My Family History Research

My father’s grandparents Jan Maciejewski and Weronika Lewandowska immigrated to the United States in 1883 when my grandfather Antoni was an infant. I had identified their descendant families in America and knew my father’s cousins and my second cousins and many of their descendants. In 2019 I was surprised and pleased to find a new DNA cousin with KG, a man from Poland. MyHeritage said we share 3.4% (243.8‎ cM) with 8 Shared segments of DNA and estimated that we are 1st cousin once removed – 2nd cousin once removed.

We found a common location for our ancestors, the little villages of Tylice and Nieżywięć in what was Strasburg, West Prussia and is now the powiat Brodnica in Kujawsko-Pomorskie in north-central Poland. We also share the family name Maciejewski in our ancestry!

My great-grandfather Jan Maciejewski was born 15 Apr 1845 in Tylice. His father was Thomas (in Polish Tomasz) Maciejewski. Jan‘s mother was Anna Trojanowska.

KG‘s great-grandmother Salomea Maciejewska was born 28 March 1870 in Tillitz (German for Tylice). Her father was Thomas Maciejewski. Her mother was Gottliebe (Bogumiła in Polish) Barbarska.

Was this the same Thomas/Tomasz Maciejewski?

Tomasz Maciejewski and Anna Trojanowska

Nieżywięć church records showed that Thomas Maciejewski and Anna Trojanowska, from Tylice, were married 23 Nov 1837.

Thomas Maciejewski was 24 years old, the unmarried son of Nicolai (in Polish Mikolaj) and Hedvigia (in Polish Jadwiga). Anna Trojanowska was a 23 year old unmarried woman.

Thomas Maciejewski was born in December 1814 in Buczek, a small village 3 kilometers (2 miles) east of Nieżywięć.

Thomas was the son of Nicolai (in Polish Mikolaj) Maciejewski and Hedwigia (in Polish Jadwiga) Stefanska.

Tomasz and Anna had the following children in Tylice, including three male infants who died before being named.

• Baby boy MACIEJEWSKI (29 Jul 1840-29 Jul 1840)
• Marianna MACIEJEWSKA (20 Aug 1841-)
• Katarzyna MACIEJEWSKA (24 Sep 1843-)
• Jan MACIEJEWSKI (15 Apr 1845-30 Apr 1896)
• Baby boy MACIEJEWSKI (6 Sep 1847-6 Sep 1847)
• Maciej MACIEJEWSKI (11 Nov 1848-)
• Baby boy MACIEJEWSKI (3 Apr 1851-3 Apr 1851)
• Jakób MACIEJEWSKI (20 Jul 1852-)
• Anna MACIEJEWSKA (10 Jul 1855-27 Jul 1855)

Anna Trojanowska Maciejewska died on 14 Jul 1855, four days after giving birth to her last daughter, also named Anna.

The church record listed Anna‘s surviving spouse and children.

Sadly, the baby Anna died 27 Jul 1855.

Tomasz Maciejewski and Bogumiła/Gottliebe Wittkier Barbarska

The following year, Thomas Maciejewski and Gotliba Theophila Barbarska were married on 25 Nov 1856 in Nieżywięć. Both were from Tylice.

The groom, Thomas Maciejewski, was a 44 year old “viduus,” widower. The 26 year old bride Gotliba Teophila Barbarska was listed as “libera,” meaning that she was “free” to marry, “unmarried” or “single.” Her name was Gottliebe in German and Bogumiła in Polish, meaning “dear to God.” William F. Hoffman, one of the authors of First Names of the Polish Commonwealth: Origins & Meanings, wrote that there is a Latin equivalent, Amadea, but “it’s pretty darned rare!” Another Polish name meaning “dear to God” is Teofila, from the Greek theós, θεός, meaning god, and filos, φίλος, meaning friend or dear.

Tomasz and Bogumiła had these children in Tylice:

• Leon MACIEJEWSKI (15 Nov 1857-)
• Konstanty MACIEJEWSKI (23 Oct 1859-1 Feb 1872)
• Marcela MACIEJEWSKA (10 Nov 1861-23 Jan 1862)
• Franciszek MACIEJEWSKI (2 Dec 1862-8 Feb 1863)
• Józefa MACIEJEWSKA (19 Dec 1863-)
• Julianna MACIEJEWSKA (13 Jan 1866-1 Feb 1866)
• Julian MACIEJEWSKI (18 Feb 1867-)
• Salomea MACIEJEWSKA (28 Mar 1870-1906)
• Anna MACIEJEWSKA (13 Apr 1871-)

Leonardus was born in Tylice on 15 Nov 1857, the son of Thomas Maciejewski and Gotliba nata Barbarska.

Constantinus was born in Tylice on 23 Oct 1859, the son of Thomas Maciejewski and Gottlieba nata Barbarska.

Marcella was born in Tyllitz on 10 Nov 1861, the daughter of Thom. Maciejewski and Gotliebe Witkierewicz.

Franz was born in Tylice on 2 Dec 1862, the son of Thomas Maciejewski and Gottliebe Barbarski.

Josephina was born in Tylice on 19 Dec 1863, the daughter of Thomas Maciejewski and Gottliebe Wittke.

Julianna was born in Tyllice on 13 Jan 1866, the daughter of Thomas Maciejewski and Bogumiła Barbarska.

Julian was born in Gr. Tyllitz on 18 Feb 1867, the son of Thomas Maciejewski and Gottliebe Barbarska.

Salomea was born in Tyllitz on 28 Mar 1870, the daughter of Thomas Maciejewski and Gottlieba gab. Barbarska.

Anna was born in Tyllic on 13 Apr 1872, the daughter of Thomas Maciejewski and Gottliebe Wittkier.

Tomasz Maciejewski died in Tillitz on 12 Jul 1894 in his 80th year, leaving behind his widow, Bogumiła Maciejewska.

In her children’s birth records, Gottliebe/Bogumiła‘s family birth name was listed as Barbarska, Witkierewicz, Wittke, and Wittkier. I suspect that her birth name may have been Babarska or a variant, and her mother’s name was Wittkier, resulting in differences in the records. The first name Gottliebe/Bogumiła was not common in the little village of Tylice (Tillitz in German), described in Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego as having 45 Domow (houses) and 249 Mieszkancy (inhabitants) in 1885.

DNA Connection

As direct descendants of Tomasz/Thomas Maciejewski with different women, KG and I are half third cousins.

Statistically, half third cousins (Half 3C) share about 61 centiMorgans of DNA, with an expected range between 0 and 178 centiMorgans. KG and my relationship of half third cousins accounts for some, but not all, of our 243.8‎ centiMorgans of shared DNA.

The Shared cM Project 3.0 tool v4 from DNA Painter indicates these relationship probabilities for people who match each other with 243.8 cM DNA.

KG and I share a 58.4‎ cM segment of DNA on chromosome 18. A segment this large usually indicates a relatively recent common ancestor. But we are not that close. My grandparents lived all their lives in the United States after their parents immigrated in 1881 and 1883. KG‘s grandparents lived in Poland, so our connection, or more likely, connections, have to go back further in our ancestry. KG‘s mother has tested her DNA, and she and I do not match, so KG and my connection has to be on his father’s side. Perhaps we have common ancestors in the family lines of Trojanowski, Lewandowski, Szczepański, Babarski, Wittkier, Gulda, or Radzimiński.

Since so many of our families came from the same area of the world, it seems likely that we have other ancestors in common somewhere in the past.

Sources

• Hoffman, William F. and Helon, George W. First Names of the Polish Commonwealth: Origins & Meanings. Chicago, Illinois : Polish Genealogical Society of America 1998.
• “Passenger Lists,” database, Staatsarchiv Hamburg, Ancestry (ancestry.com: accessed 12 February 2018), Johann Madrewski; citing ship manifests.
• St. Stanislaus Bishop & Martyr RC Church (Buffalo, New York), , Death Register, 1896, Jan Maciejewski; FHL microfilm .
• Buffalo, New York, death certificate no. 231 (1 May 1896), Jan Madjewski; City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, Buffalo, New York.
• LDS Family History Library, “Nieżywiȩć (Brodnica),” database, Kościół rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja, Family Search (familysearch.com: accessed 2017), Joannes Maciejewski birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZKD1?i=61&cat=237019; citing Germany, Preußen, Westpreußen, Niezywienc – Church records.
• Library, Family Search, Salomea birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK63?i=289&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Tomasz and Anna marriage https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK9T?i=409&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Anna Trojanowska Maciejewska Death https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV7-YSFN-G?i=74&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Jakubus birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZKD6?i=100&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Anna Maciejewski https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZKH1?i=120&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Leonardus, birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK6Q?i=136&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Constantinus birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZKC2?i=150&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, 1872 Konstantin death https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV7-YSXB-1?i=187&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Marcellina birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK7R?i=188&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, 1862 Marcella Maciejewska death https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV7-YSF6-M?i=117&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Franz, birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZKQ7?i=202&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, 1863 Franz Maciejewski death https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV7-YSFX-D?i=125&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Josephina birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZKSS?i=219&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Julianna birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZKZ7?i=243&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, 1866 Julianna Maciejewska death https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV7-YSF6-D?i=151&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Julian birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZVB1?i=252&cat=237019.
• LDS Family History Library, “Kruszyny (Brodnica),” database, Kościół rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja, Family Search (familysearch.com: accessed June 2018), Franz Maciejewski; citing Germany, Preußen, Westpreußen, Groß Kruschin (Kr. Strasburg) – Church records.
• Library, Family Search, Mathias birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK7C?i=78&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Marcellina Ludwika Wittkier and Matthias Maciejewski marriage https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSXN-V3GN-9.
• Library, Family Search, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK9P?i=110&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, 1872 Joseph Maciejewski death https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV7-YSFC-K?i=195&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, Salomea birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK63?i=289&cat=237019.
• Library, Family Search, 1872 Anna Maciejewska birth https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSZR-ZK9W?i=313&cat=237019
• Library, Family Search, Tomasz Maciejewski Death https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSV7-YSXP-V?i=326&cat=237019.
• Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego, The Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavic Countries. Warsaw : 1880–1902.
• Perl, Jonny, DNA Painter, (https://dnapainter.com : accessed Oct 2019).
• Discussion with Genetic Genealogist Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., 19 Oct 2019, confirmed that with an unexpected amount of DNA, the first place to look is for “misattributed parentage,” that is, when an ancestor’s parent is not who the family think it is. The next step was to test KG’s mother’s DNA, which showed we do not share ancestors in her line. The next thing to look at is pedigree collapse, called Ahnenschwund in German, which happens when (distant) cousins have children with one another. I think that may have happened here. It may be that since they came from the same places, somehow the Maciejewski, Trojanowski, Lewandowski, Lontkowski, Babarski, Wittkier, or Radzimiński families are related, and if we went back another generation or two, we would find the same names in different lines. When a group of people are all descended from the same original group of people, it is called endogamy.