Alegata Surprise

Bendin Uezd, Piotrkowski Gubernia

In the marriage of Wladysław Fras & Agnieszka née Leszczyńska Michniewska, Stanczyk found an unusual section of text not present in most marriage records.

Wladysław was born in Bendin uezd, Piotrkowski gubernia (south-west corner of map). So his ability to marry in the church needed to be verified with a birth/baptism (one alegata purpose).

From the marriage, I found an odd and difficult section of text to decipher (as if all old Russian/Cyrillic cursive handwriting were not enigmatic enough).

From this odd section, if I understand correctly, three things are made known:

1. They could not locate Wlad’s birth metrical record in Uiejsce, Wojkowice Koscielne parish, Piotrkowski Gubernia.
2. Wlad had an urgent requirement to serve in the army.
3. Wlad’s mom & four witnesses had to attest to his birth on February 10th (after marriage performed January 26th, and before it was recorded February 12th).

So it appears the attestation was good and the marriage was good. Sadly, I never found Wlad’s birth record and my hope was to get it as an alegata at this marriage (I had his siblings’ birth, just not Wlad’s). Dad was dead. Mom attested. Now I wonder who the four witnesses were? Let’s see: Witness1, Witness2, the performing clergy, and ??? Perhaps the godfather was the fourth or the church organist [so many organists in my church records]. Alas, no record of the four witnesses or attestation. I have Wlad’s birth year (derived from age at marriage and fits between two siblings’s births) and that will have to do.

An interesting marriage record! So I ask you, “Do you have any military grooms that needed a quick marriage before shipping out to the Russian (|Prussian|Austrian) army?”   If so, please post a comment or email this jester.

Akt 5 – The Full Marriage Record (left side)