The Birth and Baptism of Jakub Dańko – 1843

Jakub Dańko, son of Paweł Dańko and Zofia Szymańska, was born on 02 July 1843 in Tuligłowy, Przemyśl Kreis, Lemberg Regierungsbezirk, Austrian Empire and was baptized on 03 July 1843 in the parish church in Tuligłowy, Przemyśl Kreis, Lemberg Regierungsbezirk, Austrian Empire.

The Birth and Baptismal Record for Jakub Dańko - 1843
The Birth and Baptismal Record for Jakub Dańko – 1843
Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Dubiecko, Poland), “Liber Natorum et Baptisatorum (Book of Births and Baptisms), 1843,” p. unknown, no. 42, Jakub Dańko birth and baptism (1842); parish rectory, Dubiecko.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Baptismal Record for Jakub Dańko, including a transcription and translation of the record .  Translated from Latin to English, the record states:

  • Serial Number: 42
  • Date of Birth: 02 July 1843
  • Date of Baptism: 03 July 1843
  • House Number: under Number 12 in Tuligłowy and from Number 140 in Nienadowa
  • Name: Jakub
  • Religion: Catholic
  • Sex: Boy
  • Legitimacy: Legitimate
  • Father: Pawel Dańko, gardener
  • Mother: Zofia, born of the father Andrzej Szymański, gardener
  • Godparents: Marcin Tanowski, gardener from Nienadowa, and Maria, widow left behind after the death of Andrzej Poloczni, farmer from Tuligłowy. Standing by: Jakub Kuzienko, gardener from Nienadowa, and Rozalia, wife of Błażej Wajda, farmer from Nienadowa.
  • Midwife: The midwife named herein ins not approved Maria Regentowa
  • This infant was born outside the parish in the village of Tuligłowy in Przemyśl Kreis, and baptism was performed there by AK. Ludwik Wodziński, curate of the place and Deacon [for.?] the Roman Catholic Parish on the date noted above. Written in this Book of Baptisms, these events were from the document presented from there.
  • Removed?] 14 August 1878 Number 84

Jakub was born in Tuligłowy (Przemyśl Kreis), although his family lived in Nienadowa in the Dubiecko parish (Sanok Kreis). In the middle of Tuligłowy stands Parafia pw. Świętego Mikołaja Biskupa (Parish of St. Nicholas, Bishop), one of the most visited Marian shrines in Poland. The main altar of the church includes a 15th century painting of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Jakub’s mother was most likely visiting this shrine when Jakub was born.

The record includes a note that I think states: “removed 14 August 1878 Number 84”. This may indicate that my grandfather moved to a new house on 14 August 1878.

Some of the participants are listed with an occupation of hortulanus – gardener.  A hortulanus farmed a very small plot of land, probably only enough to supply the needs of their own families.  The Godmother, Maria Poloczni, is listed as cmethonifsa, and Błażej Wajda is listed as cmethonis, indicating that these people operated full-sized farms.

This is the first Baptismal Record I’ve seen that listed people “standing by,”  a statement that I don’t completely understand.

Copyright © 2007-2019 by Stephen J. Danko

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Five Best Resources for Researching Family History in Massachusetts

Much of my United States family history research is centered on ancestors who lived in Massachusetts .  In the course of that research, I found many useful resources that I use over and over again .  Five of the best resources are:

  1. The New England Historic Genealogical Society
    Located in Boston, the NEHGS was founded in 1845 and owns the nation’s oldest genealogical library .  Despite the name of the organization, the collection includes materials from many places outside New England, with especially large collections for Eastern Canada .  The organization’s website includes several online databases, some of which are restricted to members .  In particular, the online database for Massachusetts Vital Records 1841-1910 includes images of the original documents prepared from the original sources, not just scans of microfilm images.
  2. The Boston Public Library
    The Boston Public Library was founded in 1848 and was the first large free municipal library in the United States .  The collection includes American Loyalist Claims, Civil War Histories, town and county histories, genealogies, genealogical newsletters, city directories, and a collection of newspapers on microfilm that includes more than five thousand titles .  Virtually all Massachusetts newspapers and many newspapers from surrounding states are included in the collection .  The library’s website includes an “Ask a Librarian” link that can provide incredible assistance in breaking down brickwalls.
  3. The Massachusetts State Archives
    The Massachusetts State Archives in located in the Dorchester Section of Boston, adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the UMass Boston campus .  The collection includes Massachusetts Vital Records from 1841-1915 and is the only repository that currently holds Vital Records for the entire state for the period from 1911-1915 .  Other collections include Post of Boston Immigration Records, Massachusetts Federal and State Census Records, Naturalization Records, Probate Records, Adoption Records, and Witchcraft Trial Records.
  4. Massachusetts Land Records
    Massachusetts Land Records maintains an online database with images of original documents from Massachusetts property transactions .  The database mainly lists more recent property transactions and does not yet cover the entire state .  However, this database provides an opportunity for those who have not yet researched Massachusetts property records with a way to easily access those records for free.
  5. The Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics
    Massachusetts Vital Records from 1916 to the present can be viewed at the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics .  The facility is located near the Massachusetts State Archives in the Dorchester section of Boston .  The facility charges nine dollars an hour to conduct research there .  Indexes to Massachusetts Vital Records from 1916 to the present can be searched by researchers who may then request to view the original record books .  Researchers may not photocopy these records, but may order certified copies which are rapidly prepared by the staff.

There are many other important resources for family historians studying their Massachusetts ancestry .  These five resources are just the ones I have used most in my research.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Polish Village of Piertanie

The ancestral village of the Izbicki family is Piertanie, a village that was in the Russian Partition of Poland at the time the family emigrated.

Slownik Geograficzny Entry for Piertanie

Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Piertanie
Chlebowski, Bronisław, Władysław Walewski, and Filip Sulimmierski, eds., Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i Innych Krajów Słowiańskich (Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavonic Countries) – Warsaw 1887, Volume VIII, page 101.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Słownik Geograficzny Entry for Piertanie.  The entry, translated from the Polish, states:

Piertanie, a village on the small lakes Pierty and Wigry, Suwalki Powiat [District], Hutta Gmina [municipality], Wigry parish.  Twelve viersts [1 vierst = 1.0668 km] not far from Suwalki, it has 15 homes, 109 inhabitants, 327 mórgs [1 mórg in the Russian Partition = 1.388 acres] in territory.  Swampy land.  In 1827 there were 7 homes, 38 inhabitants.

The parish for Piertanie is in Wigry.  The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has church records for Wigry from 1808-1882.  I may be able to find some relevant records in these microfilms.

I’ve mentioned the Słownik Geograficzny several times in the past .  I use this reference often to discover to which parish a particular village belonged and to learn more about the village .  Some entries, like the entry for Piertanie, are very brief .  The entry for Wigry, the parish, is much more extensive.

Copyright © 2007-2019 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Marriage of Stanley Joseph Izbicki and Dorothy Roslyn Crandall

The last of the Marriage Certificates I have for the members of the Izbicki family is for Stanley Joseph Izbicki, who married Dorothy Roslyn Crandall in 1946.

Marriage Certificate for Stanley Joseph Izbicki and Dorothy Roslyn Crandall

The Marriage Certificate for Stanley Joseph Izbicki and Dorothy Roslyn Crandall -1946
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Registry of Vital Records and Statistics.
Certificate of Marriage. City of Worcester. 1946. Volume 152. Page 107.
Stanley Joseph Izbicki and Dorothy Roslyn Crandall.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Certificate for Stanley Joseph Izbicki and Dorothy Roslyn Crandall .  The record states that:

  • Stanley Joseph Izbicki was a 28 year old white man born and residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • He was a Postal Clerk, and his parents were William D . Izbicki and Victoria Miller
  • Dorothy Roslyn Crandall was a 28 year old white woman born in West Haven, Connecticut and residing in Middletown, Connecticut
  • She was a Payroll Supervisor and her parents were Julian L. Crandall and Ethel Willis
  • They were both single, and this was the first marriage for each of them
  • The wedding was solemnized on 14 Feb 1946 in West Haven, Connecticut by Gerald J. Jud, a Minister of the Gospel residing at 141 Main Street, West haven, Connecticut
  • The certificate was received by the registrar, Malcolm C. Midgley on 16 Apr 1946, the Registered No. was 278
  • The certificate also notes the page number 107 in the Volume of the Marriage Records for Worcester in 1946 and specifies that this is a Copy of a Certificate of Marriage for a resident of Worcester that was solemnized outside of that city

This document is an official record in the city of Worcester that recorded the marriage of a resident (Stanley Joseph Izbicki) that occurred in West Haven, Connecticut, the hometown of the bride (Dorothy Roslyn Crandall).

The marriage was solemnized by a Minister of the Gospel, indicating that this marriage took place outside the Roman Catholic Church.  The exact location of the marriage was not specified in this record.

Stanley Izbicki was a Postal Clerk, just as his older brother Bernard was in later life.

Stanley listed his father’s name as William D., the alias for Bolesław Izbicki, and he listed his mother’s name as Victoria Miller .  I have no idea where the Miller surname came from .  The maiden name of Stanley’s mother was Victoria Kruczyńska.

Copyright © 2007-2019 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Marriage of Bernard J. Izbicki and Josephine I. Maslowski

Before marrying my cousin Anastasia Rita Meleski, Bernard J. Izbicki married Josephine I. Maslowski.

The Marriage Certificate for Bernard J Izbicki and Josephine I Maslowski

The Marriage Certificate for Bernard J. Izbicki and Josephine I. Maslowski
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Registry of Vital Records and Statistics. Certificate of Marriage. City of Worcester. 1936. Volume 84. Page 464. Bernard J. Izbicki and Josephine I. Maslowski.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Certificate for Bernard J. Izbicki and Josephine I. Maslowski.  The record states that:

  • Bernard J. Izbicki was a 25 year old white man born and residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • He was a Cold Roller, and his parents were Boleslaus Izbicki and Victoria Kruczynski
  • Josephine I. Maslowski was a 22 year old white woman born and residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • She was a Sticher and her parents were Stanislaus Maslowski and Agatha Szkutnik
  • They were both single, and this was the first marriage for each of them
  • The intention of marriage was entered at Worcester on 25 Jan 1936, and the certificate was issued on 30 Jan 1936 by Malcolm C. Midgley
  • The wedding was solemnized on 22 Feb 1936 in St. Mary’s Church in Worcester by John F. Mieczkowski, a priest residing at 15 Richland St., Worcester, Massachusetts
  • The certificate was received by the city or town clerk, Malcolm C. Midgley on 11 Mar 1936, the Registered No. was 178 and the Intention No. was 74
  • The certificate also notes the page number 464 in the Volume of the Marriage Records for Worcester in 1936

Bernard Izbicki later married Anastasia Rita Meleski in the same church.  Bernard was divorced and Anastasia Rita was widowed at the time.  The question now is, did Bernard Izbicki and Josephine Maslowski obtain a divorce?  If they did, how did Bernard and Anastasia Rita manage to be married in the Roman Catholic Church?

On my to-do list:  look for the death of Josephine and look for a possible divorce of Bernard and Josephine.

Copyright © 2007-2019 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Marriage of George W. Card and Victoria Izbicki

Continuing with the marriages of the siblings of Bernard Izbicki, Bernard’s sister Victoria was married in 1935.

The Certificate of Marriage for George W. Card and Victoria Izbicki

The Certificate of Marriage for George W. Card and Victoria Izbicki

SOURCE:  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Registry of Vital Records and Statistics.
Certificate of Marriage. City of Worcester. 1935. Volume Unknown. Page 391.
George W. Card and Victoria Izbicki.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Record for George Card and Victoria Izbicki – 1935 .  The record shows that:

  • George W. Card was a 27 year old white man born in New Haven, Connecticut and residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • He was a greaser, and his parents were Henry R. Card and Mary E. Connors
  • Victoria Izbicki was a 26 year old white woman born and residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • She was a seamstress, and her parents were William D. Izbicki and Victoria Kruczynska
  • They were both single, and this was the first marriage for each of them
  • The intention of marriage was entered at Worcester on 08 Aug, and the certificate was issued on 13 Aug 1935 by Malcolm C. Midgley
  • The wedding was solemnized on 07 Sep 1935 in St. Mary’s Church in Worcester by B. A. Bojanowski, a priest residing at 15 Richland St., Worcester, Massachusetts
  • The certificate was received by the city or town clerk, Malcolm C. Midgley on 10 Sep 1935, the Registered No. was 1129 and the Intention No. was 1054
  • The certificate also notes the page number 391 in the Volume of the Marriage Records for Worcester in 1935

In this record, Victoria’s father is listed as William D. Izbicki, rather than Bolesław Izbicki .  Bolesław often used the alias William after he arrived in the United States .  This is the first record in which I’ve seen a middle initial for him, though .  I don’t know what the D. stands for.

The marriage took place in the Roman Catholic St. Mary’s Church in Worcester .  St. Mary’s Church is known today as Our Lady of Częstochowa Church .  At the time George W. Card and Victoria Izbicki were married, the congregation of St. Mary’s Church was mostly Polish, and is still largely Polish today .  Each Sunday, two masses at Our Lady of Chęstochowa Church are still celebrated in the Polish language.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Marriage of John Baranauckas and Louisa Zideckas

Yesterday I posted the Marriage Certificate for Leo Izbicki and Anna L. Baronisky .  Anna’s parents were listed as John Baronisky and Louise Zadeckas .  The marriage record for Anna’s parents reveals some more information about the family surname and origins.

Marriage Record for John Baranauskas and Louisa Zideckas

The Marriage Record for John Baranauckas and Louisa Zideckas

SOURCE:  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Marriages Registered in the City of Worcester for the Year 1905. Volume 556, Page 479, No. 619. John Baranauckas and Louisa Zideckas. http://www.newenglandancestors.org.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Record for John Baranauckas and Louisa Zideckas – 1905 .  The record shows that:

  • The marriage was recorded in Volume 556, Page 479, Number 619 of the marriage registers for the city of Worcester, Massachusetts in 1905
  • John Baranauckas, age 24, residing in Worcester and working as an operative, was born in Russia-Lithuania, the son of George Baranauckas and Catharine [Denulevicz?]
  • Louisa Zideckas, age 20, residing in Worcester and working as an operative, was born in Russia-Lithuania, the daughter of Joseph Zideckas and Eva Dambrauckas
  • The couple was married on 19 Jun 1905 by Joseph Jaksztys, a Clergyman from Worcester
  • This was the first marriage for each of them
  • The marriage was recorded on 19 Jun 1905

This record helps to confirm the hypothesis that Anna L. Baronisky’s surname was changed at some time and that her parents were from Lithuania.

In the 1905 Worcester City Directory, Joseph Jaksztys is listed as the pastor of St. Casimir Church, residing at 22 Waverly St., Worcester, so it is likely that John Baranauckas and Louisa Zideckas were married in St. Casimir’s .  St. Casimir’s Church was a Roman Catholic Church serving a predominantly Lithuanian congregation .  The church itself is located at 41 Providence Street at the intersection of Waverly Street.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Marriage of Leo Izbicki and Anna L. Baronisky

I previously wrote about the marriage of Bernard Izbicki to my second cousin Anastasia Rita Meleski .  Bernard’s brother Leo married Anna L. Baronisky:

Marriage Certificate for Leo Izbicki and Anna L Baronisky

The Marriage Certificate of Leo Izbicki and Anna L. Baronisky

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Record for Leo Izbicki and Anna Baronisky – 1931 .  The record states that:

  • Leo Izbicki was a 27 year old white man born and residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • He was a baker, and his parents were William Izbicki and Victoria Kruczynski
  • Anna L. Baronisky was a 25 year old white woman born and residing in Worcester, Massachusetts
  • She was an operator, and her parents were John Baronisky and Louise Zadeckas
  • They were both single, and this was the first marriage for each of them
  • The intention of marriage was entered at Worcester on 12 Nov 1931, and the certificate was issued on 12 Nov 1931 by Malcolm C. Midgley
  • The wedding was solemnized on 16 Nov 1931 in Our Lady of Vilna Church in Worcester by Constantine A. Vasys, a priest residing at 15 Highfield Rd., Worcester, Massachusetts
    The certificate was received by the city or town clerk, Malcolm C. Midgley on 16 Nov 1931
  • The Registered No. was 1129 and the Intention No. was 1054
  • The certificate also notes the page number 400 in the Volume of the Marriage Records for Worcester in 1931

Leo is sometimes listed as Leon in other records, including his Birth Record .  The name Leon was probably his given name, since his father had a brother named Leon.

The bride’s surname, Baronisky, is a little odd .  Other records spell this surname in a variety of ways, including Baron .  Since the couple was married in a Lithuanian Church (Our Lady of Vilna) and Leo Izbicki was Polish, one might suspect that Anna L. Baronisky might be Lithuanian .  The spelling of the surname, however, suggests she was Russian .  It’s highly unlikely, however, that a Pole and a Russian would marry in a Lithuanian Church!

Without going into a lot more detail here, it turns out that the historical surname of Anna’s family was Baranauckas, a fine Lithuanian surname, indeed . Â Anna’s Lithuanian heritage is also revealed by her mother’s maiden name: Zadeckas, another fine Lithuanian surname.

Note that the given name of Leo’s father’s is listed as William, not Bolesław .  Bolesław Izbicki apparently used the name William after he arrived in the United States .  Some of his records list his name as Bolesław W. Izbicki, to reflect his use of the alias “William”.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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A Plan to Find My Niedziałkowski Ancestors

I spent most of today working on one of the courses I’m taking through the National Institute for Genealogical Studies (Methodology – Part 5: How To Prove It) .  One of the assignments was to describe a problem we are having with our research and to formulate a plan to solve this problem .  Here’s my answer:

One problem I have in my research is finding records my Niedzialkowski ancestors in Poland .  Records for my grandfather (Kostanty Niedzialkowski) usually state that he was from Pomaski, Poland (Szwelice parish), but one record states that he was born in Warsaw, Poland .  I have not found Kostanty’s Baptismal Record in the Szwelice parish records, but I found the Baptismal Records for his siblings there .  I have not found the Baptismal Records or the Marriage Record for my great-grandfather (Teofil Niedzialkowski), although I found the Baptismal Records for Teofil’s siblings in the Szwelice parish records .  I found the Baptismal Records for my great-great-grandfather (Wojciech Niedzialkowski) and his siblings and those of my great-great-great-grandfather (Antoni Niedzialkowski) and his siblings in the Krasne parish .  My great-great-great-great-grandfather (Tomasz Niedzialkowski) was born in the Palucene Pałuki parish, but I don’t even know where the Palucene Pałuki parish is.

UPDATE: 22 Jun 2007, thanks to Agnieszka who left a comment, below, I now know that the name of this parish is Paluki. The records for Paluki have been filmed by the Family History Library and go back as far as 1658 – a full century earlier than the records I currently have!

The problem is I don’t know where to find the Baptismal Records for Kostanty, Teofil, or Tomasz, and I don’t know where to find the Marriage Records for Teofil or Wojciech .  Compounding the problem is that the Niedzialkowski family is described in most of the records as “noble”, “well-born”, or “owners of part of the village”, and as such they always married “well-born” women from other villages, often from other parishes.

I have attempted to find the missing records in the surrounding parishes, without luck .  I have attempted to find the missing Baptismal Records in Szwelice by looking for illegitimate births, again without luck.

Using the problem-solving techniques from the lessons, I intend to search surrounding parishes again, looking not only for the Niedzialkowski surname, but also the surnames of the wives of my Niedzialkowski ancestors .  My experience with Polish records is that surnames tend to be clustered in particular villages, so if I can’t find a Niedzialkowski, perhaps I can find the surname for their wives .  There is also the possibility that some of the missing Baptismal Records may be recorded as illegitimate births under the mother’s maiden name, and so I plan to search for illegitimate births in surrounding parishes.

Because the missing records may be difficult to find, I plan to search substitute records .  I’m not certain which substitute records are available in Poland, so I plan to take the National Institute course in Research: Polish Ancestors in February .  I understand that there may be “Status Animarum” records in Polish parishes that record parish records according to family groups, providing details of the births, marriages, and deaths of individuals in the family .  These records would be invaluable to solving some of my problems .  Census Records and Property Records could also be useful .  Because the Niedzialkowskis are of noble birth, I intend to learn more about the records of the Polish nobility to see if I can find clues there.

As far as I know, there are no One Name Studies for the Niedzialkowski surname .  I plan to start such a study in the hopes that the ancestral villages of other Niedzialkowskis may lead me to the records for my own ancestors .  With that in mind, I’m planning to take the National Institute course in Organizing a One Name Study.

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Immigrant Passenger Manifest for Kajetan Izbicki

The 1910 U.S. Federal Census showed that Kajetan Izbicki, the brother of Bolesław Izbicki, arrived in the United States in 1905 .  The passenger manifest for the S.S. Ryndam includes his record.

SS Ryndam

The S. S. Ryndam

Immigrant Passenger Manifest for Kajetan Izbicki

The Passenger Manifest for Kajetan Izbicki

SOURCE:  Immigration and Naturalization Service. Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957. National Archives Microfilm Publication T715, Roll 551, List L, Line 10.

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Passenger Arrival Manifest for Kajetan Izbicki – 1905 .  The record shows:

  • Kajetan Izbicki, a 20-year-old, single male, departed Rotterdam on the S.S. Ryndam on 11 Mar 1905 and arrived in New York on 29 Mar 1905
  • Kajetan was a farm laborer and was able to read and write
  • He was Polish and a citizen of Russia from the village of Piertany
  • He had never been in the US before; his destination was 12 Grosvenor Street, Worcester, Massachusetts, the home of his brother, B . Izbicki
  • Kajetan had a ticket to his destination; passage was paid by his brother; he had with him $10 $25
  • He was never in prison, was not a polygamist or anarchist, and was not coming to the US as a result of any offer or solicitation of employment
  • His health was good, and he was not deformed or crippled

Kajetan did, indeed, go to stay with his brother, Bolesław .  In 1905 Bolesław was living at 12 Grosvenor Street in Worcester .  In 1910, Boleslaw was living with his family and Kajetan at 11 Meade Street in Worcester, just one block from the house on Grosvenor Street .  In May 1910, Kajetan was married .  I have not yet found any records for Kajetan after the record of his marriage.

Kajetan’s village in Poland was spelled Piertany on the Passenger Manifest .  The correct spelling of this village is Piertanie .  Today, Piertanie is located in the far northeast corner of Poland.

Copyright © 2007 by Stephen J. Danko

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