Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 7:37 pm
Post subject: Dominikowski last name
My great grandfather was Franciszek Dominikowski. Dominikowski was his father's last name. However, when Franciszek and his family came to the United States in 1891, he, his wife, and all his children were using the last name of Twardowski. In fact, he is married in Legowo in 1884 using the last name of Twardowski. Subsequent to coming to the U.S., they all began using the last name of Dominikowski. Apollonia Twardowska was his mother's name so he was using his mother's maiden name. Apollonia Twardowska (listed as Paulina Twardowska on the Poznan Project website) and Stanislaw Dominikowski (listed as Stanislaus Tomikowski) were married in Lekno in 1860.
I had been told that if individuals were married in the Catholic church but were not also married through the civil authorities, then the children had to use the mother's maiden name as their last name. However, in recent postings under the "PRADZIAD vs. LDS database" topic, Zenon indicated that priests during the 1800's acted as State Administrators and thus there was no need for civil records. Now I'm confused. Does anyone know why maiden names of married women would be used by their children? Thanks.
Tim
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sheep17PO Top Contributor & Patron
Joined: 30 Jan 2009
Replies: 123
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:04 pm
Post subject:
Tim,
Are you sure that Twardowski was her maiden name?
In one family I was tracing, I learned that the mother had been married for a short time before - and she and the children used that name. When she married again, she began to use her second husband's name - although the children used their father's last name. The marriage record didn't show her as a widow.
Just to be sure, I'd look for an earlier marriage between an Apolonia ? and someone named Twardowski.
sheep17
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 6:40 pm
Post subject: Dominikowski last name
Thanks for the reply. My great grandmother Magdalena Radna, was married to Franciszek. She died in an influenza epidemic in Pittsburgh in the mid 1910s. Franciszek married at least two more times before he died in 1939. On both of the marriage applications he lists his parents as Stanislaw Dominikowski and Apollonia Twardowska. In fact I was able to obtain the church marriage records for Franciszek and Magdalena in 1884. Apollonia is listed as the mother and Stanislaw is also listed but appears to have died or in some other way is out of the picture. So it seems his parents' names are accurate.
Both Franciszek and his brother came to the U.S. in 1891 as Twardowski and then both started using the "correct" name once they were here, although Franciszek's brother changed the name to Domikoski. Since Franciszek and his brother were only two years apart in age, it made sense to me that his parents married in the church but not civilly, but now I'm not sure. The other theory that Stanislaw died and Apollonia married someone named Twardowski who raised Franciszek and his brother but never officially adopted them doesn't work because the Poznan Project has listed Apollonia and Stanislaw's marriage in 1860 and her last name is listed as Twardowska.
Tim
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