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j_lex



Joined: 06 Feb 2021
Replies: 50
Location: Buffalo, NY

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Post Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2021 1:57 pm      Post subject: Lex/Lax/Laks near Torun
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Hello, I have followed the documents as far my English can take me. I am wondering if there are other online resources or methods to go further back. I am most interested in following the Lex/Lax/Laks line. All research indicates they were farmers or laborers living south of Torun along the shifting 19th century political boundary.

My great-great-grandfather Thomas Laks, was born around 1850 and died in 1897 in Sloan, New York, USA. Thomas was married three times, twice in Poland and once in the USA. I've attached the Poznan Project results from Thomas Laks. Thomas's second wife, Catherine Domżalska died on Sept 29, 1893 in Buffalo, New York. Two of Thomas and Catherine's children are listed here: https://geneteka.genealodzy.pl/index.php?op=gt&lang=pol&bdm=B&w=02kp&rid=B&search_lastname=laks&search_name=&search_lastname2=&search_name2=&from_date=&to_date=
While not all ages line up, I believe the attached (Laks_Catharina_1892) is the immigration record for Catherina and children.

Following the Poznan Project (church records), Thomas’s parents, Jan Lax and Marianna Sobiechowska were married in 1849 in Służewo. Jan Lax’s parents, Boguslaw and Zofia Sadecka were married in 1822, also in Służewo. Marianna’s parents, Tomasz and Teresa Dobrezelak were married in 1828 in Ostrowąs.

I have not found any records (as the Poznan Project doesn't have records before 1800) for Boguslaw’s parents, Boguslaw Jan and Dorota; Zofia’s parents, Jan and Magdalena; Tomasz’s parents Pawel and Katarzyna Kozlowska; and Teresa Dobrzelak’s parents, Mateusz and Marianna Gawinecka.

My great-great-grandmother is not Catherina, but Thomas Laks's third wife, Josefa Igla. They were married January 30th, 1894 in Buffalo, New York, USA. This was Josefa's second marriage, her first was to Joannes Grezlachowski. Josefa's parents were Peter and Antonia of Posen (I didn't find a good match in the Poznan Project).

I am happy to share any of the documentation I have uncovered in the United States. I have more than what I was able to attach. Please let me know if I have made any mistakes or wrong assumptions. I also apologize if this is incoherent, confusing, or poor formatting.

I also have many questions regarding other branches of my family, but this has been my focus for now.

Thank you![url][/url]



Leks_Thomas_1894.JPG
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Thomas and Josefa's marriage record
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Laks_Catharina_1892a.png
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Catherina (Domsalska) Laks immigration to USA
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Leks_Katarzyna_1893.JPG
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Catherina Domsalska death record
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Laks_Thomas_1870.JPG
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Poznan Project results from Thomas Laks
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j_lex



Joined: 06 Feb 2021
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Location: Buffalo, NY

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Post Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2021 2:09 pm      Post subject:
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There are some results here that may be relevant, but unfortunately I am unable to translate them. I can post specifics in the translate threads.

https://www.genealogiawarchiwach.pl/#query.query=lax&query.type=ALL&query.suggestion=false&query.thumbnails=false&query.facet=true&query.asc=false&query.sortMode=PUBLICATION&personTree=false&goComments=false&searcher=big
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dnowicki
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Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Replies: 2781
Location: Michigan City, Indiana

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Post Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 3:56 pm      Post subject:
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j_lex wrote:
There are some results here that may be relevant, but unfortunately I am unable to translate them. I can post specifics in the translate threads.

https://www.genealogiawarchiwach.pl/#query.query=lax&query.type=ALL&query.suggestion=false&query.thumbnails=false&query.facet=true&query.asc=false&query.sortMode=PUBLICATION&personTree=false&goComments=false&searcher=big


Hi,

Records for the parish of Służewo beginning in 1753 have been digitized and are available on Family Search. However, they cannot be viewed from the comfort of home. It is necessary to go to a Family History Center or an affiliated public library to view them (something not currently possible due to the pandemic). The records are usually not indexed and thus a search requires going through individual entries to find the ones you want.

The results which you thought may be relevant are indeed so, but in varying degrees of relevance. It is way too soon to throw in the towel regarding understanding the records on your own. To do so would be to short circuit your research and thereby deny yourself the satisfaction of a job well done. The work in English is not finished. I would encourage you to read the history of Poland and especially that of the First Polish Republic aka the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Reading about the Partitions and about life in Partitioned Poland during the 19th Century can provide considerable insight about what life was like for you ancestors. There are also plenty of DIY resources for reading records from the 19th Century. I would recommend that you read the post on PO at this link: https://polishorigins.com/records-translations-guidelines/ There you will find links to language resources as well as useful tips. You will find the links to the four languages (Polish, Latin, Russian, & German) useful since records of your ancestors were written in each of those languages. Most likely the languages which will prove most challenging will be Russian, which employs the Cyrillic Alphabet, and German because of the script used for those records. Polish and Latin and English all use the same alphabet (the Latin or Roman alphabet), although Polish modifies some letters by the use of diacritical marks. Thus the challenge there is reading the handwriting but that is a challenge which can be overcome through practice and patience and with experience.

The greatest number of records of your ancestors are from the Russian Partition aka the Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie). In that Partition records were in Polish from 1808 until 1868 and then in Russian from 1868 until the end of WWI. Earlier records are almost always in Latin. To jump start your research here are some records of your direct ancestors in Polish. The images will be attached to this and to a following post.

1. Służewo 1849 # 15 Marriage of Jan Lax & Maryanna Sobiechowska
Date: 25 October, 1849
The groom: Jan Lax, age 19, son of the late Bogusław and the living Zofia, born in Służewo.
The bride: Maryanna Sobiechowska, age 18, daughter of the late Tomasz and the late Teresa,, born in Ostrowąs.
In marriage records the date of the wedding is found in the first line of the record and is followed by the names, ages, & occupations of the witnesses. The date is written in long hand.
The names of the groom and of the bride follow and are usually underlined. The age and names of parents and place of birth immediately follow the names of the bride and the groom. The last sentences are of minor import. They list the dates of the marriage banns and are followed by a statement that there was no prenuptial agreement and conclude with the statement that the record (Akt) was signed only by the priest because everyone else is illiterate.

2. Służewo 1850 #114 Birth of Tomasz Lax
Date of Record and of Baptism: 20 October, 1850
Date & Place of Birth: 19 October, 1850 at 4 AM in Przybranowo
The father (and informant): Jan Lax, age 25, a day laborer/hired hand (wyrobnik)
The mother: Maryanna née Sobiechowska, age 24
Baptismal Sponsors aka godparents: Wojciech Markiewicz & Antonina Lax
The record begins with the date. The first person mentioned is the father, who is followed by the 2 witnesses (Jan Danielski & Mikołaj Kubicki). The birth info and the mother’s name and age follow. The name of the child is underlined and is followed by the names of the godparents. The record concludes with a set formula that the Akt was signed only by the priest because everyone else was illiterate.
Note that either marriage causes accelerated aging of the bride & groom (Ha,ha) or age info can be unreliable—in 1849 the bride was 18 and the groom was 19 and some 11 months later the mother was 24 and the father was 25.

3. Służewo 1848 #15 Death of Bogusław Lax:
Date of Record/Akt: 31 January 1848
followed by names of informants, Mateusz Kuraczyk & Józef Sadowski
The date & place of death follows: 3 February. 1848 at 7 PM in Przybranowo
The name of the deceased (follows the word umarł/died) and is usually underlined— Bogusław Lax, age 50, a day laborer/hired hand (wyrobnik) survived by his widow Zofia, a female day laborer/hired hand (wyrobnica) in Przybranowo.
The record/Akt concludes with a set statement about eye verification of the deceased and then the set formula that the Akt was signed only by the priest because everyone else was illiterate
Either this record is a takeoff on the “Bring out your dead” scene from Monty Python’s Search For the Holy Grail or obviously neither the scribe nor the priest proof read the entry since the death is reported before it took place.

Now for some fun...You can try your hand at the birth record of Jan Lax from 1830 and that of the younger brother of Tomasz. Józef, from 1853 and then you can see why it was easier to start with Polish records by looking at the marriage record of Walenty Lax (son of Jan & Maryanna) & Małgorzata Bednarek. On a positive note, the names of the bride & groom are written in Polish after they appear in Russian and are followed by the names of their parents in Russian. The second set will follow in a separate post.

I hope that you find this helpful and encouraging.

Wishing you success,

Dave



1848 #15 Death Boguslaw Lax.png
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1849 #15 Matr Lax & Sobiechowska.png
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dnowicki
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Joined: 28 Dec 2011
Replies: 2781
Location: Michigan City, Indiana

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Post Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 4:00 pm      Post subject:
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j_lex wrote:
There are some results here that may be relevant, but unfortunately I am unable to translate them. I can post specifics in the translate threads.

https://www.genealogiawarchiwach.pl/#query.query=lax&query.type=ALL&query.suggestion=false&query.thumbnails=false&query.facet=true&query.asc=false&query.sortMode=PUBLICATION&personTree=false&goComments=false&searcher=big


Here are the other records which exceeded the number of allowed attachments to a single post.

Enjoy.

Dave



1830 #66 Birth Jan Lax.png
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1830 #66 Birth Jan Lax.png



1853 #13 Birth Jozef Lax.png
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1853 #13 Birth Jozef Lax.png



1890 #42 Mar. Walenty Lax & Malgorzata Bednarek.png
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j_lex



Joined: 06 Feb 2021
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Location: Buffalo, NY

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Post Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 7:12 pm      Post subject:
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dnowicki wrote:

Hi,

Records for the parish of Służewo beginning in 1753 have been digitized and are available on Family Search. However, they cannot be viewed from the comfort of home. It is necessary to go to a Family History Center or an affiliated public library to view them (something not currently possible due to the pandemic). The records are usually not indexed and thus a search requires going through individual entries to find the ones you want.

The results which you thought may be relevant are indeed so, but in varying degrees of relevance. It is way too soon to throw in the towel regarding understanding the records on your own. To do so would be to short circuit your research and thereby deny yourself the satisfaction of a job well done. The work in English is not finished. I would encourage you to read the history of Poland and especially that of the First Polish Republic aka the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Reading about the Partitions and about life in Partitioned Poland during the 19th Century can provide considerable insight about what life was like for you ancestors. There are also plenty of DIY resources for reading records from the 19th Century. I would recommend that you read the post on PO at this link: https://polishorigins.com/records-translations-guidelines/ There you will find links to language resources as well as useful tips. You will find the links to the four languages (Polish, Latin, Russian, & German) useful since records of your ancestors were written in each of those languages. Most likely the languages which will prove most challenging will be Russian, which employs the Cyrillic Alphabet, and German because of the script used for those records. Polish and Latin and English all use the same alphabet (the Latin or Roman alphabet), although Polish modifies some letters by the use of diacritical marks. Thus the challenge there is reading the handwriting but that is a challenge which can be overcome through practice and patience and with experience.

The greatest number of records of your ancestors are from the Russian Partition aka the Kingdom of Poland (Królestwo Polskie). In that Partition records were in Polish from 1808 until 1868 and then in Russian from 1868 until the end of WWI. Earlier records are almost always in Latin. To jump start your research here are some records of your direct ancestors in Polish. The images will be attached to this and to a following post.
...
Now for some fun...You can try your hand at the birth record of Jan Lax from 1830 and that of the younger brother of Tomasz. Józef, from 1853 and then you can see why it was easier to start with Polish records by looking at the marriage record of Walenty Lax (son of Jan & Maryanna) & Małgorzata Bednarek. On a positive note, the names of the bride & groom are written in Polish after they appear in Russian and are followed by the names of their parents in Russian. The second set will follow in a separate post.

I hope that you find this helpful and encouraging.

Wishing you success,

Dave


Dave, thank you for sharing the documents, translations, but more importantly sharing your background knowledge and providing a framework for deciphering additional documents.

There is some 'family lore' regarding jumping across international borders to avoid conscription, prior to an agreement around 1885. This story has been quite tough to verify, although it seems that there are some elements of truth to it.

It will take me some time, but I will give the second set of records a thorough look and see what I come up with.

Interesting notes on the fluctuation or variation of dates and ages, "Note that either marriage causes accelerated aging of the bride & groom (Ha,ha) or age info can be unreliable—in 1849 the bride was 18 and the groom was 19 and some 11 months later the mother was 24 and the father was 25." and "...the death is reported before it took place." Another ancestor of mine got 5 years younger on each of three consecutive US Census in the early 1900s.

The Lax branch has been the easiest to follow. There are many questions on the other branches, but I'll save those for another day (or month).

Many thanks!

-J
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j_lex



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Location: Buffalo, NY

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Post Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2021 6:31 pm      Post subject:
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dnowicki wrote:

Here are the other records which exceeded the number of allowed attachments to a single post.

Enjoy.

Dave



I had some time this past week to try to decipher some of these records. I appreciate the encouragement to give it a shot. There are definitely some holes as I struggled quite a bit with the witnesses and godparents of the Przybranowo 1830 #66; Birth of Jan Lax. I think I did a bit better on the Przybranowo 1853 #78; Death of Zofia Lax. I will continue to slowly work on some additional documents.


Przybranowo 1830 #66; Birth of Jan Lax
It happened in the city of Służewo, on the 11th day of July 1830 on the 10th hour before noon.
Appeared before us, Bogusław Lax laborer, aged 30 Catholic from Przybranowo
In the presence of Maciej, aged 30 and Karola, laborer aged 33 from Przybranowo.
He showed us a male child in Przybranowo born today of the current month
His wife Zofia S aged 30, and held by the preist gave the name Jan.
The godparents were the aforementioned Karol and Petronela.
This act…


Przybranowo 1853 #78; Death of Zofia Lax
It happened in the city of Służewo, on the 27th of October 1853 at 4 in the afternoon.
Appeared before us Michael Kawigoski aged 40 and
Jan Lax aged 23, laborer from Przybranowo
And announced to us that Zofia Lax, widow and laborer aged 60 died in Przybranowo at 12 noon on the 24th of this month and current year.
After seeing about the descent of Zofia Lex - This act…



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