rsowaPO Top Contributor
Joined: 09 Nov 2013
Replies: 177
Location: Dundee, Michigan, USABack to top |
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 7:59 am
Post subject: Where in Galicia?
Attached are two extracts from the Ellis Island passenger manifests for my grandfather (Stanley Sowa) and his brother Franciszek (Frank) Sowa. Both list their father Jakob Sowa as their nearest relative in Poland. However, Jakob's residence in 1909 (Stanley's immigration) and 1914 (Frank's immigration) are altogether different, and I have been unable to make any sense out of them.
I know Stanley lists "Zagórz....something...Gal(icia)", but the "something" in the middle has me stumped. I thought it was "P. Manasterz", but am not certain.
Frank's location is even harder to read, and at first I thought it was "Komańcza", which is close to Zagorz, but it doesn't seem to match the writing.
Any help with them both would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Richard
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Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:49 am
Post subject:
Richard,
I think 'p.' stands for 'powiat'. I also think it refers to Manasterzec
(Monasterzec, Manasterz). The second I read Kamorncka. Just guessing it could be Kamionka, because there is one near Manasterz.
Have you tried to check other Sowa arriving at Ellis by narrowing your search to those who declared themselves as "galician" and/or "polish"?
Gilberto
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sirdanPO Top Contributor
Joined: 07 Mar 2012
Replies: 304
Location: ** Southeast Pole**Back to top |
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 8:49 am
Post subject:
Hello Richard,
It's tricky to decipher because there are more that one Manasterz and Zagórz lying nearby.
Anyway i take it like this: Stanley's Sowa father lived in Zagórze parish Manasterz in Galicia , though the record i read as: Zagórz p. Monastyrz Gal.
The Frank Sowa record has written: [?] Kańczucka, which lead us to town Kańczuga near Manasterz. But why would be Kańczuga in diferent form? The record woult point village Hadle Kańczuckie? The right grammatical form from Kańczuga would be Kańczudzkie. Can You point me to passenger record? Maybe it could be easier if i see whole record.
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Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 9:19 am
Post subject:
Sirdan,
Bingo! You were right. The second page of the manifest states Medynia (Medynia Kanczucka)
near Monaterz and Zagorze. Map attached.
Gilberto
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rsowaPO Top Contributor
Joined: 09 Nov 2013
Replies: 177
Location: Dundee, Michigan, USABack to top |
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 11:37 am
Post subject:
Wow...I am amazed at how something that has stumped me for years can suddenly be revealed! Thank You!
Both Jakob Sowa (1899) and his daughter Zofia Sowa (1901) also immigrated through Ellis Island, and they both listed their last residence as "Zagorznowy". I am not sure if that is the same Zagórze as the other records.
I hate to add more confusion, but later in life they all listed completely different locations for their birthplaces.
Frank Sowa lists his birthplace as Przeworsk on his 1917 draft registration card. As best I can tell from current maps, Przeworsk is nearly 20 kilometers from Medynia Kanczucka!
Stanley lists his birthplace as Sietesz on his 1917 draft registration card, whichis about 5 km north of Zagórze.
Their brother John Sowa also lists his birthplace as Przeworsk in the 1920 census, and Sietesz on his 1942 draft registration card. Curiously, the 1920 census also identifies the birthplace of John's parents (Jakob Sowa and Frances Mendzela) as Przeworsk as well. My guess is that his wife Agnes (who couldn't read or write) was the informant, and had no idea where they were born.
Their sister Zofia Sowa listed her birthplace as Sietesz in her Declaration of Intent to file for naturalization in 1916.
My first reaction when I saw these different locations, was that Jakob may have been a migrant laborer, moving around the area to obtain work while his children were born. As a result, the kids might never really have known where the were born.
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Elzbieta PorteneuvePO Top Contributor
Joined: 09 Nov 2012
Replies: 3098
Location: Paris, FranceBack to top |
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 9:53 pm
Post subject:
Richard,
I tend to belive that all that history and birthplaces make sens. The immigrants in the US have been indicating names of villages, but also the main city nearby, in that case Przeworsk, capital town of one of 78 districts in Galicia.
I found a nice article about Medynia Kańczucka, 183 inhabitants, by chief of village
http://www.kanczuga.pl/asp/pl_start.asp?typ=14&menu=103&strona=1
The story of that village started in 1888, as dismemberment of folwark (large property) Zagórze.
Small villages - settlements under construction.
"Zagorznowy" seems to be Zagórz Nowy, New Zagórz.
http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zag%C3%B3rz
Sietesz is few kilometers distant.
Best,
Elzbieta
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rsowaPO Top Contributor
Joined: 09 Nov 2013
Replies: 177
Location: Dundee, Michigan, USABack to top |
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2014 12:19 pm
Post subject:
OK...like Elzbieta says, it really does start to make sense, if I consider the timeline, and the likelihood that birthplaces would often be reported as the nearest large city or administrative district.
Now that I have a good feel for where they were, I can start hunting for marriage, birth and death records. Although I haven't been able to find anything digitized online yet.
Thanks to all of your help, here is what I think they did...
-Jacob Sowa and Frances (Mendzela) lived at least 10 years in Sietesz after they were married. At least three of their children were born there Zofia (1881), John (1885) and Stanley (1891). I think Agatha also was born there, probably around 1879.
-Between 1891-1893 they moved the family south a few kilometers to Medynia Kańczucka where Frank Sowa was born (1893).
-Prior to 1899, they moved a few more kilometers south near Zagórze in a nearby community of Zagórzenowy. They stayed there 10-15 years, during which time Jacob and his children Zofia, John and possibly Agatha immigrated to the US.
-In 1909, when Stanley immigrated, Jacob and Agatha had returned to Poland and were again living in or near "Zagórze parish Manasterz". He probably returned to the same farm he had been on before immigrating, and where he had left his wife.
-In 1914, when Frank Sowa immigrated, Jacob had moved again and was living in Kańczucka (probably Medynia Kańczucka). By then Jacob was 60 years old, and might not have been able to manage a farm any more.
-In 1963, for the probate of John Sowa's estate, Agatha (Sowa) Tucka indicated her current address was "Poczta Manasterz, Powiat Przeworsk" which means she was living in Manasterz, within a few kilometers of where her father had been living 50 years earlier.
Richard
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