My Family History Research

Churches Near Szembruk, Grudziądz, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland

While I used to think that people in the “old country” all were born, lived, and died in the same place, that was not true. Their children often married in neighboring villages, usually the bride’s family’s parish. Even people who stayed local moved for a variety of reasons. This was especially true for people who did not own land. They moved from village to local village. They also seemed more likely to move across the world to follow opportunity.

My great-grandparents Marcin Szczepański and Anna Kalinowska came from Szembruczek, West Prussia, and their family’s baptisms, marriages, and deaths were recorded in the Roman Catholic church in Szembruk, but other of their relatives came from neighboring villages and parishes.

These are the churches near Szembruk:

• Kościół Narodzenie Najświętszej Maryi Panny (Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary), Szynwałd (Groß Schönwalde in German)
• Kościół św. Katarzyny (Saint Katherine), Łasin (Lasin in German)
• Kościół św. Wojciecha (Saint Adalbert), Rogóźno (Roggenhausen in German)
• Kościół Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa (Sacred Heart of Jesus), Gardeja (Garnsee in German)
• Kościół Matki Bożej Różańcowej (Our Lady of the Rosary), Czarne Dolne (Niederzehren in German)

Although now Roman Catholic, the churches in Garnsee and Niederzehren, now Gardeja and Czarne Dolne in the Pomorskie Voivodeship, were Lutheran in the 1800s.

When records cannot be located in the parish expected, it makes sense to check the records of neighboring parishes.

Sources

Szembruk, “Kościół rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Szembruk (Grudziądz),” database, LDS Family History Library, Family Search, “Parish registers of births, marriages and deaths for Groß Schönbruck (Kr. Graudenz), Westpreußen, Germany; now Szembruk (Grudziądz), Bydgoszcz, Poland. For years 1710-1781 see Lessen. Text in Latin, Polish and German.”

Szynwałd, “Kościół rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Szynwałd (Grudziądz),” database, LDS Family History Library, Family Search, “Roman Catholic parish register of baptisms, marriages and deaths for Groß Schönwalde (Kr. Graudenz), West Prussia, Germany; now Szynwałd (Grudziądz), Bydgoszcz, Poland. Includes other localities.”

Łasin, “Kościół rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Łasin (Grudziądz),” database, LDS Family History Library, Family Search, “Parish registers of births, marriages and deaths for Lessen, Westpreußen, Germany; now Łasin (Grudziądz), Bydgoszcz, Poland. Early years include Groß Schönbruck (Szembruck). Text in Latin, Polish and German.”

Rogóźno, “Kościół rzymsko-katolicki. Parafja Rogóźno (Grudziądz),” database, LDS Family History Library, Family Search, “Roman Catholic parish register of baptisms, marriages and deaths for Roggenhausen, West Prussia, Germany; now Rogóźno (Grudziądz), Bydgoszcz, Poland. Text in Polish, Latin and German.”

Gardeja, “Evangelische Kirche Garnsee (Kr. Marienwerder),” database, LDS Family History Library, Family Search, “Parish register baptisms, marriages, and deaths for Garnsee, Westpreußen, Germany; now Gardeja, Gdańsk, Poland. Deaths on Film 208107 only go to 1797. For 1797-1811 use 1198349 and 1198350. For rolls in the other filming, left-side pages (l. S.) filmed separately from right-side pages (r. S.).”

Czarne Dolne, “Evangelische Kirche Nieder Zehren (Kr. Marienwerder),” database, LDS Family History Library, Family Search, “Parish register of baptisms, marriages, and deaths for Nieder Zehren, Westpreußen, Germany, now Czarne Dolne (Kwidzyn), Gdańsk, Poland. Some left-side pages (l. S) filmed separately from right-side pages (r. S).”