The Death of Wincenty Aleksandrowicz – A Soldier Who Died in the January Uprising – 1863

The death of Wincenty Aleksandrowicz was reported in the metrical records for Szwelice parish in 1865. His birth was recorded in the metrical records for Chotomów in 1835, and his marriage to Julianna Ślubowska was recorded in the metrical records for Dzierżenin in 1858. He was, therefore, not from the Szwelice parish. His death record, although recorded on 14 Jan 1865, states that Wincenty died in battle in the fields of Czarnostów on 18 September 1863, the same day that Antoni Myszkiewicz died in battle in the same place.

Like Antoni Myszkiewicz, Wincenty Aleksandrowicz apparently died during the January Uprising which began on 22 January 1863 and continued into 1864. Most death records in the Congress Kingdom of Poland from this time period do not mention the place of burial, but this one states that Wincenty was buried in the cemetery in Szwelice. This is the first Polish death record I’ve seen that actually mentions a funeral.

Death Record for Wincenty Aleksandrowicz - 1863

Death and Burial Record for Wincenty Aleksandrowicz – 1863/1865

In Polish, the record states:

Szwelice 3
Działo się we wsi koscielny Szwelicach dnia czternastego stycznia tysiąc osmset szesćdziesiątego piątego roku o godzinie dziesiąteg z rana. Stawił się Wiktor Wyrzykowski wyrobnik lat dwadzieścia a dziwiąt maiący w Ładach zamieszkały, i Mateusza Kędzierski wyrobnik lat piędziesiąt liczący w Przewodowie osiadły, i oświadczyli nam już było na ocznemi świadkowi smierci, i pogrzebu Wincentego Alexandrowicza lat mającego dwadziescia pięc poległego wboiu na polah czarnostowskich dnia 18 wrzesnia 1863 ktory pozostawil zoną Julią z Ślubowskich. Po przekonaniu się na ocznie o zajsciu Wincentego Alexandrowicz pochowane na cmentarza Szwelickim. Akt ten stawaiącym przeczytany i przez nas tylko podpisany został.
Ksiądz Kołakowski Proboszcz Szwelicach, Utrzymujący Akta stanu Cywilnego

Translated into English, the document reads:

Szwelice 3
This happened in the church-owned village of Szwelice on the January 14, 1865 at 10 o’clock in the morning. Wiktor Wyrzykowski, a 29-year-old worker living in Łady, and Mateusz Kędzierski, a 50-year-old worker living in Przewodowo, appeared and told us that they had already witnessed the death and funeral of Wincenty Alexandrowicz, 25 years old, who died in battle on the fields of Czarnostów on September 18, 1863, leaving behind his wife Julia née Ślubowska. After being convinced of the incident, Wincenty Alexandrowicz was buried in the Szwelice cemetery. This document was read to the declarants and signed only by us.
Father Kołakowski, Pastor of Szwelice, Maintaining the Civil Status Records

Copyright © 2024 by Stephen J. Danko

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