The Death and Burial of Tomasz Niedziałkowski – 1826

Posted on December 7, 2006 by Steve

My great-great-great-great grandfather, Tomasz Niedziałkowski, died in 1826 .  His was the 52nd death in the Krasne Parish that year.

Death Record for Tomasz Niedzialkowski

The Death Record for Tomasz Niedziałkowski

Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Death and Burial Record for Tomasz Niedziałkowski – 1862 .  The record, translated from the Polish, states:

52 .  Mosaki Godacze  This happened in the church-owned village of Krasne on the seventeenth of December one thousand eight hundred twenty six at two in the afternoon there presented themselves the well-born Józef Niedziałkowski, age twenty-five and Leon Chotkowski, age twenty-five, owners of the noble part, both living in Mosaki Godzcze of the Krasne Parish and stated that on this day at seven in the morning, in his home at number three, the well-born Tomasz Niedziałkowski died, a country-squire, age seventy-two, residing in Mosaki Godacze, leaving behind his widowed wife Cecylia née Chotkowska .  After visual confirmation of the death of Niedziałkowski, this document was read aloud to those appearing, of whom the first is the son of the deceased, it was signed by us those appearing to the document are unable to read.

Reverend Norbert Zalewski, Preacher, Krasne Parish

This record names the Tomasz’ wife, Cecylia Chotkowska, and his son, Józef Niedzialkowski .  It also names Leon Chotkowski, likely a relative of Cecylia .  In this record, Józef and Leon are both described as “well-born” and “owners of the noble part” of the village, and Tomasz is described as “well-born” and “a country squire”.

The record further identifies where Tomasz died:  “in his home at number three”, suggesting that his home may have been either close to the center of the village or at one edge of the village since the numbering of houses often started in one of those two places .  In Polish villages, the houses were numbered, but the streets were not named .  The house number was sufficient to uniquely identify each house.

The Priest who prepared the record described himself as “Kaznodzieja”, meaning “Preacher” .  This is the first record in which I’ve seen a Polish Priest describe himself as a preacher.

1Copyright © 2006-2019 by Stephen J. Danko

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President Chester A. Arthur's Grave in Albany Rural Cemetery

Posted on December 6, 2006 by Steve

Chris at the Genealogue wrote about this year’s White House Christmas Ornament in honor of former president Chester A. Arthur .  In particular, he wrote about how Peter Hess, the head of Albany Rural Cemetery, was outraged by the biographical information about President Arthur that accompanied the ornament.

My Aunt Sophie Danko and her husband Clark Gibson are buried in Albany Rural Cemetery, as are my Step-Grandparents Samuel Bohok and Tekla Halaszyn, and I’ve visited their graves and the grave of Chester A. Arthur several times.

Chester A. Arthur’s monument is the focal point of the part of Albany Rural Cemetery where he is buried:

Grave Arthur Distant

Grave Arthur Entire

Grave Arthur Closeup

Grave Arthur Plaque

In a previous article, Chris wrote about the controversy about President Arthur’s birthplace .  Officially, Chester A. Arthur was born in Fairfield, Vermont in 1830, but the New York Times issue of 22 December 1880 speculated that he may have been born in Canada .  This suggestion may be rooted in the fact that the border between Vermont and Lower Canada (which became Canada East in 1841 and the Province of Quebec in 1867) was rather porous, and families tended to move back and forth without much concern that they were crossing a border.

Like Chester A. Arthur, my Aunt Sophie’s husband Clark was born in Fairfield, Vermont .  I have not been able to locate a birth record for Clark to substantiate his date or place of birth, although the census records document that he lived in Fairfield when he was young .  Clark’s grandparents were born in Lower Canada and their children were born alternately in New York and Canada East .  The family finally moved to Fairfield, Vermont, where Clark was born.

Gibson Monument 2005

Gibson Monument in Albany Rural Cemetery

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The Marriage of Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chotkowska

Posted on December 5, 2006 by Steve

My great-great-great-great grandparents, Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chotkowsa were married in 1785 in the Church in Krasne, Poland .  Theirs was the 20th marriage in Krasne that year.

The Marriage Record of Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chodkowska - 1785

The Marriage Record of Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chodkowska - 1785

Click on the image to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Marriage Record for Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chodkowska .  Translated from the Latin, the record shows that:

20. Mosaki Rukle, the 15th day of November 1785

I, Jan Napierkowski CRL pastor of Krasne: a Marriage Contract between the Nobles Tomasz Niedziałkowski, an unmarried man from the village of Kłonowo of the Pałuki Parish, and Cecylia Chotkowska, an unmarried girl from the village of Mosaki Rukle of the Krasne Parish, immediately following the presentation of three banns before the people to the divine audience of the congregation made in the Krasne Parish Church as well as in the Pałuki Parish Church in order that no testimony shown on either part stands as an impediment being free in appearance the Church confirms and blesses .  The witnesses present were the noble Adam Łyczkowski, the noble Stanisław Milewski, and the noble Wiktor Chrzanowski, and a number of others.

Of particular interest is the fact that Tomasz Niedziałkowski was from a different parish, explaining why I could not find earlier records for the Niedziałkowskis in the Krasne Parish.

UPDATE (24 June 2007): Thanks to an email from Agnieszka, the correct spelling of Tomasz Niedziałkowski’s parish is Pałuki. The Family History Library has microfilmed records from this parish from 1658-1904, opening up a whole new set of records for me to search! I have now found both the village of Klonowo and the parish of Pałuki on a map.

The name of the month is shown as 9bris, an abbreviation referring to November .  While one might expect that the 9th month should be September, the number nine refers to the Latin word for nine – novem, and the fact that November was once the ninth month of the year .  In fact, the last four months of the year take their names from the Latin numbers seven through ten:

September – septem – seven
October – octo – eight
November – novem – nine
December – decem – ten

I had a bit of trouble translating this document .  I suspect this is because my high school Latin is rusty, but it doesn’t help that I don’t have a proper Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin (in case anyone is wondering what they should get me for Christmas).

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth of Józef Niedziałkowski

Posted on December 4, 2006 by Steve

While in Salt Lake City a week ago, I found the Baptismal Record for Józef Niedziałkowski, born in 1801 in Mosaki Godacze .  He is the son of my great-great-great-great grandparents, Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chodkowska .  The record of his baptism is record 39 for the year and the second record on page 202 of the Book of Baptisms of the Krasne Church 1781-1807.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Niedziałkowski - 1801

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Józef Niedziałkowski - 1801

Click on the image to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Baptismal Record for Józef Niedziałkowski .  Translated from the Latin, the record states:

Page 202

39 Mosaki Godacze, the 5th Day of July in the Year 1801

I, Andrzej Roman, Canon Regular of the Laterans, baptized an infant by the name of Józef born on [illegible] day, the son of the Noble Tomasz and Cecylia née Chotkowska Niedziałkowska, a lawfully married couple .  The Godparents in the Sacred Font were the Noble Augustyn Obydzieński and Małgorzata Kierzkowska.

As compared to the Baptismal Records for the children previously born to Cecylia Chodkowska and Tomasz Niedziałkowski, this record apparently has a reference to the actual date of birth .  The word after “natum die” may tell when Józef was born .  Unfortunately, I can’t tell what that word is .  The only thing I’m relatively sure of is that the word is not “hodie” meaning “today”.

Notice, too, that the priest referred to Tomasz and Cecylia as “Noble” .  This probably doesn’t mean that they had any high status in Poland, but rather that they owned land in the village .  They probably belonged to the “lesser nobility”.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

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The Birth of Anna Niedziałkowska – 1798

Posted on December 3, 2006 by Steve

While searching for the records of children of my great-great-great-great grandparents, Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chotkowska, I found the Baptismal Record Anna Niedziałkowska, born in 1798 in Mosaki Godacze .  The record of her baptism is the second record on page 167 of the Book of Baptisms of the Krasne Church 1781-1807.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Anna Niedziałkowska - 1798

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Anna Niedziałkowska - 1798

Click on the image to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Baptismal Record for Anna Niedziałkowska .  Translated from the Latin, the record states:

Page 167

44 Mosaki Godacze, the 29th of July 1798

I, Maciej Milewski, CRL, baptized a female by the name of Anna, daughter of the well-born Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia, a legally married couple .  The Godparents were the well-born Józef Grabowski and the well-born Małgorzata Kierzkowska, an unmarried woman.

As with the Baptismal Records I’ve found from this time period, no date of birth is provided .  Properly, this article should be entitled “The Baptism of Anna Niedziałkowska” .  The date mentioned in this record is the date of baptism, but since most Polish infants were baptized within a day or two of their birth, the date of baptism is a good substitute for the date of birth.

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The Birth of Jan Wojciech Niedziałkowski – 1797

Posted on December 2, 2006 by Steve

While searching for the records of children of my great-great-great-great grandparents, Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecylia Chodkowska, I found the Baptismal Record Jan Wojciech Niedziałkowski, born in 1797 in Mosaki Godacze .  The record of his baptism is the second record on page 160 of the Book of Baptisms of the Krasne Church 1781-1807.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Jan Wojciech Niedziałkowski - 1797

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Jan Wojciech Niedziałkowski - 1797

Click on the image to enlarge it. Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Baptismal Record for Jan Wojciech Niedziałkowski .  Translated from the Latin, the record states:

Page 160, Year 1797

49 Mosaki Godacze the 12th day of July

I, Stefan Nożewski parish priest of Krasne baptized a male infant by the name of Jan Wojciech, the son of Tomasz and Cecylia née Chodkowska Niedziałkowski, a legally married couple .  The Godparents were Jakub Mossakowski and Marianna Kinkowska.

As with the Baptismal Record for Walenty Niedziałkowski, no date of birth is provided .  The date mentioned in this record is the date of baptism, but since most Polish infants were baptized within a day or two of their birth, the date of baptism is a good substitute for the date of birth.

The fact that this child was given two names is rather unusual in Polish records, but not unheard of . Â Wojciech is generally accepted as the Polish equivalent of the English name Albert or Adalbert.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

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How Christopher Became the Family's Youngest Genealogist

Posted on December 1, 2006 by Steve

As far as I know, Christopher, my first cousin twice removed, is my family’s youngest genealogist .  He started researching his ancestry when he was about 9 years old, and now that he’s in high school he’s become quite an accomplished genealogist .  He wrote an article for this blog explaining how he got involved in researching his family history .  Here is his story:

I began researching my family almost eight years ago now. The earliest notebook I have is dated October 1998- that’s the month that one night at dinner I showed my grandparents a list I had been making of all of the relatives in my family that I knew of. It was at that time that my step-grandfather brought out his pedigree that traced his family history back into the 1700s, and that’s how it all began.

At that time I began picking the brains of all of my relatives, I was only about nine years old. When I began doing my research I began on my mother’s side because the information was more readily accessible to me than my fathers side. My mothers mother luckily had already collected some information from relatives in the early 1990s before my great-grandmother and her brother Paul Charron had died. She also had a list of rough birthdates and death dates from her uncle Joe Danko for members on her fathers side. The information that my grandmother had was the basic facts that I used to start my research on my mothers side of the family.

One night in 1999 my mother received a phone call from her cousin Stephen Danko, who was working out a family tree for his father. I wonder if he was surprised when she had told him that her ten year old son could give him more information about her own family than she could. Every now and than Steve and I chat to keep each other up-to-date on our family. Steve even helped me in researching information on sides of my family that he is not a relative of. He has been very helpful and my family tree wouldn’t be nearly as plentiful as it is without his most appreciated help and research.

I have learned a lot about Genealogy just by searching for family members online, at courthouses, churches, and cemeteries and by interviewing family members. About five years ago I found a distant cousin and fellow genealogist Kelly Townsend through Ancestry.com. She had traced my mother’s maternal grandmother’s family back into the late 1500s in France. We began chatting, and after about a year of correspondences we finally met at a cemetery where our relatives were buried. About a year afterwards my grandparents, grandaunt, and I attended the Patenaude Family Reunion in Montreal, Canada. Kelly is just one of a few of my distant cousins that I have found.

While looking into standard ways of documenting sources, I realized that Family Tree Maker is a savior at documenting sources. Without that software my information would probably never be as organized as it is. Sometimes I think to myself, if I have gotten this far and I’m only seventeen now, imagine how much more I will know and understand about my family years from now. Genealogy has even gotten me interested in learning about genetics! Researching the history of my family has also taught me to appreciate my own family more, and I will continue to study my family history because after all it is a project that can never be complete.

Christopher and I get together now and then to compare notes and do some collaborative research in New York or Massachusetts .  Since I live in California and Christopher lives in Florida, we usually meet at the ancestral family homestead in Albany, New York .  Both Christopher and I grew up in the same house in Albany, although the times each of us lived there were separated by 29 years.

Christopher probably knows when his great grandfather bought the house the Albany (I think it was in the 1940s) .  The house is still in the family; it’s now owned by Christopher’s older brother William.

At age 17, Christopher has 8 years of genealogy research experience under his belt, and his family history research has led to a new interest in genetics .  Perhaps Zoe Williams should interview Christopher for her column someday.

Posted in Dańko | Tagged | 7 Comments

Why I Researched the Wrong Julianna Gutowska

Posted on November 30, 2006 by Steve

A Lesson on the Genealogical Proof Standard 

A couple of years ago, while searching for Polish parish records on microfilm at the Family History Library, I tried tracing the ancestry of my Niedziałkowski ancestors.

I knew my grandfather was from the Szwelice parish and I was able to find the Birth and Baptismal Record for my grandfather’s siblings Józef, Sabina, and Stanisław Niedziałkowski .  All of their records showed that their parents (my great grandparents) were Teofil Niedziałkowski and Ksawera Zygmuntowicz.

I also found the Birth and Baptismal Records for my great grandfather Teofil Niedziałkowski’s siblings, Karolina, Julianna, and Franciszek Niedzialkowski .  All their records showed that their parents (my great-great grandparents) were Wojciech Niedziałkowski and Julianna Gutowska.

I wasn’t able to find the Birth and Baptismal record for either my grandfather or my great grandfather, but I knew I was following the correct family because the information in the Polish parish records agreed with information I already had obtained from family records and Massachusetts vital records.

With certainty I was on the right track, I looked for the Birth and Baptismal Record for my great-great grandmother, Julianna Gutowska, born in about 1836 .  I searched the Szwelice parish records and found a Birth and Baptismal Record for Julianna Gutowska .  Translated from the Polish, the record states:

94 Głodki

This happened in the church-owned village of Szwelice on the 17th / 29th day of December 1836 at one o’clock in the afternoon .  Mikołaj Gutowski presented himself, age 27, from Głodki, in the presence of Maciej Chrzanowski, age 40, and Kasper Trościński, age 60, from Głodki, and he showed us a female child born in Głodki yesterday at four o’clock in the morning, born to his wife Rosalia née Biedrzycka, age 18 .  At Holy Baptism performed this day, the child was given the name Julianna, and her Godparents were Stanisław and Maryanna Trościński .  This document was read aloud to the declarants and witnesses and signed only by us, because those appearing and the witnesses mentioned in this document cannot write.

Rev. Ignatius Kołakowski, Pastor of Szwelice

Well, it looked like I found the Birth and Baptismal Record for my great-great grandmother!  She was born in the right year in the same parish as my Niedziałkowski ancestors .  I merrily researched the families of Mikołaj Gutowski and Rozalia Biedrzycka without much difficulty since this line was well documented in the Szwelice records.

Then I found another record – the Death Record for my grandmother, Julianna née Gutowska Niedziałkowska .  Translated from the Russian, this record reads:

â„– 38 .  Pomoski

This happened in the village of Szwelice on April 13th / 26th 1900 at 12 Noon .  Wojciech Niedziałkowski, the husband of the deceased, age 65, and Piotr Napierkowski, age 60, farmers living in Pomaski, appeared and stated that on April 12th / 25th of this year at 4 o’clock in the morning in Pomaski, Julianna Niedziałkowska died, age 67, born in Warsaw, Holy Cross parish, and living with her husband as a farmer woman in Pomaski, the daughter of the deceased Wojciech and Anna née Jabłonowski Gutowski .  She is survived by her husband, the widower Wojciech Niedziałkowski .  After eyewitness testimony on the death of Julianna Niedziałkowska, this document was read to the declarant, who is illiterate, and was signed by us alone .  Id. Administrator of the parish of Szwelice, Assistant Pastor, Keeper of the Documents of the Civil State -.

Father [Sędzicki]

At this point, everything fell apart .  I was certain this was the Death Record for my great-great grandmother .  However, it states that Julianna’s parents were Wojciech Gutowski and Anna Jabłonowski and that Julianna was born in Warsaw, Holy Cross Parish .  I had been researching the wrong family!

I have not yet found the Birth and Baptismal Record for Julianna Gutowska .  Like many of my other ancestors, her records have eluded me .  I searched the Baptismal Records for Holy Cross Parish in Warsaw, but that parish is extremely large, performing thousands of baptisms a year – and the records aren’t indexed – and the records are in Russian.

The lesson here is don’t assume someone is your ancestor just because they have the right name and were born at what you think was the right time and place .  I have since learned that the Genealogical Proof Standard requires much more.

A Polish proverb says:

“Nauka nie poszła w las.”

Literally, this is translated as “The lesson didn’t go into the forest” .  It means “The lesson has not been forgotten”.

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The Birth of Walenty Niedziałkowski-1796

Posted on November 29, 2006 by Steve

While in Salt Lake City, I searched for the records of children of my great-great-great-great grandparents, Tomasz Niedziałkowski and Cecilia Chotkowska who were married 15 November 1785 in the Krasne Parish.

One Baptismal Record I found was for Walenty Niedziałkowski, born in 1796 in Mosaki Godacze .  The record of his baptism is the fourth record on page 149 of the Book of Baptisms of the Krasne Church 1781-1807.

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Walenty Niedziałkowski - 1796

The Birth and Baptismal Record of Walenty Niedziałkowski - 1796

Click on the image to enlarge it Click on the link for a PDF copy of the Baptismal Record for Walenty Niedziałkowski .  Translated from the Latin, the record states:

Year 1796, Page 149

12. Mosaki Godacze, the 17th day of the month of February

I, Stanisław Opolski, CSL, pastor of Krasne, baptized an infant by the name of Walenty, the son of Thomas and Cecilia née Chodkowska Niedziałkowski, a legally married couple .  The Godparents in the font were the Nobleman Jan Puszczyński and the Noblewoman Marianna Kierkowska of the Krasne Parish.

I had previously found the baptismal records for five children born to this couple, but the earliest of those occurred in 1801 .  This birth in 1796 is much closer to the wedding date for the couple .  Still, I would have expected a birth within the first two or three years of the marriage.

Notice that no date of birth is provided .  The date mentioned in this record is the date of baptism, but since most Polish infants were baptized within a day or two of their birth, the date of baptism is a good substitute for the date of birth.

Copyright © 2006 by Stephen J. Danko

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Temple Square

Posted on November 28, 2006 by Steve

I took these pictures in Temple Square on the day after Thanksgiving after the Family History Library closed for the evening .  This was the night when the holiday lights were turned on in Temple Square and the whole downtown area was full of people.

Salt Lake Temple

Salt Lake Temple

The neo-gothic Salt Lake Temple is the most recognizable structure in Salt Lake City .  You can see the gilt statue of the Angel Moroni on top of one of the towers.

Between the Visitors' Center and the Temple

Between the Visitors’ Center and the Temple

The Temple is on the left and the Visitors’ Center is on the right .  In the background the tall building to the left is the LDS Church Office Building and the shorter building to the right is the Joseph Smith Memorial Building where the Family Search Center is located.

Assembly Hall

The Assembly Hall

The Assembly Hall is my favorite building in Temple Square . Â The gothic structure was built between 1877-1882 .  The pillar to the left with the golden seagull on top is Seagull Monument to commemorate an event in June 1848 when swarms of crickets (now called “Mormon Crickets”) threatened the crops of the pioneers .  Flocks of seagulls arrived and devoured the crickets, saving the crops.

Inside the Assembly Hall

Inside the Assembly Hall

The Assembly Hall houses a 3,489 pipe organ and is most often used for free weekly concerts .  The columns (a couple can be seen under the balcony to the right) are contructed of white pine and painted to look like marble.

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