“Fearless Females” – March 1

Antra — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:56:26 +0000

I am working on the posts about the All-Russia Census and farm names, but as a warm-up to get in the spirit of the blogging world again, I’m also going to participate in The Accidental Genealogist‘s “Fearless Females: 31 Blogging Prompts to Celebrate Women’s History Month”.

I’ve realized that on this blog I talk a lot about my male ancestors, so I hope that by participating in this blogging prompt month that I can highlight some of the women in my family tree, as well as educate about Latvian women throughout history, both “big event” history and home and community life.

Today’s prompt: Do you have a favorite female ancestor? One you are drawn to or want to learn more about? Write down some key facts you have already learned or what you would like to learn and outline your goals and potential sources you plan to check.

I can’t say I have a favourite female ancestor, but the one I want to learn more about right now is Ieva Līcīte, one of my great-great-grandmothers. All I know of her so far is that she was living on the Līcīši farm in Sērenes parish in 1866, when she had my great-grandfather, Brencis, out of wedlock. She may have had a second son, Krišjānis – my great-aunt remembers meeting her uncle Krišjānis when she was a little girl, but it is unknown whether he was Brencis’ full brother or half-brother, and if half-brother, then through which parent, since while Brencis’ father might not have been officially recognized on the birth record, they probably did know who it was.

My great-aunt and grandmother do not recall meeting Ieva, their paternal grandmother, so it is possible that she passed away before they were born. I have searched the marriage records for both Seces congregation and Jaunjelgavas congregation (the congregations where people in Sērene parish were most likely to have their life events recorded), but have yet to find any trace of a marriage or death record for Ieva. There are several other nearby congregations that I could check as well, such as Zalve and Sunākste. I will also begin searching for her birth record – chances are good that she was born in Sērenes parish as well, since she lived in “Līcīši”, which is the farm name version of her surname. I would like to learn more about her and her family, since this branch of the family is the one that I know the least about.

Having children out of wedlock was not uncommon in 19th century Latvia – in the records I’ve looked at, there are at least four or five every year, sometimes more. Often there were times when children were conceived out of wedlock, but quick marriages would take place before the child was born. In the time period when German barons and lords still owned most of the land, it was not uncommon for these barons and lords to involve themselves with the young women who lived on their estate. If a pregnancy resulted, the baron or lord would quietly ask one of the young men on the estate to marry the girl, and if he did so, he would receive his own land, and sometimes a position of prestige.

Tomorrow: Photographs!

Britons in 1870s Latvia?

Antra — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:44:47 +0000

I’ve been looking through the church records for the Sece Lutheran congregation, in southern Latvia. South of the Daugava river, between the towns of Jaunjelgava and Jēkabpils. My great-grandfather Brencis Līcītis is allegedly from around this area, born in the neighbouring Sērene parish. Many Sērene baptisms took place in Sece, so hence my reason for looking here.

And I came across something I didn’t expect – a baptism for a child whose father appears to be from Great Britain!

Certainly, people travel. But in the 1870s I would not expect to find a British person living in rural Latvia (at the time part of the Russian Empire). Perhaps in major centres such as Rīga, Daugavpils or even Jelgava, or port cities such as Ventspils or Liepāja, but in the country, at least 100 kilometres from any of these cities?

But it is unmistakable – the father is listed as Charles Garrod, British, of the Anglican faith (remember that this is in a Lutheran church book). He appears to be married to a Marie Neppert (Lutheran) and their daughter Ellen Emily Anna was legitimate. It does not mention Marie’s origins, but since a number of people sharing her surname are listed as witnesses, I’m inclined to believe that she is from the area, and thus most likely German or Latvian.

The other curiosity about this record is shared by the rest of the 1870s records I’ve looked at so far. They are indicated as whole as being 1870, 1871, etc., but then the top birthdate of each page (and sometimes other records on the page) are listed as “1800″ and the annotation “Transport” on each page. I’ve seen such a notation in parish population registers, when someone has moved to the parish, or moved to a new home in the parish, but I’ve never seen this in church books before. Does this mean that mass numbers of people moved to the parish in the 1870s, all who were born at least 70 years earlier, and had their birth records re-registered to this parish? But birth records typically indicate the farm name, and most of the ones shown are well within the possible boundaries of this congregation, so it doesn’t seem like they have moved from anywhere.

So there are two mysteries to solve here (besides my mysterious great-grandfather) – what was Charles Garrod doing in Latvia, and why are the Sece church records indicating all of the 1870s births as “Transported” from some other location? Ideas, anyone?

Discovering Latvian Roots » Sērene

“Fearless Females” – March 1

Britons in 1870s Latvia?