The Birth and Baptism of Wojciech Niedziałkowski -1836

Although I haven’t found the Birth and Baptismal Records for my Grandfather, Kostanty Niedziałkowski, or for my Great-Grandfather, Teofil Niedziałkowski, I already knew that my Great-Great Grandfather was Wojciech Niedziałkowski from other records .  He was born in 1836 at a time when this part of Poland was under Russian rule, but the church records were still maintained in Polish.

I also knew from Wojciech Niedziałkowski’s Death Record that he was born in Mosaki, in the Krasne Parish, and indeed that’s where I found his Birth and Baptismal Record .  Wojciech’s Birth and Baptismal Record is number 47, the last entry on this page.

 

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Wojciech Niedziałkowski -1836

Click on the image to view it in higher resolution. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Birth and Baptismal Record for Wojciech Niedziałkowski .  Translated from the Polish, the record states:

47. Godacze

This happened in the church-owned village of Krasne on the 16th / 28th day of August 1836 at four o’clock in the afternoon .  The well-born Antoni Niedziałkowski presented himself, age 26, living in the inherited part of Godacze, in the presence of the well-born Maciej Grzybowski, age 34, and Jan Rusczyński, age 75, both of the inherited part of Godacze, and he showed us a male child, declaring that he was born in Godacze yesterday at eleven o’clock at night, born to his wife Katarzyna née Milewska, age 26; At Holy Baptism performed this day, the child was given the name Wojciech, and his Godparents were the married couple Walenty Grabowski and Elzbieta Grabowska the well-born Józef and Petronela Łyszkowski .  This document was read aloud to the declarants and witnesses, the declarants and the witnesses cannot write. –

Reverend [Aleksy Luszczewski]
Assistant Pastor of the Krasne Parish

SOURCE:  Roman Catholic Parish of St. John the Baptist, Krasne, Poland. Księga Urodzonych Parafii Krasne (Book of Births of the Krasne Parish). 1836. Page 15, Entry Number 47. FHL INTL Film 0702793, Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Text in Polish, translated by Stephen J. Danko.

Notice that the church records continue to refer to the Niedziałkowski’s as “living in the inherited part” and “well-born”, further confirming the noble status of this family.

Since Wojciech was born the day before his baptism, his birthdate was August 27, 1836 (Gregorian Calendar) .  This document lists his parents, my great-great-great grandparents:  Antoni Niedziałkowski and Katarzyna Milewska.

Wojciech’s Death Record stated that he was born in Mosaki in the Krasne Parish, but this record states that he was born in Godacze in the Krasne Parish .  Why the difference?  It seems that Godacze was a settlement that was part of Mosaki .  The name of the settlement was sometimes written as Godacze and sometimes as Mosaki-Godacze, so there really is no discrepancy here.

There is, however, a discrepancy in this record .  Wojeciech’s mother is listed as Katarzyna Milewska, but his death record states that his mother was Karolina Milewska .  Other records should help clear up this confusion .  I suspect, at this point, that the priest simply made a mistake in the Birth and Baptismal Record, but I’ll be ready to revise that conclusion after I examine other relevant records.

At first, I was confused by the names of the godparents .  I finally decided that the names Walenty Grabowski and Elzbieta Grabowska were struck out and replaced with the well-born Józef and Petronela Łyszkowski . Â It looks like Antoni and Katarzyna decided at the last minute to offer the godparent responsibility to the couple with the more distinguised ancestry, leaving Walenty and Elzbieta to watch from a distance!

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko