After Napoleon’s armies invaded Poland and created the Duchy of Warsaw on 09 Jun 1807, priests in the Duchy were required to record births, marriages, and deaths according to a specified style in a narrative form. After Napoleon’s defeat and the formation of the Congress Kingdom of Poland, priests continued to record birth, marriages, and deaths in the same format.

In 1826, the format was changed somewhat, and life events were recorded in a very consistent manner following a fixed template. Once researchers learn to read one Polish birth record from this time period in the Congress Kingdom of Poland, all other birth records from the same region and time period will look similar. Unfortunately, in 1868, the Russian government required that all records be written in Russian. The format remained the same. Only the language changed.

The following record demonstrates the parts of a Polish birth record that is typical for the time period 1826-1868 in the Congress Kingdom of Poland.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Niedziałkowski – 1862

SOURCE: Parafia pw. św. Jana Chrzciciela (Szwelice, Maków Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland). Księga Ochrzczonych parafii Szwelice od 1853 do 1869 r, Józef Niedziałkowski baptism (1862); FHL microfilm 1958805.

Click on the above image to enlarge it. By looking for specific keywords in the record, researchers can locate specific items of interest:

• Działo się – introduces the place, date, and time of the baptism
• Stawił się - introduces the name of the presenter, usually the father
• Obecnosi – introduces the names of the witnesses
• Okazał Nam – introduces the sex of the child and details of the birth
• Jego Małzonki – introduces the name of the mother
• Dziecięciu temu – introduces the name of the child
• Rodzicami Chresnemi – introduces the names of the Godparents
• Akt ten – concludes the record, usually indicating that the participants were illiterate

A transcription of this record (including misspellings and other errors) is shown below. Keywords that direct the reader to the most important elements of the record are highlighted in bold.

Pomaski
80.

Działo się we Wsi Koscielney Szwelicach dnia dwudziestego piątego Pazdziernika Tysiąc Osmset Sześćdziesiątego drugiego roku o godzinie dziewiątey z rana Stawił się Ludwik Niedziałkowski wspolnik lat dwadziescia osm maiący w Pomaskach Zamieszkały w Obecnosi Jana Pomaskiego lat czterdziesci cztery, i Konstantego grzybowskiego lat trzydziesci, maiących dziedzicow częsciowych w Pomaskach Zamieszkałych i Okazał Nam Dziecę płci męskiej oswiadczaiąc iz iest urodzone w Pomaskach dnia wczorayszego o godzinie dziewiątey rano z Jego Małzonki Jozefy z Pomaskich lat dwadziescia trzy maiącey. Dziecięciu temu na Chrzcie Swiętym odbytym w dniu dzisieyszym przez Kiędza Ignacego Kotakowskiego Proboszcza mieyscowego nadane zostało Imie Jozef, a Rodzicami Chresnemi byli Jozef i Barbara małzeństwo Nossarzewscy – Akt ten Oswiadczaią iemu i Swiadkom przezytany i przez Nas tylko podpisany został gdys Oswiadczaiący ani Swiadkowie pisac nieumieią
                                                               X Ig Kotakowski Proboszcz Szwelicki.
                                                               Utrzymuiący Akta Stanu Cywilnego

The left margin is usually reserved for the name of the village in which the family resided. For birth/baptismal records, one may also presume that the child was born in this village. The number that accompanies the name of the village shows the number of the baptism in the current calendar year in the parish (not the village). In the example, the child was born in Pomaski and his baptism was the 80th baptism in the parish that year.

The records open with the words “Działo się we Wsi Koscielney Szwelicach” which state the place of baptism. The words “Działo się” mean “It happened”. After the word “we” (in), this record shows that the baptism took place in “Wsi Koscielney Szwelicach”, meaning “the ecclesiastical village of Szwelice”. The village of Szwelice was owned by the church and was thus called an “ecclesiastical village”. The village of Pomaski belonged to the parish of Szwelice. Next, the time and date of the baptism is provided. In this record, the date is given as ”dnia dwudziestego piątego Pazdziernika Tysiąc Osmset Sześćdziesiątego drugiego roku”, meaning ”the twenty-fifth day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred sixty-two”. The time was recorded as “o godzinie dziewiątey z rana”, translated as “at the hour of nine o’clock in the morning”.

The next section, introduced by the words “Stawił się“, meaning “he presented himself” tells who brought the child to be baptized. This was usually the father, but could also be another relative if the father was deceased or otherwise could not attend the birth. In the case of an illegitimate birth, the midwife who delivered the child may be the one who presented the child for baptism. In the example, we learn that “Stawił się Ludwik Niedziałkowski wspolnik lat dwadziescia osm maiący w Pomaskach Zamieszkały”. This phrase tells us the name of the presenter (here, it is the father), his occupation, his age, and the place in which he resided. This phrase is translated as “Ludwik Niedziałkowski, partner, presented himself, twenty-eight years of age, living in Pomaski”.

Next, the words “w Obecnosi” introduce the witnesses. The example shows that “Jana Pomaskiego lat czterdziesci cztery, i Konstantego grzybowskiego lat trzydziesci, maiących dziedzicow częsciowych w Pomaskach Zamieszkałych”, providing the names, ages, and occupations of the two witnesses. This phrase is translated as “in the presence of Jan Pomaski, forty-four years of age, and Konstanty Grzybowski, thirty years of age, heirs to a part [of the village] living in Pomaski”.

The next section is introduced by the words “i Okazał Nam“, meaning “and he showed us”. This phrase is followed by a description of the child, including the date and time of his birth. The phrase “i Okazał Nam Dziecę płci męskiej” means “and he showed us a child of the male sex”, is followed by the place of birth ”oswiadczaiąc iz iest urodzone w Pomaskach” meaning “declaring that he was born in Pomaski”, and concludes with the date and time of birth “dnia wczorayszego o godzinie dziewiątey rano”, translated as “yesterday at the hour of nine o’clock in the morning”.

The next section describes the mother, usually by her maiden name and age: “z Jego Małzonki Jozefy z Pomaskich” meaning “[born] of his wife Józefa née Pomaska” and “lat dwadziescia trzy maiącey”, telling us that she was “having twenty-three years of age”.

The name of the priest who performed the baptism and the name of the child are provided next, although the priest’s name is not always provided in the text of every birth/baptismal record. The sentence in Polish includes the phrases ”Dziecięciu temu” meaning “This child”, “na Chrzcie Swiętym odbytym w dniu dzisieyszym” meaning “at Holy Baptism performed this day”, “przez Kiędza Ignacego Kotakowskiego Proboszcza mieyscowego”, meaning “by Ignacy Kotakowski, the pastor of this place”, and finally “nadane zostało Imie Jozef”, meaning “was given the name Józef”.

The names of the sponsors (Godparents) are provided in the next section: “a Rodzicami Chresnemi byli Jozef i Barbara małzeństwo Nossarzewscy”, translated as “and the Godparents were the married couple Józef and Barbara Nossarzewski”.

The record ends with a statement “Akt ten Oswiadczaią iemu i Swiadkom przezytany” meaning “This document was read aloud to the declarant and witnesses”, followed by “i przez Nas tylko podpisany został”, meaning “and signed by Us alone”, and finally ”gdys Oswiadczaiący ani Swiadkowie pisac nieumieią” meaning “because the declarants and witnesses cannot write”.

The record is signed by the priest and concludes with his title: “X Ig Kotakowski Proboszcz Szwelicki” meaning “The Reverend Ig[nace] Kotakowski, Pastor of Szwelice” and “Utrzymuiący Akta Stanu Cywilnego”, translated as “Maintaining the Public Register”.

Because Polish is a highly inflected language, the endings of the names and places must usually be removed and replaced with the standard forms of the names and places. Thus, the place name “Pomaskach” becomes “Pomaski”, the place name “Szwelicach” becomes “Szwelice”, the name “Jana Pomaskiego” becomes “Jan Pomaski”, the name “Konstantego Grzybowskiego” becomes “Konstanty Grzybowski”, the name “Jozefy z Pomaskich” becomes “Józefa née Pomaska”, and the name “Ignacego Kotakowskiego” becomes “Ignacy Kotakowski”.

In these records, the priest frequently hyphenates words and, in some records, doesn’t necessarily indicate that the words are hyphenated. In addition, words that should be capitalized don’t always appear to be capitalized, and capital letters sometimes appear where they should not. Spelling errors and variations are also common, and Polish diacritical marks don’t always appear where they should.

Written for the Carnival of Eastern European Genealogy.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Niedziałkowski – 1862

SOURCE: Parafia pw. św. Jana Chrzciciela (Szwelice, Maków Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland). Księga Ochrzczonych parafii Szwelice od 1853 do 1869 r, Józef Niedziałkowski baptism (1862); FHL microfilm 1958805.

Click on the image above to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Niedziałkowski – 1862. Translated from the Polish, the record states:

Pomaski
80.

It happened in the ecclesiastical village of Szwelice on twenty-fifth day of October in the year one thousand eight hundred sixty-two at the hour of nine o’clock in the morning.  Ludwik Niedziałkowski, [one word?] presented himself, twenty-eight years of age, living in Pomaski, in the presence of Jan Pomaski, forty-four years of age, and Konstanty Grzybowski, thirty years of age, heirs to a part [of the village] living in Pomaski and he showed Us a child of the male sex, declaring that he was born in Pomaski yesterday at the hour of nine o’clock in the morning, born of his wife Józefa née Pomaska, twenty-three years of age. At Holy Baptism performed this day by the Pastor Ignace Kotakowski, the child was given the name Józef and the Godparents were the married couple Józef and Barbara Nossarzewski. This document was read aloud to the declarants and witnesses and signed by Us alone because the declarants and witnesses cannot write.
               Rev[erend] Ig[nacy] Kotakowski, Pastor of Szwelice
               Maintaining the Public Register

This is one of the records I found at the Family History Library while attending UPGS 2008.

Józef Niedziałkowski was born and died in the Congress Kingdom of Poland in 1862, just a few months before the January Uprising.

Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko

The Marriage Record of Ludwik Niedziałkowski and Józefa Pomaska – 1861

SOURCE: Parafia Podwyższenia Św. Jana Chrzciciela (Szwelice, Maków Powiat,Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland). Akta małżeństw 1826-1880, Lukwik Niedziałkowski and Józefa Pomaska marriage (1861); FHL microfilm 1958806.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Record of Ludwik Niedziałkowski and Józefa Pomaska – 1861. Translated from the Polish, the record states:

86.
Pomaski Wielkie
7.

It happened in the ecclesiastical village of Szwelice on twenty first day of April in the year one thousand eight hundred sixty one at the hour of five in the afternoon – We make it known that in the presence of Franciszek Ruscienski, age thirty-seven, living in the baptismal parish of Maków, and Józef Nossarzewski age forty, living in Pomaski, both owners of a part [of the village], on this day a religious marriage was contracted between Ludwik Niedziałkowski, a twenty-seven year old bachelor born in Godacze Mossaki, Parish of Krasne, of the married couple Antoni and Karolina nee Milewski Niedziałkowski, living with his family in Godacze in the aforementioned parish – and Miss Józefa Pomaska, born in Pomaski Wielki of the married couple the deceased Dyonizy and the living Wiktoria née Nossarzewski Pomaski, age twenty-two, living in Pomaski – This wedding was preceded by three publications of the banns in the Parish Churches in Krasne and Szwelice on consecutive Sundays, that is, the seventh, fourteenth, and twenty-first days of April of this same year – The newlyweds stated that they had made no prenuptial agreements between them. This religious ceremony was performed by the Reverend Antoni Kołakowski, pastor of Szwelice. After reading this document aloud, it was signed only by Us because the people mentioned in this document cannot write.

                                         A[ntoni] Ig[nacy] Kołakowski, Pastor of Szwelice
                                         Maintaining the Public Register

This entry is one of the Niedziałkowski family records from the Szwelice parish that I have not yet translated and posted, even though I’ve had this record for several years.

Within the record, the priest mentioned that the Reverend Antoni Kołakowski, pastor of Szwelice, performed the marriage. The signature is not clear, but may be A Ig Kołakowski, indicating that his name is Antoni Ignacy Kołakowski. In previous records, I thought this signature was Ks Ig Kołakowski and interpreted it as Reverend Ignace Kołakowski. The additional information in this record suggests that my previous interpretation was incorrect.

The bride was Józefa Pomaski, a descendant of those for whom the village of Pomaski was named.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Pelagia Niedziałkowska – 1869

SOURCE: Parafia Podwyższenia Św. Jana Chrzciciela (Szwelice, Maków Powiat, Łomża Gubernia, Congress Kingdom of Poland). Akta urodzeń 1867-1889, Pelagia Niedziałkowski birth (1869); FHL microfilm 1958806.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth Record of Pelagia Niedziałkowska – 1869. Translated from the Polish, the record states:

498
Głodki
Pomaski
4-

It happened in the ecclesiastical village of Szwelice on fifth [Julian Calendar] / seventeenth [Gregorian Calendar] day of January in the year one thousand eight hundred sixty nine at the hour of twelve o’clock in the afternoon.  Ludwik Niedziałkowski presented himself, thirty-six years of age, heir to a part [of the village], living in Pomaski, in the presence of Jan Pomaski, fifty years of age, and Marcin Mossakowski, fifty years of age, heirs to a part [of the village] living in Pomaski.  He showed Us a child of the female sex, declaring that she was born in Pomaski yesterday at the hour of ten o’clock in the evening, born of his wife Józefa née Pomaska, twenty-six years of age. At Holy Baptism performed this day by the Reverend Ignace Kołakowski, the child was given the name Pelagia and the Godparents were Wojciech Niedziałkowski and Ludwika Mossakowska. This document was read aloud to the declarants and witnesses and signed by Us alone because the declarants and witnesses cannot write.

                                         Rev[erend] Ig[nacy] Kołakowski, Pastor of Szwelice
                                         Maintaining the Public Register

This entry is one of the Niedziałkowski family records from the Szwelice parish that I have not yet translated and posted, even though I’ve had this record for several years.

The numbers above and below the name of the village indicate that the record is on page 98 and is the 4th baptism recorded in Szwelice for the year 1869.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

The Birth and Baptismal Record for Stanisław Niedziałkowski

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record for Stanislaw Niedziałkowski.  Translated from the Russian, the record states:

№ 30.  Pomaski

This happened in the village of Szwelice on the 13th / 26th / day of March 1902 at one o’clock in the afternoon.  Teofil Niedziałkowski, age 30, residing in Pomaski, appeared in person with a child, in the presence of Franciszek Milewski, age 54, and Tomasz Mossakowski, age 52, owner of the noble part residing in Pomaski and he presented to us a child of the male sex, stating that it was born in Pomaski on the day before yesterday at three o’clock in the morning of his lawful wife Ksawery née Zygmuntowicz, age 30.  At Holy Baptism performed on this date by Father Władysław Sędzicki, Assistant Pastor of this place, this child was given the name Stanisław, and his godparents were Jan Niedziakowski and Rozalia [Sierpowska].  This document was read to the declarant and the illiterate witnesses, and signed by us alone -

[J.] d. Administrator of the parish of Szwelice, Assistant Pastor, Keeper of the Documents of the Civil State – Father [Sędzicki]

My grandfather Kostanty was born on October 28, 1892.  I have not yet found a Birth and Baptismal Record for him.  His brother Jożef was born on May 5, 1897 in Pomaski, Vistula Land, Russian Empire. His sister Sabina was born on October 13, 1899 in Pomaski, Vistula Land, Russian Empire, and his brother Stanisław was born on March 15, 1902 in Pomaski, Vistula Land, Russian Empire.

Notice the difference in the birth year for Kostanty and his siblings.  Five years separated Kostanty from Józef, but Józef, Sabina, and Stanisław were born about 2-3 years apart from each other.  This suggests that there may be other siblings between Kostanty and the other three.  Since I haven’t found the Birth and Baptismal Record for Kostanty in the Szwelice Parish, I assume that he was born elsewhere.  Other siblings may have also been born in a different parish.  But where is that parish?  At the present time, I really don’t have a good lead.

Since Stanisław was born in the twentieth century, the Julian Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar had drifted yet one more day apart.  In the eighteenth century, the two calendars were 12 days apart, but in the twentieth century, the calendars were 13 days apart.  Thus, the two dates in the record are now 13 days apart.  We use the Gregorian Calendar today, so the date of birth for Stanisław was March 15, 1902.

One peculiarity in this record is the name of Stanisław’s Godfather.  The Polish priests were required to write these records in Russian, and they were supposed to transliterate the names, not translate the names.  The name of Stanisław’s godfather was Jan, which transliterates into Russian with three letters.  If the name had been translated, not transliterated, the Russian record would have said Ivan, the Russian equivalent of Jan (the English equivalent of Jan is John).

However, when this priest attempted to transliterate the name, instead of rendering it as “Jan”, he transliterated it as “Czoann”.  While “Czoann” sounds somewhat like “Jan”, this transliteration had me very confused.  Perhaps I’m the one who made the mistake and the name of Stanisław’s godfather wasn’t Jan.  But, for the life of me, I can’t figure out what else it could be.

Once again, there is a marginal notation on Stanisław’s Birth and Baptismal Record.  More about that tomorrow.