While examining the parish records in Lithuania, my cousin and I found the birth and baptismal record for Władysław Chmielewski, born on 25 November 1883 and baptized on 27 November 1883.
Birth and Baptismal Record of Władysław Chmielewski - 1883 (Left)
Birth and Baptismal Record of Władysław Chmielewski - 1883 (Right)
SOURCE: Roman Catholic Parish of Butrymonys, Gubernia Wileńska, Russian Empire. Diocesan Copy of Parish Records, Merkinė Diocese. F. 1436, Ap. 1, B. 2, L. 48v-49, Nr. 111. Władysław Chmielewski baptism (1883); Lithuanian State Historical Archives, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Władysław Chmielewski - 1883. Translated from the Russian, the record states:
Surname of the one baptized: Chmielewski
No.: 111
Birth Number (Males): 53
Date of Birth: 25
Date of Baptism: 27When, where, who, by whom, baptized with water alone or with all the rites of the sacrament.
In the year one thousand eight hundred eighty three on November 27th in the Butrymance Roman Catholic [one word?]
church a child was baptized by the name Władysław by the Reverend [B. Karpaw?] of this church, with all the rites of the sacrament.–To what class and society, of what parents, when and where, i. e. in which parish was the baptized person born?
Of the farmers of the Butrymance district, Wincenty and Scholastyka nèe Wojtczuneka Chmielewski, lawful spouses,
the son, born the same year and month of the twenty-fifth day in the village of Likiszki of the local parish–Who were the godparents, by first name and any other name, and who was present at Holy Baptism?
The godparents were the nobles [Thomy ?] Chmielewski and [one word Jauriska ?], an unmarried girl–
Władysław Chmielewski was the half brother of my grandmother, Helena Chmielewska. The two shared the same father but different mothers.
Oddly enough, this birth and baptismal record lists the parents as farmers or peasants even though the record for their son Józef states that they are nobles. Also interesting is the fact that the godparents listed in the present record were nobles, including the godfather whose surname was Chmielewski.
Before finding this record, neither my cousin Liliana nor I were aware of this child.
Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko
