Welcome back to our second journey into the past. Did you enjoy our first flight? Then please take a seat. We have to apologize for the long waiting time, but due to the increased interest Mary and I had to enlarge the seat capacity of our time machine. We have also added life jackets. You never know what can happen on an adventurous flight through time. Now the time machine is refueled, cleaned and ready for departure.
Before we start, we want to give you a small briefing.
Our first flight led us to the Roman Catholic parish of Strzepcz in North Poland in the early 1700s. We visited Adam and Eve Pionk, our very first grandparents from the small village of Będargowo. As promised, we will visit today the families of Adam and Eve’s adult children in 1773.
A unique historical document, the so-called West Prussian Land Register, will give us a spectacular insight into the village population and life in Będargowo at that time. For a better understanding, we need to give you a small history lesson first.
In the early 1700s the Kashubian area around Gdańsk (Danzig) belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, towards the end of the 18th century, three partitions of Poland took place and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of the sovereign Poland for 123 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland
During the first partition of Poland, King Frederick the Great of Prussia, a state in the German empire, took over the Kashubian area which became part of the newly formed province West Prussia.
After the occupation of West Prussia in 1772, the “Geheime Finanzrat” Rembert Roden was ordered by Frederick the Great to prepare a land survey of these territories. The land survey should produce the necessary foundation for the introduction of the Prussian taxation system in the new territory. In the years 1772/73 three commissions with about 60 officials and 40 surveyors were occupied with this work. For each town a land register was established. Also the small village of Będargowo was visited from one of the commissions on 20 March 1773.
http://odessa3.org/collections/land/wprussia/link/introe.html
OK, enough dry theory for the moment. We want to start now. The GMS coordinates for our time machine are 54°25'33.5"N 18°07'37.0"E. The display of the onboard computer shows us following map (Fig. 1):
https://www.google.de/maps/@54.4279133,18.1240585,1292m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
Now we also type in the target date: 20 March 1773. Let’s count down together: 3-2-1-Go!
Our time machine runs perfectly again, even with the increased number of passengers. Ok, prepare for landing. We are already there.
It is Saturday morning and pretty cold on this first day of spring. We take a look around and enjoy the Kashubian landscape although the fields and meadows are rather barren at that time of the year (Fig. 2 and 3).
Now we look in front of us and see Będargowo. It is a small village. We only count about twenty houses. It is rather a loose cluster of buildings than a compact village. Most of the buildings are simple houses (Fig. 4). Only one house looks better and bigger than the others and is surrounded by some stables and sheds. That is the manor farm of the noble landlord Ludwig (Louis) Donimierski.
Although it is early in the morning, the village people have gathered in the middle of Będargowo. We count 63 persons in total, thereof 43 adults and 20 children. It seems to be a special day. Even though it is not Sunday, the village people wear their best clothes (Fig. 5). They are very excited and speak all at once. Lord Donimierski tries to calm them down. We look around for familiar faces. Can we identify Adam and Eve’s adult children? Is the sturdy middle-aged man at the tree their first son Martin? Or is the pretty woman over there Adam and Eve’s youngest daughter Marianna who had her birthday only two days before?
Suddenly, one person cries “look, they come” and points at a dark spot at the horizon. We are also very excited. It takes a while until we can see the approaching caravan of people. It is the commission of the new sovereign Frederick the Great, which was assigned to prepare a land survey of the new Prussian territories.
The caravan consists of about 1-2 dozen people on horseback, on foot, and with wagons. We can see Prussian clerks in their civil uniforms (Fig. 6), a group of land surveyors with their assistants (Fig. 7), and a small group of Prussian soldiers (Fig. 8) who protect the caravan.
Finally, the caravan approaches the village. Lord Donimierski welcomes the commission. The Prussians react in a friendly but military manner. Lord Donimierski invites the Prussians to his house. The chief officer and some clerks follow him. The rest of the group has to wait outside. The land surveyors begin to unpack their devices.
Lord Donimierski leads the high-ranking visitors to his living room. That is the only room in the house with a fireplace. The fire is burning and it is pretty warm.
Lord Donimierski is 49 years old. According to the old church books of Strzepcz, he was born to Michael and Johanna Theresa Donimierski on 15 September 1723 in Będargowo. He was the second of four children. On 20 March 1773 he lives together with three farmhands and two servant maids on his manor. He is single. We don’t know if he has lost his family or if he was unmarried.
The Prussians and Lord Donimierski take a seat. The chief officer asks the secretary to take down the minutes. The interview starts. We look over the shoulder of the secretary and make notes on the protocol which is listed below.
Before we start, we want to give you a small briefing.
Our first flight led us to the Roman Catholic parish of Strzepcz in North Poland in the early 1700s. We visited Adam and Eve Pionk, our very first grandparents from the small village of Będargowo. As promised, we will visit today the families of Adam and Eve’s adult children in 1773.
A unique historical document, the so-called West Prussian Land Register, will give us a spectacular insight into the village population and life in Będargowo at that time. For a better understanding, we need to give you a small history lesson first.
In the early 1700s the Kashubian area around Gdańsk (Danzig) belonged to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. However, towards the end of the 18th century, three partitions of Poland took place and ended the existence of the state, resulting in the elimination of the sovereign Poland for 123 years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitions_of_Poland
During the first partition of Poland, King Frederick the Great of Prussia, a state in the German empire, took over the Kashubian area which became part of the newly formed province West Prussia.
After the occupation of West Prussia in 1772, the “Geheime Finanzrat” Rembert Roden was ordered by Frederick the Great to prepare a land survey of these territories. The land survey should produce the necessary foundation for the introduction of the Prussian taxation system in the new territory. In the years 1772/73 three commissions with about 60 officials and 40 surveyors were occupied with this work. For each town a land register was established. Also the small village of Będargowo was visited from one of the commissions on 20 March 1773.
http://odessa3.org/collections/land/wprussia/link/introe.html
OK, enough dry theory for the moment. We want to start now. The GMS coordinates for our time machine are 54°25'33.5"N 18°07'37.0"E. The display of the onboard computer shows us following map (Fig. 1):
 |
| Fig. 1: Google Earth view of Będargowo. |
Now we also type in the target date: 20 March 1773. Let’s count down together: 3-2-1-Go!
Our time machine runs perfectly again, even with the increased number of passengers. Ok, prepare for landing. We are already there.
It is Saturday morning and pretty cold on this first day of spring. We take a look around and enjoy the Kashubian landscape although the fields and meadows are rather barren at that time of the year (Fig. 2 and 3).
 |
| Fig. 2: Kashubian landscape at Będargowo (photo taken in October 2016). |
 |
Fig. 3: Kashubian landscape at Luzino 12 miles north of Będargowo (photo taken at the farm of Marek Pionke in October 2016). |
Now we look in front of us and see Będargowo. It is a small village. We only count about twenty houses. It is rather a loose cluster of buildings than a compact village. Most of the buildings are simple houses (Fig. 4). Only one house looks better and bigger than the others and is surrounded by some stables and sheds. That is the manor farm of the noble landlord Ludwig (Louis) Donimierski.
 |
| Fig. 4: Old Pomeranian houses (presumably 19th or early 20th century). |
Although it is early in the morning, the village people have gathered in the middle of Będargowo. We count 63 persons in total, thereof 43 adults and 20 children. It seems to be a special day. Even though it is not Sunday, the village people wear their best clothes (Fig. 5). They are very excited and speak all at once. Lord Donimierski tries to calm them down. We look around for familiar faces. Can we identify Adam and Eve’s adult children? Is the sturdy middle-aged man at the tree their first son Martin? Or is the pretty woman over there Adam and Eve’s youngest daughter Marianna who had her birthday only two days before?
 |
| Fig. 5: Traditional Kashubian costumes. |
Suddenly, one person cries “look, they come” and points at a dark spot at the horizon. We are also very excited. It takes a while until we can see the approaching caravan of people. It is the commission of the new sovereign Frederick the Great, which was assigned to prepare a land survey of the new Prussian territories.
The caravan consists of about 1-2 dozen people on horseback, on foot, and with wagons. We can see Prussian clerks in their civil uniforms (Fig. 6), a group of land surveyors with their assistants (Fig. 7), and a small group of Prussian soldiers (Fig. 8) who protect the caravan.
 |
| Fig. 6: Uniforms of Prussian civil servants (1813): dress uniform on the left side and work uniform on the right side. |
 |
| Fig. 7: Land surveyors (presumably 18th century). |
 |
| Fig. 8: Prussian Dragoon regiment. |
Finally, the caravan approaches the village. Lord Donimierski welcomes the commission. The Prussians react in a friendly but military manner. Lord Donimierski invites the Prussians to his house. The chief officer and some clerks follow him. The rest of the group has to wait outside. The land surveyors begin to unpack their devices.
Lord Donimierski leads the high-ranking visitors to his living room. That is the only room in the house with a fireplace. The fire is burning and it is pretty warm.
Lord Donimierski is 49 years old. According to the old church books of Strzepcz, he was born to Michael and Johanna Theresa Donimierski on 15 September 1723 in Będargowo. He was the second of four children. On 20 March 1773 he lives together with three farmhands and two servant maids on his manor. He is single. We don’t know if he has lost his family or if he was unmarried.
The Prussians and Lord Donimierski take a seat. The chief officer asks the secretary to take down the minutes. The interview starts. We look over the shoulder of the secretary and make notes on the protocol which is listed below.
Records for the noble manor of Będargowo - 20th March 1773
During the inspection of the manor the landowner Lord of Donimierski provided following information:
General Information
1. The name of the manor is Będargowo. It is located in Pomerelia.
2. In the past the manor had belonged to the starosty of Schoenek and to the regional court of Mirachowo. (Note: In the early Middle Ages, the starosta was the head of a Slavic community)
3. The manor belongs to Mr. Ludewig of Donimierski. He lives on the manor.
4. He was born in Pomerelia. He and all inhabitants of the manor are of Roman Catholic confession.
5. The privilege for the manor is dated 1344. It was confirmed by the King of Poland Sigismund II Augustus in 1569 as a knight's estate under Polish legislation. A copy of the document will be attached to the records.
6. The landowner cultivates an outlying estate on the manor.
7. The manor is 4 miles away from Lębork and 4 miles away from Gdańsk. (Note: 1 Prussian mile = 4.68 U.S. miles)
8. On the manor live
1 land owner
1 blacksmith with land
1 carpenter with land
13 Instleute with land (Note: Instleute = agricultural laborers)
2 Instleute including the shepherd without land
whose number of persons, amount of seed, weight of hay and amount of livestock is recorded in attached table.
1 blacksmith with land
1 carpenter with land
13 Instleute with land (Note: Instleute = agricultural laborers)
2 Instleute including the shepherd without land
whose number of persons, amount of seed, weight of hay and amount of livestock is recorded in attached table.
Special Information
9. The landowner does not know the exact area of the manor and its new settlements. The manor is adjacent to the administrative village of Głusino in district Mirachowo, to the manors Lewino and Lebno, and to Zęblewo which belongs to Żukowo.
10. There is no fallow land on the manor.
11. + 12. There are no churches, hospitals or free farmers living on the manor.
13. Land surveys do not exist.
14. The soil is calcareous, wet, and stony. It contains deep furrows.
15. Not all farm land can be cultivated due to the bad quality of the soil.
16. The yearly amount of seed on the outlying estate and the new settlements is 66 bushels of rye, 36 ½ bushels of barley, 58 ½ bushels of oat, 1 bushel of buckwheat, and 1 bushel of peas.
17. Tobacco is not grown.
18. The bushel of Lębork and the bushel of Gdańsk are used as measurement units.
19. The grain yield is from rye 2 grains, from barley 2 grains, from oat 2 grains, from buckwheat 2 ½ grains, and from peas 1 ½ grains.
20. - 23. The meadows partly lie in between the fields, partly in the bushes, and near to the border of Głusino. They are muddy, peaty and provide little grass.
The meadows provide in total not more than 16 four-horsed carts full of grass per year on average. Therefore, the landowner has to purchase further grass for the winter. This year he had to pay 40 fl. (Note: Florin = ancient currency)
24. - 26. The pastures are located within the manor, the forest and the bushes. The pastures do not allow for a larger livestock.
27. The yield of the garden is approximately 3 bushels for the outlying estate, 2 bushels for the Instleute in the village and ¼ of the sowing of barley for the Instleute on the new settlements.
28. Hops are not burnt.
29. - 33. To the manor belongs a small forest with beech trees, oaks, hornbeams, and spruce trees. The landowner does not know the exact area of the forest. The trees can be used for firewood. However, construction timber must be bought separately.
34. - 38. There is no pub on the manor. But the landowner has a brewery house, where he brews beer for himself and for the inhabitants. In addition, the landowner buys wine spirits in Gdańsk and gives it away to the inhabitants. 3 to 4 tons of beer and 40 Stof of wine spirits are drunk per year. (Note: Stof = older Prussian liquid measure)
39. - 41. There are no lakes on the manor but an artificial carp pond for bad times.
42. There are no pipes on the manor.
43. - 45. There is a mill on the manor which has collapsed some years ago. It is a water mill, which was used only by the inhabitants of the manor. The miller has paid 5 Reichstaler rent per year. The landowner is willing to reconstruct the mill.
46. - 47. There are no limestone quarries on the manor.
48. The inhabitants pay following duties per year to the landowner:
| Jacob Pionke | 3 Reichstaler 30 Gulden |
| Mathes Cimma | 3 Reichstaler 30 Gulden |
| Mathes Hoenke | 3 Reichstaler 30 Gulden |
| Joseph Zloch | 3 Reichstaler 30 Gulden |
| Martin Pionke | 3 Reichstaler 30 Gulden |
| Widow Slochowna | 2 Reichstaler 30 Gulden |
49. The 3 Instleute who don’t have to pay any duties have to work daily with 2 persons on the outlying estate from Easter to Michaelmas Day.
Each of them receives yearly 4 bushels of rye and 3 bushels of barley as wages in kind. However, if they don’t work on the outlying estate of the landowner, they have to pay 4 Reichstaler rent a year.
All other Instleute plow for one day and harvest grain for three days per year on a voluntary basis, since this duty is not fixed in their contract.
50. In December the priest in Strzepcz is given 4 bushels of rye and 4 bushels of oat from the landowner. The other inhabitants do not contribute to this donation.
51. The landowner does not know about any mandatory knight services.
52. The landowner pays a yearly Polish tax (“Poglowne“) of 2 Reichstaler and 36 Gulden per year. The other inhabitants do not contribute to this tax.
End of the report.
Signed by Leo
Phew, that was quite a long interview. However, we learned very much about the small village of Będargowo in the 18th century which was the homeland of our ancestors. And didn’t we already hear the name Pionke? But we need a small break now and decide to move to fresh air.
Outside again, the land surveyors have already started to measure the fields. While the soldiers are standing around bored, another group of clerks has started to go from house to house to interview the village people. We don’t want to miss that opportunity and follow undetected.
The clerks note down the name of each household’s head. In addition, they collect the number of household members, divided into men, women, sons and daughters (over/under 12 years), farmhands, and servant maids.
And now we meet them again one by one: Martin, Johann, Jacob and Peter Pionke. All four sons of Adam and Eve have survived their childhood. We are very happy to see those middle-aged men in the best of health. Martin is 47, Johann 45, Jacob 37, and Peter 34 years old. All of them are married, and all of them have children. In total they have 6 sons and 2 daughters at that time.
Unfortunately, we cannot be sure where Adam and Eve’s three daughters Catharina, Anna, and Marianna are. The clerks don’t ask for the women’s names.
At the end of the inspection the Prussian clerks have recorded the complete village population (Fig. 9). We are very impressed. Since it is getting dark, we decide to return to our time machine. We have seen enough for today and are getting tired. Fortunately, the Prussian soldiers have not yet detected our time machine. We take a seat and start the engine. Let’s return home.
We must be aware that all Pionkes from the area around the parish of Strzepcz descend from Adam and Eve Pionk, and subsequently from one of their four sons Martin, Johann, Jacob, and Peter. When the next generation of their children has grown up, the village of Będargowo became too small for them. From the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, the Pionke families started to expand to the adjacent parishes like Kielno, Luzino, and Przodkowo.
At the end of the 19th century, the Pionke families have spread out across the full area northwest of Gdańsk (Danzig). And they have started to migrate to the United States and to Western Germany. That was the peaceful campaign of conquest of the Pionkes into the world.
The next article will deal with the present times. We will walk on the trails of our ancestors in modern Poland.
At the end, I would like to thank my distant cousin Mary very much for the great opportunity to publish this third guest article in her blog. It is an honor and pleasure for me to work with her together.
Happy Christmas season!
Your Michael Pionke
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| Fig. 9: Overview of the village population in Będargowo in 1773, obtained from the land records. Będargowo consisted of four parts, the outlying estate of landlord Donimierski, the old village, and two new settlements. Columns (from left to right): head of household, number of men, women, sons and daughters (above/under 12 years), farmhands, and servant maids. |
Thanks:
I would like to thank Michael Pionke for sharing his research into the West Prussian Land Register and for his fascinating insight into our Pionke ancestors' lives in their home village. Michael, it is an honor to include your work in this blog and I very much enjoyed the time travel. I look forward to further collaborations.
—MaryWS of TreeQuest
Pionke Friday: We will post more about the Pionkes next Friday. Coming up next: Family of Jacob Pionk and Augustina Orzeszk.
Related posts:
- Będargowo - Part I: A different story of Adam and Eve by Michael Pionke
- On the trails of our ancestors by Michael Pionke
- Pionke – The mystery of a name by Michael Pionke
- Early Pionke and Pionek Families in Chicago and Wisconsin
- More Early Pionke and Related Families in Chicago, Wisconsin, and Michigan
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Michael, I would like to thank you again for this incredible research. I love the time traveling aspect; it is a delightful way to introduce the information. You are bringing the early Pionkes to life in a fascinating manner. I particularly enjoyed how you created a vivid visual from a dry survey. Thank you for your efforts.
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