Steve’s Genealogy Blog

In 1930, Petronela Bonislawski was living in Worcester, Massachusetts with her family at the same address at which they were enumerated in 1910 and 1920.

1930 US Federal Census Record for Petronela Bonislawski

SOURCE: 1930 U.S. Census, Worcester County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Worcester City, Ward 3, enumeration district (ED) 14-21, sheet 4-A, dwelling 23, family 43, Petronela Bonislawski; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 October 2007); citing National Archives microfilm publication T626, roll 968.

The source citation above complies with the recommendations in Mills, Elizabeth Shown. 2007. Evidence explained citing history sources from artifacts to cyberspace. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the 1930 US Federal Census Record for Petronela Bonislawski.  The record provides information that:

• In 1920, Petronela Bonislawski was a widowed white female, 68 years old.
• She and her parents were born in Poland and her native tongue was Polish. She could read and write and speak English.
• She owned her house at 8 Powers Court, Worcester, Massachusetts, which was worth $3000.
• She immigrated in 1900. The census shows he had filed first papers for citizenship.
• She was not employed.
• The household had a radio.
• Living in the house were her daughter Florence, a married white female, age 20, born in Massachusetts.
• Florence was not employed.
• Florence was married to William Hunt, a married white male, age 21, born in Massachusetts.
• Florence was 19 years old when married and her husband was 20 years old when married, indicating they were married in about 1929.
• William was employed as a clerk in an envelope shop. Florence was not employed.
• William and Florence had a son Louis, a single white male who was 0 years old.

Note that Louis’ age was first listed as 5/12, but then crossed out and listed as 0. In 1930, all data recorded was to be accurate as of census day, 01 April 1930.

The surname in this record is listed as Bonistansky. I’m beginning to think that the family changed their name from Bonisławski to Bonistansky, since the 1920 census also spelled the surname this way.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

In 1920, Adam Bonislawski was living in Worcester, Massachusetts with his family at the same address at which they were enumerated in 1910.

1920 US Federal Census Record for Adam Bonislawski

SOURCE: 1920 U.S. Census, Worcester County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Worcester City, Ward 1, enumeration district (ED) 341, sheet 8-A, dwelling 143, family not provided, Adam Bonislawski; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 October 2007); citing National Archives microfilm publication T625, roll 749.

The source citation above complies with the recommendations in Mills, Elizabeth Shown. 2007. Evidence explained citing history sources from artifacts to cyberspace. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the 1920 US Federal Census Record for Adam Bonislawski.  The record provides information that:

• In 1920, Adam Bonislawski was a married white male, 54 years old.
• He and his parents were born in Poland and their native tongue was Polish. He could read and write and speak English.
• He owned his house, which was mortgaged.
• He immigrated in 1895. The census shows he had filed first papers for citizenship and was naturalized in 1919.
• He worked for wages as a sweeper in a shop.
• Petronela, his wife, was a married white female, 52 years old.
• She and her parents were born in Poland and their native tongue was Polish. She could read and write and speak English.
• She immigrated in 1898. The census shows that she was an alien naturalized in 1919.
• She did not work outside the home.
• Daughters were Mary age 18, Helen age 16, Jennie age 14, and Florence age 10, all born in Massachusetts.
• All the daughters were single, white females who could read and write and speak English.
• Mary, Helen, and Jennie were not attending school. They all worked as Valentine designers.
• Florence attended school in 1920; she did not work.

Note that Adam and Petronela were shown to be naturalized in 1919. This does not agree with the statements that Adam had only filed his first papers and Petronela was an alien. Nonetheless, since Adam filed first papers, those papers should be available and should show the name of the Polish village where he, his wife, and three eldest children were born.

Even though Mary, Helen, and Jennie were between the ages of 14 and 18, none of them attended school.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

In 1900, Adam Bonislawski was living in Worcester, Massachusetts with his family. At the time, his family consisted of only those born in Russia-Poland.

1900 US Federal Census Record for Adam Bonislawski

SOURCE: 1900 U.S. Census, Worcester County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Worcester City, Ward 4, enumeration district (ED) 1737, sheet 21-B, dwelling 74, family 399, Adam Bonislawski; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 October 2007); citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 696.

The source citation above complies with the recommendations in Mills, Elizabeth Shown. 2007. Evidence explained citing history sources from artifacts to cyberspace. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the 1900 US Federal Census Record for Adam Bonislawski.  The record provides information that:

• In 1900, Adam Bonislawski was a married white male, 38 years old, born in June 1862 in Poland-Russia. His parents were also born in Russia-Poland.
• Adam immigrated in 1896, had lived in the US for 4 years, and was an alien.
• Adam worked as a laborer in a foundry and had not been out of work the previous year.
• Adam could speak English and lived in a rented house at 123 Millbury Street, Worcester, Massachusetts.
• Adam’s wife, Petronela, was 36 years old, born in June 1864 in Poland-Russia. Her parents were also born in Russia Adam and Petronela had been married 14 years.
• Petronela had 3 children, all of whom were still alive.
  Adam and Petronela’s children were daughter Selina (Czeslawa), age 9, born July 1890 in Poland-Russia; son John, age 7, born November 1892 in Poland-Russia; and Władzysław, age 3, born April 1897 in Poland-Russia.
• The family lived with five boarders: Paul Seliski, Joseph Goliski, Joseph Saliskiey, Anielia Stasoki, and Mary Droughlewski, all immigrants from Poland-Russia.

The census lists the surname as Bunasklie, although the correct spelling of the name is Bonislawski.

Note that Adam immigrated in 1894, but the third son of the couple (Władysław) was born in April 1897. Either Adam returned to Poland after his initial immigration, or Władysław’s birth was a non-paternal event.

The fact that the household included a number of boarders was not uncommon at the time. My paternal grandparents also roomed boarders in their first residence in Worcester.

This record includes a number of annotations. The marks in the left margin indicate that another family living at 123 Millbury Street was enumerated on sheet 8, line 63. The marks over Adam’s first name and the desigation “head” are difficult to read, but appear to say X/Pf10 3C 5B. The 3C indicates that three children were in the household. The 5B indicates that 5 boarders were in the household. The X/Pf10 indicates that 10 people total were living in the household.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

In 1910, Adam Bonislawski was living in Worcester, Massachusetts with his family. His daughter, Czeslawa, was already married and living with her husband, Franciszek Niedzialkoski.

1910 US Federal Census Record for Adam Bonislawski

SOURCE: 1910 U.S. Census, Worcester County, Massachusetts, population schedule, Worcester City, Ward 1, Precinct 2, enumeration district (ED) 1825, sheet 19-A, dwelling 205, family 433, Adam Bonislawski; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/ : accessed 16 October 2007); citing National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 631.

The source citation above complies with the recommendations in Mills, Elizabeth Shown. 2007. Evidence explained citing history sources from artifacts to cyberspace. Baltimore, Md: Genealogical Pub. Co.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the 1910 US Federal Census Record for Adam Bonislawski.  The record provides information that:

• In 1910, Adam Bonislawski was a married white male, 45 years old, living at 8 Powers Court, Worcester, Massachusetts.
• Adam’s wife, Petronella, was also 45 years old.
• The couple had been married for 28 years. This was the first marriage for both of them.
• Their son John was 18 years old, son Edward was 11, daughter Mary was 8, daughter Helen was 6, daughter Jennie was 4, and daughter Florence was 10/12 (10 months) old.
• The couple had 8 children, seven of whom were still living.
• Adam worked as an engineer at a Stationary Elevator Shop. He was working on 15 April 1910, but had been out of work for 16 weeks in 1909. Adam owned his own home which was mortgaged.
• Petronella was not employed. She could speak English and could read but not write.
• Son John worked as a machinist in a Machine Shop. He was not attending school. He could speak English and could read and write.
• Adam, Petronella, and John were born in Russia Poland, as were their parents. All the other children listed were born in Massachusetts.
• Adam was an alien and immigrated in 1894. Petronella and John immigrated in 1898.
• Son Edward could speak English and could read and write. The information for the other children was left blank.
• Edward, Mary, and Helen were attending school.The only living child not enumerated in this household in 1910 was Czeslawa who married Franciszek Niedzialkoski on 17 August 1904 when she was 18 years old. 

One big find in this census record are the years in which Adam, Petronella, and John immigrated. This information may help to find their Immigration Passenger Manifests which may provide additional information about where in Russia-Poland the family lived prior to their immigration.

The census lists the surname as Bomaslawski, although the correct spelling of the name is Bonislawski.

The place where the Bonislawski family lived was within a very short walk of the house my Niedzialkowski grandparents bought a few years after this census was taken.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko