PolishOrigins(TM) Forum

1861 English census for Dowkontt

Jon Foulkes — Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:15 pm

Author: Jon Foulkes

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:15 pm

Further info on George Dowkontt (ca. 1810-1893) [erroneously spelled Dowkovitt in Ancestry.com's indexing];
The 1861 English census for George Dowkontt says he was born in "Wilnow, Poland", which must be Vilnius, Lithuania today. I am guessing that "Wilnow" is meant to indicate the province, rather than the city.
If this is correct, I need to find a town in the 1810-1861 time period (birth year to census year) that is the same as or similar to Likiszki or Likenai, in the province or district of Wilnow.
Any suggestions?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions for French research of George Dowkontt's brother, Matthew/Mateusz, who lived in France (Bourges, at least initially)? Or even Poles living in France?

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Also, I did find 3 more Lithuanian town names that are at least somewhat similar to Likiszki/Likenai:

Ličiunai, just E of Pasvalys

Liutkiškiai, SE of Siauliai city

Alkiškiai, near Akmenė

However, these are all in northern Lithuania, so I don't put much faith in them being likely.

Re: Likishki, Likishkis, Likiskiai, Likiskis; Likenai, Likenay

Jon Foulkes — Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:08 pm

Author: Jon Foulkes

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 8:08 pm

Some candidates for the town/village of Likiszki/Likini:

1.) Likėnai, Biržai, Lithuania - a medium village about 6 miles due W of Birzai.

2.) Likėnai, Kėdainiai, Kauno Apskritis, Lietuva - a small village at a 'T' crossroads; about 20 miles S of Panevezus and 15+ miles NE of Kėdainiai, and about 4 miles WNW of Pauslajys; E of Routes A8 and E67.

3.) Likiškiai - Also known as Likishki Vel'ke, Likishkis, Likiskis, Likiškis [and possibly Likišzki Male]; W of Alytus.
Likiškiai - It is 3-4 miles due west of the center of Alytus/Olita, north of Route 131; another tiny village of several bldgs in maybe 2 groups/farms; south of Rt 131 is Likiškšliai.
Likiški Vel'ke/ Greater Likišzki - W of Alytus and N of intersection of Routes 131 & 132.
Likišzki Male/ Lesser Likišzki - W of Alytus and W of intersection of Routes 131 & 132.

4.) Likiškės, Alytaus savivaldybė, Lietuva - 10-15 miles NE of Alytus, and NNE of Butrimonys, about 2-3 miles. It is a tiny, tiny village - a few buildings at most [if the Google map is correct in its location].

5.) Likiškis, Molėtai, Lithuania - about 8 miles E of Molėtai, and just north of Route 114, and about 40 miles NNE of Vilnius.

Some further possibilities:

6.) Leckiškiai - N of Kaunas and NE of Kauno rajonas, between Route 222 and A8/E67. However, it does not show up on the Google map.

7.) Leikiški - near Kaupiai, and west of Taurage, and SW of Klaipeda; and north of intersection of Routes 199 and A12/E77. However, it does not show up on the Google map.

8.) Lekiškiai - Also known as Lekishkyay; W of Jonava, and NE of Kaunas. However, it does not show up on the Google map.

NOTE: I'm not sure how reliable Google Maps is, in terms of locating the center of a town/village, or in terms of even locating a supposed village/town!

Likishki, Likishkis, Likiskiai, Likiskis; Likenai, Likenay

Jon Foulkes — Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:50 am

Author: Jon Foulkes

Posted: Wed Mar 30, 2011 12:50 am

Jerzy/George Dowkontt (aka Dowkont) was exiled from Poland during the 1830-to-1831/32 Polish revolution. He first went to France with his brother Mathew/Mateusz. The lived in Bourges.

About 1834-6, George emigrated to England and settled in London where he married in 1837 and had several children. He died in Portsea, Portsmouth, in 1893 [his age is wrong].

His son, Dr. George Dominique Dowkontt, wrote an autobiography, called "Tell Them; or, The life story of a medical missionary", 1898. But he doesn't mention the hometown.

Various papers in England indicate that Jerzy/George was born, about 1810, in Likiszki (in one source) and Likini/Likenai (in another source). There are several Likiszki locations and a few Likenai ones. Very confusing. They are all in modern day Lithuania. I have been told that there are no more Dowkontts in Lithuania and only two in Poland, that I am probably not related to.