While continuing my research on my ancestors, I’ve discovered two areas where the information I had entered into my genealogy database was deficient: identification of locations and source citations.
I am trying to record the locations of events in my database as they were known at the time of the event. To achieve this goal, I’ve researched the geography and history of the areas, and I’ve developed a system for recording the events in several different geographical areas.
The information I’ve compiled will assist me in correctly recording both the locations of events and the source citations themselves.
The locations in which my Niedziałkowski ancestors lived provide a particular challenge because the borders changed so often over the past two and a half centuries.
Prior to the third partition of Poland, my Niedziałkowski ancestors lived in Klonowo, Powiat ciechanowski, Województwo mazowieckie, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
On 24 Oct 1795, the date of the third partition of Poland, the area in which the Niedziałkowskis lived became part of the Prussian Empire and the place they lived became Klonowo, Kreise Przasnysz, Departement Plozk, New East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia.
On 09 Jun 1807, the Duchy of Warsaw was formed. By this time, my ancestors had moved a short distance from Klonowo and were now living in Mosaki Godacze, Powiat przasnysz, Departament płocki, Duchy of Warsaw.
On 09 Jun 1815, the Congress of Vienna created the Congress Kingdom of Poland. Even though they hadn’t moved, my ancestors were now living in Mosaki Godacze, Powiat ciechanowski, Województwo płockiej, Congress Kingdom of Poland.
On 29 Nov 1830, the November Uprising began. This rebellion against the Russian Empire ultimately failed, and the Russian Empire began to exert greater control over the Congress Kingdom of Poland.
By 07 Mar 1837, the Russian Empire reorganized the administrative divisions of the Congress Kingdom of Poland and established Gubernias in the Russian tradition. My ancestors now lived in Mosaki Godacze, Powiat ciechanowski, Gubernia płocka, Congress Kingdom of Poland.
In 1842, the Powiat was renamed Okręg and my ancestors now lived in Mosaki Godacze, Okręg ciechanowski, Gubernia płocka, Congress Kingdom of Poland.
On 22 Jan 1863, the January Uprising began. This rebellion against the Russian Empire failed, and the Russian Empire incorporated the Congress Kingdom of Poland into the Russian Empire. The Coat of Arms of the Congress Kingdom of Poland was abandoned.
By 1867, the incorporation of the Congress Kingdom of Poland into the Russian Empire was complete. The Russian government now referred to the area as the Vistulan Country. By now, my ancestors had moved a short distance to the village of Pomaski. They now resided in Pomaski, Okręg makowski, Guberniya lomzhinskaya, Vistulan Country, Russian Empire.
The names of these places didn’t immediately change on the exact dates cited. However, the events that occurred on those dates were pivotal for the resulting changes in place names. For the purpose of my genealogy database, I will use the dates cited as the defining dates for the changes noted above.
This summary should provide me with a good reference for recording the names of the places in which my Niedziałkowski ancestors lived at various points in time.
Copyright © 2008 by Stephen J. Danko
