiciejewski and Marianna nee Metalska (my 4x great grandparents) lived in #206 and later in #207. (Maybe like my grandparent’s address in Grand Rapids, this is the same building.) The Wiciejewski family occupation was potters. The other family of potters--the Wisniewski family lived at 276 and also in the 300s. Andrzej and Salomea had their first child Mikolaj in Salomea’s parent's house #27 (207?) in 1823-- so they were either visiting or living there at the time. Their son Jozef was born in 1824, also in Salomea’s father’s house. The number is given as 27 but may have been 207. ********** Prior to this, Salomea’s siblings were born and/or died in houses #160, 206 and 106. In house number #206 was Marianna (d. 1814 at age one)--Rafal Lusawicki, shoemaker is a witness. Jozef (b. 1815)--Michal Kudliki, a master shoemaker is one of the witnesses. Antonina (b. 1816)--Jozef Kudlicki, witness is a shoemaker , and twins Wojciech and Konstancja (b. 1819)-- a cooper and Michal Kudlicki, shoemaker are witnesses, While #206 was written for many births and deaths of the family of Maciej and Marianna Wiciejewski, when their son Jozef died in 1815 at 15 weeks old, their house address was given as 106 instead of 206. Father Maciej is a potter, Rafal Lusawicki is a neighbor A few years later Jozef was born in house number 207 (in 1824.) ********** While #206 was written for many births and deaths of the family of Maciej and Marianna Wiciejewski, when their son Jozef died in 1815 at 15 weeks old, their house address was given as 106 instead of 206. Father Maciej is a potter, Rafal Lusawicki is a neighbor.There are additional births and deaths that happen in # 106. Two years before in 1813, Anna Mirowska, wife of Maciej Mirowska, shoemaker died. Marcin Halkiewicz (son of Antoni H & Malgorzata Mirowska) was born in 1820 in 106. His father was a shoemaker. Father shoemaker, In 1824, in his own home which was #106, Maciej Mirowski (age 76 and a shoemaker) died.. Michal Kudlicki, a neighbor who was a shoemaker was one witness. Adam Halkiewicz was born here in 1825 (parents Antoni Halkiewicz & Malgorzata Mirowski.)The father was a shoemaker. A weaver and barrel maker were witnesses.

House numbers: Kaszucki side

House Numbers: Kaszucki story The records on the Kaszucki side include some house numbers. These would all be in the city of Tomaszow Lubelski. I don’t know if they lived and worked their trade in the same building but if they did, these would also be the addresses of their business. Only one of the references includes a street name-- 219 Krasnobrodzki Street. I don’t know if the other numbers in the 200 range (204, 206, 207, 213, 215, 225) were all on the same street. Most of the addresses were in the 200 block, the only others were 106, 160, and 425. The time period is 1814 to 1827. All the addresses refer to the three Kaszucki brothers from Uhnow: Andrzej, Fedory and Teodore. Two were furriers and one was a shoemaker. ********** Andrzej Kaszucki’s (a furrier)and his wife Salomea nee Wiciejewska (my 3x great grandparents) do not have records where their house number is given. There are records that her parents Maciej Wiciejewski and Marianna nee Metalska (my 4x great grandparents) lived in #206 and later in #207. (Maybe like my grandparent’s address in Grand Rapids, this is the same building.) The Wiciejewski family occupation was potters. The other family of potters--the Wisniewski family lived at 276 and also in the 300s. Andrzej and Salomea had their first child Mikolaj in Salomea’s parent's house #27 (207?) in 1823-- so they were either visiting or living there at the time. Their son Jozef was born in 1824, also in Salomea’s father’s house. The number is given as 27 but may have been 207. ********** Prior to this, Salomea’s siblings were born and/or died in houses #160, 206 and 106. In house number #206 was Marianna (d. 1814 at age one)--Rafal Lusawicki, shoemaker is a witness. Jozef (b. 1815)--Michal Kudliki, a master shoemaker is one of the witnesses. Antonina (b. 1816)--Jozef Kudlicki, witness is a shoemaker , and twins Wojciech and Konstancja (b. 1819)-- a cooper and Michal Kudlicki, shoemaker are witnesses, While #206 was written for many births and deaths of the family of Maciej and Marianna Wiciejewski, when their son Jozef died in 1815 at 15 weeks old, their house address was given as 106 instead of 206. Father Maciej is a potter, Rafal Lusawicki is a neighbor A few years later Jozef was born in house number 207 (in 1824.) ********** While #206 was written for many births and deaths of the family of Maciej and Marianna Wiciejewski, when their son Jozef died in 1815 at 15 weeks old, their house address was given as 106 instead of 206. Father Maciej is a potter, Rafal Lusawicki is a neighbor.There are additional births and deaths that happen in # 106. Two years before in 1813, Anna Mirowska, wife of Maciej Mirowska, shoemaker died. Marcin Halkiewicz (son of Antoni H & Malgorzata Mirowska) was born in 1820 in 106. His father was a shoemaker. Father shoemaker, In 1824, in his own home which was #106, Maciej Mirowski (age 76 and a shoemaker) died.. Michal Kudlicki, a neighbor who was a shoemaker was one witness. Adam Halkiewicz was born here in 1825 (parents Antoni Halkiewicz & Malgorzata Mirowski.)The father was a shoemaker. A weaver and barrel maker were witnesses. ********** Andrzej’ brother Fedora Kaszucki, 20 (a shoemaker) and his wife Marianna nee Mirowski, 17 had their first child Mikoaj in house number 215 in 1825. This was the house of Stefan Szokalewicz, who was also a shoemaker. Much later, Jozef (Fedora’s nephew) will marry a relative of Szokalawicz, his first wife Katarzyna Szokalewicz. ***************************** Brother TeodorKaszucki ’s family has house number 225 and 219 associated with them and also the father-in-law’s house --213 in the record but later 215. In 1818, son Antoni was born to Teodor Kaszucki and Tekla Panczyszak in house 225. Earlier in 1813, Anna Czarnopys (parents are Kasper, 50, a peasant and Magdalena nee Gdanska, 30) was born in this house Her parents were Kasper Czarnpys & Magdalena nee Gdanski). Stefan Szokalawicz, 29 also a peasant farmer residing in Tomaszow was a witness. In 1816, Maciej (parents Kasper Czarnopys & Malgorzata nee Gdanski) was also born in this house. In 1819, Teodor and his wife Tekla had a second son Antoni who was born in house #219 on Krasnobrodzki Street. At 11 months old, the second Antoni died in the house (#213) of his grandfather Stefan Panczyszak. In 1821, Teodor and his wife Tekla had a daughter named Marianna, born in the house of Jan Zamalski #425. This daughter would later 1839) marry Jozef Wisniowska (son of Blazej & Agnes, my 4th great grandparents.) This is interesting since she is from Katarzyna Kaszucka’s father’s side and he is from her mother’s side. In 1824, Teodor and his wife Tekla had a son named Maxym who was born in house #204 and the record says it is the parents’ house (age 34 and a furrier.) ------------------ Neighbors in the #200’s who were extended relatives: : Kasper Lusawicki (parents Rafal & Marianna nee Wiciejewska) born 1811 in house # 201 in 1811. Rozalia Gdanski died in 1816 in house #233, according to her son Maciej, a spponmaker Francis Gdanska was born in 1820 to Maciej Gdansi and Jozefa K in their house #235. A carpenter Jozef Kudlicki was a witness. Walenty Gdnask, an 80 year old beggar, died in 1823 in the home of his son-in-law Kasper Czarnopys, 54 in #227. Walenty Kudlicki, a neighbor who was a shoemaker was another witness. Kasper Czarnopys, 57, died in his own home #222 in 1824. He was a farmer. His son-in law Ignacy Siekel was a weaver. Classiccardinal, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Jozef Kaszucki Married First Wife Katarzyna Szoklawicz Feb 9, 1851

Jozef Kaszucki (my 2x great grandfather) was married before he married Paulina Kurkiewicz (my 2x great grandmother and the marriage included a prenup. He was married February 9, 1851 in a Greek Catholic rite to Katarzyna Szoklawicz. Her parents were Bazyli Szokalaicz and Pyzykowicz who were farmers. Jozef’s parents Andrzej Kaszucki and Salomea nee Wiciejewska were furriers. The witnesses were Wojciech Janusz, 40, a weaver and Szczepan Czarnopy, 45, a shoemaker (and also current “new” relative Mike Liszewski’s 3x great grandfather.) Wojciech was the only one present other than the priest who could sign the record. “The newlyweds confirmed that they had a prenuptial agreement which was arranged infront of Michał Celejawski, notary in Circuit of Tomaszów at number 23 , on 20th January /1st February 1851.” This was one of the few prenups found in the family. For more about prenups in the family check out the Polish Family History blog at: Jozef and Katarzyna nee Szoklawicz had two children. The first, Jan, died at six months old. Witnesses for the birth were Onufry Oluzek and Michal Nowosad and Onufry and Katarzyna were Godparents for the Baptism and Confirmation of the Eastern rite. Pantalemon Gumowski, another furrier, went with the father to declare his death. Their second child, Joanna, died at four years old, a short time after his wife Katarzyna died. Konstanty Hylkekwist?, a chimney sweep and Szymon Zolkewski, a farmer were the witnesses for her birth and Konstanty and Ludwika Przewcka were Godparents for the Eastern Church Baptism and Confirmation. Jozef quickly remarried--Pauline Kurkiewicz, my 2nd great grandmother. They had at least five children. Only Katarzyna made it to adulthood. In later records, the groom was known by his middle name--Jozef.

Why did The Neidvied Family Move from Uhnow, Galicia to Tomaszow? (Curt Wolf's Story)

Curt Wolf was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is my 4th cousin. As you can see from the picture, his relative Juliana Kaszucka married a Niedzwiedz. Julianna and my 2x great grandfather Jozef were siblings. The family she married into also originated In Uhnow so he has been trying to determine why they moved: Why did our family move from Uhnow, Galicia to Tomaszow? In the last letter (Part 6), I mentioned that the Niedvieds came from UHNOW (now Ukraine) to Tomaszow in the very early 1800s. Thanks to Paulette Longwell's research, I discovered probable reasons why. In the late 1700s, the Austrian assumed power over an area just south of Tomaszow called Galicia. Uhnow was in Galicia. With new international border came the cutting off trade routes to Uhnow. The Hapsburgs, who ruled Austria at the time, didn’t want this area to focus on trade anyway. They solely wanted it to be agricultural to produce food for the Empire. Furthermore, Austria raised taxes and a famine began early in the 1800s. Above that, the Austrians began conscripting men into their Army. Our family had no allegiance to this this new dominating Power so for all the reasons above they moved to Tomaszow. Ironically, the same Hapsburgs that were making it hard on our Niedzwiedzki ancestors were the ones that had given our Eifler relatives opportunity a decade or so earlier.

Why did Kaszucki’s move from Uhnow to Tomaszów Lubelski?

Why did Kaszucki’s move from Uhnow to Tomaszów Lubelski? Uhniv is approximately two miles from the current Poland-Ukraine border but at the time Uhniv would have been in Galicia. By the current route, they would have moved about 300 miles away from home We know that Andrzej (3rd great grandfather)and his two brothers Teodore and Fedory were born in Uhnow between 1791 and 1802. By 1816, Teodore married in Tomaszow. At that point their mother Agata Krzackowska was alive in Uhnow but their father Lukasz was deceased. Andrzej married Salomea Wiciejewska in 1827 in Tomaszów Lubelski at age 24. Why did the brothers leave Uhnow for Tomaszów Lubelski at that particular time period? ********** Around the time their parents were born, the First Partition of Poland occurred in 1772. This resulted in an area, including Uhniv, being awarded to the Habsburg Empress Maria-Theresa, the only female Hapsburg ruler. The family ruled Austria and other countries. This annexing of a large area to Austria from a weakened Poland-Lithuania Commonwealth resulted in Uhnow becoming part of an area called the province of Galicia. The area was ethnically diverse: Polish, Ruthenians (the people later known as Ukrainians and Rusyns), Jewish and others. Ruthenians predominated in this eastern area. The Poles on the west side were Roman Catholic and the Ukrainians were Greek Catholic. There is evidence from the marriage records that the Kaszucki’s were Greek Catholic. The area they lived in was mostly Ukrainian, rather than Polish. These new borders cut off some trade and markets. Additionally, the Austrian government didn’t want industry to develop in this area, instead expecting it to remain agricultural to provide food and raw materials for other Hapsburg provinces. These limits and new taxes resulted in poverty, with the area the Kaszucki family was living in being the poorest province in Austro-Hungary. Famines began in the early 1800s and continued off and on up to the 1900’s. The Austrian government also conscripted men from this area for the imperial army. ********** Based on this limited knowledge, it seems that the three Kaszucki siblings made their way to Tomaszow Lubelski before 1816 for one of them and possibly shortly after for the other two. The town was founded as Jelitow at the end of the 16th century by Jan Zamoyski who named it Tomaszow in 1613 for his son, Tomasz. From 1772 to 1809, Tomaszow was under Austrian rule. After 1815 it was under the independent Congress Poland. That might be why the first brother went there (as evidenced by his wedding the following year.) Unfortunately, the independent Kingdom of Poland was short lived. The town included many laborers involved in flour mills, wood processing, weaving, tailors, shoemakers and leather tanning. The Kaszucki’s had been furriers in Ulnow so came with the skill of leather tanning. It seems likely that the three Kaszucki siblings made their way to Tomaszow Lubelski at this time for more freedom and for economic security. It was not likely for religious reasons since they were Greek rather than Roman Catholic, though they were not Orthdox.********** Part 6 of Curt Wolf’s Chasing Polish Heritage about the Niedzwiedz family coming from the same area will be posted tomorrow. Check out the Facebook page for Andrzej Kaszucki's resume. ********** Photo: By Viacheslav Galievskyi - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21711724

Who Were the Burghers In the Family

Burghers were immigrants and free citizens that worked as bankers, craftsmen, tradesmen, and merchants which the noble could not do by law. While almost all the men on the Kaszucki side worked in these areas, only a few were referred to as burghers in the birth, marriage and death records. **********One was Andrej Kaszucki (my 3x great grandfather), who in 1885 when he was 53, was listed as a burgher in the city of Tomaszów Lubelski. He would have been a minor burgher, as he worked in the middle class as a furrier, carrying on the tradition of his father who came from Uhnow, Galicia, Austria from a family of furriers. **********Andrzej Kurkiewicz (my 2x great grandmother Paulina’s brother) was considered a burgher in 1867 at age 26 as a shoemaker. His brother, Ignacy Kurkiewicz was listed as a minor burghur in his death record at age 53 in 1851.**********Grzegorz Niedźwiedź (related to Curt Wolf), age 31, was also considered a burgher from Tomaszow Lubelski. They were listed this way in the birth record of Jozef Kasucki’s daughter Jozefa. **** **********Adam Eifler from Rognozno was considered a “burgher”. He was a shoemaker and so was his father. This means that he likely lived in town and was anything from lower middle class to middle class. His great grandfather had been one of the colonists from Germany that was given land and other belongings in return for payments to Zamoyski to settle the area. His grandmother was a single parent.************ Here is a story from Curt Wolf about him: Story from Curt Wolf: Adam’s land Busha’s father Adam was considered a “burgher”. This term means that he likely lived in a town and was anything from lower middle class to middle class. There were only 3 social strata back then which were peasant, burgher, and nobleman. Given what I learned, I would put Busha’s family of origin in the lower middle to middle class given the land they owned and his business as a shoemaker… but more research has to be done to confirm this. According to Uncle Frank, Pauline and Josef Niedzwiedz had about 6 acres of land in the Tomaszow area before they moved to America. It was not clear if this land came from the Niedzwiedzki side or Eifler side. But I saw the land that Adam’s family owned. It is near the center of Tomaszow with government buildings including a school on top of it. I do not know how Adam’s family of origin obtained this land because they were leasing land in the village of Roguzno from the time their ancestors came in 1784. Image by 13smok from Pixabay

Jozef Wisniowski and Marianna Kaszucka Wed Feb. 3, 1849

Jozef Wiszniowksi and Marianna Kaszucka married on February 3, 1849. Their Greek Catholic wedding is one of many examples of a combination of different families. They are both related to me through my 2x great grandmother Paulina Kurkiewicz. The husband, Josef is my 3x great uncle on Paulina’s maternal side. The wife, Marianna, is my 1rst cousin 4x removed on Paulina's father's side. They were not closely related. Jozef was a 24 year old journeyman shoemaker who was literate and able to sign his own wedding record. His parents were deceased. Blazej had been a potter and then worked as a gravedigger. His mother was Agnieszka nee Szczesnicka. Marianna, was a 17 year old, and her parents were Teodor Kaszucka and Teodorzia nee Panczyszak, local furriers. Their 33rd wedding anniversary was a week earlier. Antoni Kurkiewicz (my 4th great grandfather), age 54 was a witness for Marianna Kaszucka (his niece) and Jozef Wisniowski's wedding. He was a shoemaker at the time. The other witness was Jan Reike?, a 34 year old weaver.

Jozef Kaszucki and the 1863 January Revolution

(image credit https://s.inyourpocket.com/gallery/228463.jpg) **********Major events have been happening in the United States the past year. It would be interesting to see how those events are viewed in the future -- 10, 50, 100 years from now. In the same way, many major events happened in Poland during the lives of many of my ancestors. It leads me to wonder about their involvement in those events or any impact the events may have had on them. One time period I am curious about is the Fall of 1862 and the winter of 1863. My explanations are from what I have read and I am sure could be better explained by a student of history or by someone from Poland. I would love it if a relative from Poland could add any information about this event and if we had any relatives involved in it. That time period involved rising civil unrest in Poland, including in the immediate area around Tomaszow Lubelski. Add to what was happening, normal personal family events and it makes for some possibly challenging times. This time period was personally eventful for Jozef Kaszucki. (my 2nd great grandfather.)************ Jozef Kaszucki (my 2nd great grandfather) was an adult during this period, living in the city. Of Tomaszów Lubelski. His father Andrzej had moved from Ulnow, Galicia, Austria (now Ukraine) for a better life. Andrezej had met Salomea there In Tomaszow. Her family were potters and his family were furriers for generations. Andrzej and Salomea had their son Jozef and his siblings in Tomaszow. Jozef and his first wife Katarzyna (nee Szokalowicz) had been married for 11 years. Witnesses to their Greek Catholic marriage included Wojceich Janusz, a weaver (I think related to Patrice (Szymanski) Shay)) and Szczepan Czarnopys, a shoemaker (Mike’s second great grandfather.) Their wedding included a prenuptial agreement, prepared by a notary in the Circuit of Tomaszow. Prenups were rare at this time but used to protect a family’s property, as they are now. Jozef and Katarzyna had two children (maybe more but that is what I have so far found). Sadly, the first one Jan, passed away in 1859 at six months old. *********** Within a short time period during the Fall of 1862, family tragedy struck several times. On October 25, four year old daughter Joanna, who had been baptised and confirmed through the rites of the Greek Catholic church, passed away. Reporting the death with him was Grzegorz Niedzwiedz (Curt’ Wolf’s relative.) A month later on November 24, Jozef’s wife Katarzyna died at age 30. This time, Marcin Halkieiwicz, a shoemaker (and Mike’s third great uncle) went with him to report the death. Then on December 14, 1882, Jozef’s Uncle Theodore passed away. Jozef was a declarant for this death indicating that they were probably close knit. ********** Unfortunately, during Jozef’s whole life , Poland was in turmoil and under the control of outside forces. An internal revolution was brewing, especially centered around the larger cities, but it made its way to the small city in which he lived. On January 24 1863, Henryk Gramowski with his small ten person band of insurgents, broke into the Russian cossack station in Jozefow, about 17 miles west of Tomaszow Lubelski. With the horses and guns they obtained and volunteers from nearby towns, they formed a poorly equipped 60 person troop. This was part of a bigger battle https://www.facebook.com/216532571884064/photos/a.225763764294278/790735797797069/ ********** On the next day, January 25, 1863, after being widowed for two months, Jozef married Paulina Kurkieiwcz (my second great grandmother.) Often parents remarried quickly because of the care of young children but Jozef’s children were deceased and Paulina had never been married. While Jozef was of the Greek Uniate faith, his bride-to-be was from the Latin church and they married in the Latin church. Paulina’s parents were shoemakers in Tomaszow. Likely the furriers provided leather for the shoemakers so the families would have known each other. Unlike his first marriage, there was not a prenuptial agreement for this marriage. Marcin Halkiewicz who had been a declarant for the sad occasion of Katarzyna’s death, was there to help him celebrate the new marriage. Marcin was no longer a shoemaker but had become a farmer. Szymon Zolkiewski, another shoemaker, was a witness at both events also. (I haven’t figured out yet how he is related.) ********** Five days later on January 30, the Russians in Tomaszow Lubelski expected trouble so they sent their customs chamber money to Zamosc and locked up their 150 cossacks in their barracks with a few guards. Gramowski’s group attacked on January 31 at night and both sides suffered casualties. The Russians seemed to accept defeat and left for Żdanowie, 24 miles North near Zamosc, the next day on February 1. The small opposition group went into Tomaszow Lubelski and declared a Polish national government. The victory was short lived because on February 5, the Russians returned and the Bloody Day in Tomaszów Lubelski happened. Two loud cannon balls were the only warning. Doors and windows were broken and fires were started. The people living there left their houses attempting to save their belongings and were killed. Around 80 people died. https://www.historiaregionu.org/powstanie-styczniowe-w-regionie?lang=pl **********What was this unsuccessful January Insurrection (Uprising) that occurred from 1863 to 1864 that resulted in more control by Russia of Poland? During 123 years of partition, there were many attempts to restore Poland’s independence. Around 1860, Russia had been recently defeated in the Crimean War which had hurt them financially and politically. Resistance groups and demonstrations began to occur. There were two prevailing camps -- the “reds” and the “whites” though nothing was highly organized. The “reds” were made up of common people -- peasants and merchants -- who wanted more rights. The “whites” were led by Andrzej Zamoyjski, an intellectual who owned property and who favored a return to the pre-1830’s period before the constitution was created for the Kingdom of Poland. While this version of Poland was the smallest ever, with Russia dominating other areas, the constitution of this era promised freedom of speech and religious tolerance. It still favored the nobility and reduced some rights of peasants and Jews. Russians disregarded it and that contributed to unrest, leading in 1830 to a “November Uprising.” After that a more conservative statute was put into place but wasn’t implemented. ********** In February, 1861, demonstrators gathered in Warsaw to commemorate a 1831 battle. The Russians killed some of the protestors and implemented more repressive policies. Over the next year there were more demonstrations resulting in deaths and deportations to Siberia. By 1863, there were plans for a massive uprising. Trying to prevent this, forced conscriptions into the Russian Army happened January 14 and 15. Rather than reducing the coming opposition, they were inspired to begin earlier than planned on January 22. For the next year and a half, there were 2500 battles. The insurgents were small in number and poorly equipped, compared to the Russians. By April, 1864, 80,000 Polish people had been deported to Siberia which caused great fear. Hundreds of people were killed. Poland was to no longer exist -- institutions were abolished, the Polish language was not to be taught in the schools, and official positions were taken over by Russians. Many gentry lost their lands which also negatively affected the peasantry who already struggled. The rebellion was unsuccessful and resulted in more control of Poland by Russia. ********** While it is impossible to truly comprehend what this experience was like for Jozef and his family, it is true that they had five children from 1864 to 1871 who all lived less than a year until Katarzyna (my great grandmother) was born. She is the only one I have found from this family that survived to adulthood. While it is true that infant mortality was high in general, for comparison only a few of the eight children in Jozef’s family died before adulthood. So for some reason this family experienced a higher than normal infant mortality rate. These experiences probably had a deep impact on Jozef and his family that would continue for generations.********** https://www.inyourpocket.com/warsaw/the-january-uprising-1863-64_75398f (this one has some amazing pictures) https://lublin.tvp.pl/41150235/rocznica-krwawego-dnia-w-tomaszowie-lubelskim Historia Regionu Tomaszów Lubelski Bełz Rawa Ruska Uprising in zamosc area https://www.historiaregionu.org/powstanie-styczniowe-w-regionie?lang=pl https://www.historiaregionu.org/historie-z-regionu?lang=pl add about 2nd story about Lt. Grunseid https://www.historiaregionu.org/tomaszw-lubelski?lang=pl image and story

Andrzej Kaszucki and Salomea Wiciejewska marry January 26, 1823

Andrzej Kaszucki and Salomea Wiciejewski (my 3x great grandparents) married on January 26, 1823, in Tomaszów Lubelski, Poland. They appeared before the pastor of Tomaszów Lubelski, who was the civil registrar for this city, found in the county of Tomaszów, province of Lublin. Because his father Lukasz was deceased and his mother Agata nee Krzaczk was still living in the city of Uhnów, Galicia, Austria , a week before the wedding, Andrzej went to the municipal office and had an “act of knowing” drawn up which was approved by the court of peace of the county. Andrzej was 24 years old , Greek Catholic and a furrier and residing in the city of Tomaszów. He was born in 1799 in the city of Uhnów, Galicia, Austria, the son of Agata and Lukasz. We know about his brothers Theodore and Fidory but he likely had other siblings who remained in his hometown. Salomea Wiciejowska was 19 years old, Roman Catholic, and a maiden, according to a certificate excerpted from the books of the Tomaszów parish church. She and her parents, Maciej Wiciejowski, potter, and her mother, Marianna nee Metelska. were born in the city of Tomaszów Lubelski. They accompanied her to church for the wedding. Two Banns were announced on January 12th and 19th. The witnesses were Andrzej Niedzwiedz, age 41, (related to current day Curt Wolf) and Szymon Władysz, age 40, who were both shoemakers. Also Rafał Lusawicki, age 47, cabinet-maker, and Marcin Ceroński, age 28, spoonmaker, all residing in the city of Tomaszów. Initially the translators were stumped at the occupation of Marcin -- Łyszczarz. It was not on a list of occupations and their Polish names that I had. Eventually it was determined that it meant spoonmaker. Andrzej and Salomea had nine children in 23 years. Their first child Nikolaj was born on April 28, 1824, in Tomaszów, Lubelskie, Poland just after Salomea’s own brother Valentine was born February 9. Her son Jozef "Stefan Jozef" (my 2x great grandfather) was born on August 10, 1832, in Tomaszów Lubelski, Lubelskie, Poland. Her husband Andrzej passed away on September 18, 1861, at the age of 62. They had been married 38 years. Here is what it sounded like to have the record translated: “The year 1823, the 26th of January, at 9 a.m. Before us, pastor of Tomaszów, civil registrar of the municipality of Tomaszów, county of Tomaszów, province of Lublin, Andrzej Kaszucki appeared, bachelor, according to an act of knowing drawn up by the municipal office of the city Tomaszów on the 20th of this month and year, and approved by the court of peace of the county of Tomaszów on the 22nd of this month and year, age 24, furrier residing in the city of Tomaszów, unaccompanied by his father, Łukasz Kaszucki, once a furrier living in the city of Uhnów in Galicia Austria, already deceased, as stated in the above act of knowing, and his mother Agata nee Krzaczkowska Kaszucka, so far residing in the city of Uhnów Galicia Austria. Also appearing Salomea Wiciejowska, maiden, according to a certificate excerpted from the books of the Tomaszów parish church, age 19, accompanied by her father, Maciej Wiciejowski, potter, and her mother, Marianna nee Metelska, spouses residing in the city of Tomaszów, with whom she lives; Banns: 12th and 19th; Witnesses: Andrzej Niedzwiedz, age 41, and Szymon Władysz, age 40, both shoemakers, also Rafał Lusawicki?, age 47, cabinet-maker, and Marcin Ceroński, age 28, Łyszczarz?, all residing in the city of Tomaszów.”

Jozef Kaszucki Married Apolonia Kurkiewicz Jan. 25, 1863

On 25th January 1863, at 4:00 p.m. in Tomaszów Lubelski, Józef (or Stefan Jozef as he was baptized) Kaszucki wed Apolonia Kurkiewicz when he was 30 years old and she was 24. (They were my 2x great grandparents.) He was a widow for two months and she was a maiden. The banns were announced 11th, 18th, 25th January -- so they started a month and a half after he was widowed. Normally, there is a rush to remarry if there are young children involved but four year old Joanna had died in October and her mother died a month later. Their other child Jan had died at six months old a few years earlier. ******* Józef and his family Andrzej Kaszucki and Salomea nee Wiciejowska were furriers. He had been born in Tomaszów Lubelski and was residing there with his parents of Greek Uniate faith. Paulina was the daughter of Józef Kurkiewicz and Ewa nee Wiśniewska, shoemakers from Tomaszów Lubelski. The witnesses were Szymon Żółkiewski, a shoemaker, 53, and Marcin Halkiewicz, a farmer, 42, both of whom were residing in Tomaszów He was a Greek Catholic and she was a Roman Catholic. The banns were announced in the Tomaszów Latin Church even though Józef was Greek Catholic. Apolonia was Roman Catholic. They had five, possibly six children together and the boys were baptized and confirmed according to the Eastern rite and the girls were baptized according to the Roman rite. ******* Jozef was born on August 10, 1832, in Tomaszów Lubelski, Lubelskie, Poland, the son of Salomea and Andrzej. He had six brothers and two sisters. He married Katarzyna Szokalewicz in Tomaszów, Lubelskie, Poland, on February 9, 1851, when he was 18 years old. They were both Greek Catholics. They had two children together and they were baptized and confirmed according to the Eastern rite. His wife Katarzyna passed away on November 22, 1862, in Tomaszów, Lubelskie, Poland, at the age of 31. They had been married 11 years. ****** When Paulina Kurkiewicz was born on June 27, 1838, in Tomaszów, Lubelskie, Poland, her father, Jozef, was 22, and her mother, Ewa, was 29. Her mother had previously been widowed. Paulina had five brothers and one sister. Photo credit: Av User:Merlin – Eget verk, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1308159

Antoni Franciszek Kurkiewicz Was Named for Two Saints

(St. Anthony the Great) Yesterday on Jan 17, 1840, Antoni Franciszek Kurkiewicz was born at 4:00 a.m. Very few of the researched ancestors have a middle name. His parents were Konstanty Kurkiewicz, a 53 year old carpenter from Tomaszów and Apolonia nee Jabłońska, age 35. Apolonia’s mother was a Wiciejewska so they were probably related through her and also through the Kurkiewicz side. A farmer Józef Smyiewski, 43 and a shoemaker, Antoni Lachowski, 46, were the witnesses. The Godparents were Józef Smyjewski and Zofia Świderkowa [wife of a man with Świderek surname] He was named “Antoni Opat Franciszek Salezy” He was named after Antoni the Great & Francis de Sales. I was curious if the names came from the saints for the day he was born. The saints for the day were Antoni, Jan and Rosiclaw. Antoni the Great was born on January 17. He is known from martyrdom and asceticism (severe self-discipline and avoidance of indulgences.) For some reason, the family chose a middle name which was not common in this time period at least in the records. The middle name was chosen for Francis de Sales. He is known for being guided by love instead of judgement. His day is January 24. Maybe Antoni Franciszek’s parents wanted to balance the severity of following adherence of a “rule” for life” of a martyr and ascetite with the patron saint of poets and the deaf. His father Konstanty was one of the few at this time period who appeared to be literate by the clues available to me. His signature appears on many records at a time when records were read to the participants and signed only by the priest.

(St. Francis de Sales) Francisco Bayeu y Subías, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons https://www.behindthename.com/namedays/country/poland https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Wielki?fbclid=IwAR0ZP1oPe0XWNdRIT6bHJkKVWB9gBL__HV-FOqKPFmXrM4inuy3yNT--L34 https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franciszek_Salezy?fbclid=IwAR21A7TPa_sgopT7jz8FbE6O5H5H3mcennJTwyMp6wh5akaDzWwd--09c7M Photo credits: By Francisco de Zurbarán - http://www.invertirenarte.es/images/stories/mercadodearte/2009/dic21/francisco_de_zurbaran_san_antonio_fernando_duran.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8911245

On January 17 (1830), Ewa Wisniewska (3x great grandmother) marries for the first time

Ewa Wisniewska (my 3x great grandmother on the Kaszucki side) married for the first time today, January 17 in 1830. Wincenty Rachanski, age 22 was a shoemaker journeyman and both of his parents were deceased. His family had been shoemakers. Ewa was also 22 years old. Her father was a gravedigger (he had been a potter) and her mother was deceased. The witnesses were Grzeogorz Jaworowski, 67 and Jacenty Janiszewski, 33, who were shoemakers from Tomaszow Lubelski (I don’t know their relationship to the family.) The bride lived with her father and he was present at the wedding and gave his permission. Wincenty died the next year. Ewa remarried five or six years later July 30 1837 to Jozef Kurkiewicz (my 3x great grandfather.) They had six children. Their oldest -- Apolonia -- is my 2x great grandmother. Their youngest --Ignatious/Ignacy -- is Mike Liszewski’s 2nd great grandfather. Amazingly, she lived to age 91. When she died in 1889, her son Ignacy at age 38 was one of the declarants. The other one was Walenty Lisikiewicz, 40. Her daughter Apolonia/Paulina would have been 51 years old.

Stefan Jozef Kaszucki declarant

Antonina Kaszucka (1rst cousin 3x removed) died on January 8, 1864. She was three years old. Her father Mikolaj, age 45 went with his brother Stefan Jozef, known as Jozef, (my 2nd great grandfather) to report the death. They were both furriers. I know so far of at least eight times that Jozef was a witness or Godparent. She was born on April 16, 1864 at 10:00 p.m. At the time her father was 42 and her mother, Marianna nee Bratkiewicz was 40. The witnesses were Jakob Bulewicz, 26 and Piotr Pirog, 24, who were both shoemakers. There was a Greek Catholic Baptism and Confirmation and her Godparents were Jakob and Maryanna Kukila. She was one of at least five children that Mikolaj and Maryanna had who died in infancy or early childhood. Three made it to adulthood and there was at least one half sibling because Nikolaj later remarried Jozefa Iwaniuk and they have at least one child -- Simon.

Ukrainian church history

Eastern Catholic churches are in full communion with the Pope in Rome but are distinct from the Roman Catholic Churches. Catholics are encouraged to attend church in any of the other rites and receive sacraments there. Because the Eastern and Roman Catholic church are in union with each other, there are similarities such as keeping the seven sacraments and acceptance of the Pope as the head of the church. There are some differences between Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches. There are differences in how they celebrate mass, art, organization and church law. The differences though are not as black and white as they once were and there are variations in different groups of Eastern rite churches. In many Eastern rite churches, married men are allowed to become priests. The sacraments have some differences. Baptism is by immersion rather than sprinkling. An infant receives three sacraments at once--baptism, confirmation and eucharist. The anointing of the sick is not just done to an individual. There are several different rites related to celebrating Mass. The Latin liturgical rites (Roman or Western liturgical rites) would be the one used by Roman Catholic churches. The Eastern churches follow one of several different rites depending on the church and affiliation. The one most familiar to us is probably the Eastern rite (also known as Byzantine rite or the Rite of Constantinople.) The mass is sung and the prayers are different. The history of the Eastern Catholic church involves confusion and conversions for political reasons. Greek Catholicism was more common in Western Ukraine because of mandates of the Polish-Lithuanian state. Orthodoxy was more common in Eastern Ukraine. The Kaszuckis were from Western Ukraine. My description is very minimalist and focused mostly on the time of history of our relatives--not the whole history of the church. I also am trying to tread lightly to not insult anyone or anything unintentionally. For instance, I attended a zoom workshop on Ukrainian church history which was very over my head. I learned that the term “Uniate” is considered insulting to some people who practice according to the Easter rite religion. This term shows up in a lot of the translations I received because it meant that the Eastern church was in Union with the Western Church. Later, some Eastern churches did not appreciate that they were being called by this affiliation Again, I am only scratching the surface in describing the objection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic_Churches https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/search?q=Uniate (download of pdf from conference https://www.thecompassnews.org/2011/11/do-you-know-differences-between-roman-byzantine-catholic-churches/v retrieved 1/29/2020

Eastern & Roman Rite-how many?

Seven of the eight “branches” of the family of Anthony Raczkiewicz were predominantly Roman Catholic. The exception was the Kaszucki family who originated from Uhnów (Ulanów) which was part of Galicia and now is part of Ukraine. They were Greek Catholic as far back as I could go--to the 1750’s--the 4x great grandparents and the 3x great grandparents. By the 2x great grandparents--Jozef Kaszucki married his second wife Pauline Kurkiewicz, a Roman Catholic. Their daughter Katarzyna Kaszucka (my great grandmother) married John Rackziewicz, a Roman Catholic. In the case of my grandfather’s parents, it appears the family was raised as Roman Catholic even though the mother was Greek Catholic. In other cases, the girls seem to be baptized in the faith of their mother and the boys in the faith of their father. The examples in our family were mostly men who were Greek Catholic marrying Roman Catholic women. Pelagi is mentioned twice in the six examples above but that is because she re-married. While the Kaszuckis were Greek Catholic and married within the faith for the most part for a long time, there are examples of some inter-faith marriages within our family. For example, Marrianna Wiciejewska, 36, (my 4th great aunt) in 1829 married Pawel Szostak,35. He was a shoemaker and a Greek Catholic. Marianna was a widow. The marriage proceeded after the release of 3 banns in Tomaszów churches of both churches; Greek Catholic and Latin rite on Oct 18 & 25 and Nov 1 1829. There were no objections to the marriage. Another example was Mike Liszewski’s 4x great grandparents Szczepan Czarnopyś and Pelagia Romanowicz in 1829. The banns were announced in both the Latin and Eastern rite. In 1837, Mikolaj Romanowicz 28 and Marianna Kurkiewicz, 17 were married. Mikolaj was a widower of the Greek Catholic rite and Marianna’s family was Roman Catholic. Banns were announced in both parishes. In 1853, Andrzej Dzierzbowicz, 43 and Agnes Kurkiewicz, 25 were married. Andrzej was a widower and Greek Uniate. He worked as a mason and his family were shoemakers. Agnieszka’s family was Roman Catholic and they were carpenters. The banns were announced in both parishes Marcin Halkieiwcz, Marcin, 36 Pelagi Czarnopys, 43 were married in 1856. Pelagi was with widow of Szczepan Czarnopys. Marcin was a Petty Officer/Warrant Officer in the Russian Tsarist Army and Roman Catholic. Pelagi’s family were laborers and she was Greek Catholic. Marianna Kurkiewicz (parents: Wojciech and Jozefa nee Wlochowicz, shoemakers) married Bazyli Bzierzbowicz in 1859. Bazyli’s family were masons and practiced the Greek Uniate faith. Marianna’s family were shoemakers and of the Latin faith. Three banns were announced in the Tomaszów Latin faith parish and Tomaszów parish of the Greek Uniate. Verbal permission was given by the parents and there was no objection to the marriage.