Most death records recorded in the metrical records of Polish parishes report the deaths of members of the parish. Occasionally, a death is reported for someone who was not a member of the parish, but who died within the reaches of the parish – for example, the death of a soldier who died in battle.
The death of Antoni Myszkiewicz was reported in the metrical records for Szwelice parish in 1864. I have not found records for anyone else with the surname Myszkiewicz in the Szwelice metrical records, and therefore assume that Antoni was born elsewhere. The death record, although recorded on 18 November 1864, states that Antoni died in battle in the fields of Czarnostów on 18 September 1863. Most death records in the Congress Kingdom of Poland from this time period do not mention the place of burial, but this states that Antoni was buried in the cemetery in Szwelice.
The date of Antoni’s death is significant. The January Uprising in the Kingdom of Poland began on 22 January 1863 and continued into 1864. The January Uprising was an effort to end Russian occupation of Poland and regain independence. As a consequence of this uprising, hundreds of Poles were executed and tens of thousands were exiled to Siberia. Serfdom in Poland was abolished in an effort to ruin the nobility for their role in the uprising. The voivodeships were eliminated and replace with Russian-style gubernias. One of the most significant consequences of the uprising was the increased effort to “Russify” the Polish people. Shortly after the uprising, the government required that metrical records be written in Russian instead of Polish.
Death and Burial Record for Antoni Myszkiewicz – 1863/1864
In Polish, the record states:
Szwelice 35.
Działo się we wsi koscielny Szwelicach dnia osmnastego listopada tysiąc osmset szesćdziesiątego czwarteo roku o godzinie trzeciej a południe. Stawił się Franciszek Zebrowski gospodarz rolny lat dwadziescia osm, i Łukasz Biel stangreł latczterdziesci maiący w Slubowie Zamieszkali i oswiadczyli nam że byli naocznani świadkami poległego na polach czarnostowskich Antoniiego Myszkiewicza zołnierz a około lat dwadziescia cztery maiącego i w boju w dniu osmnastem wrzesnia tysiąc osmset sześcdzieiątego treciego roku ktory pozostawił zoną Anną z Orleńskich – pochowany został na cmentarzy Swelicach po przekonaniu iz prawdzie świadków iednozgodnie zekoracących. Akt ten stawaiącym przeczytany, przez nas i tychże przypuę impiera podpisany został.
Ksiądz Kołakowski Proboszcz Szwelicach, Utrzymujący Akta stanu Cywilnego
XXX Franciszek Zebrowski
XXX Łucasz Biel
Translated into English, the document reads:
Szwelice 35.
This happened in the church-owned village of Szwelice on November 18, 1864, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Franciszek Zebrowski, a farmer of 28 years, and Łukasz Biel, a stableman of 40 years, who live in Slubowo, appeared and declared to us that they were eyewitnesses to the death of Antoni Myszkiewicz, a soldier of about 24 years, who was killed in battle in the fields of Czarnostów on the September 18, 1863, leaving behind a wife, Anna née Orleńska. He was buried in the Szwelice cemetery after I was convinced that the witnesses were unanimously testifying to the truth. This document was read to the declarants, and signed by us and by the imperial authority.
[signed] Father Kołakowski, Pastor of Szwelice, Maintaining the Civil Status Records
[signed with his mark] XXX Franciszek Zebrowski
[signed with his mark] XXX Łukasz Biel
Copyright © 2024 by Stephen J. Danko
