MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: History

 

the bojar Antonia Stanislawa Radwan Janowicz

nee the Kniasowna (Princess) Woynek Tomkow Tomkowicz called Topacz Wojnek Tomkiewicz,  (1)

                                

The Tomkiewicz are the Roman Catholic Polish branch of a n ancient noble royal bojar  Lithuanian family from the Upita provence in Samogitia, Southern Lithuania, .

 

The Tomkiewicz family give the Grand Duke Lutuver, died 1292, as the founder of their family He was the father of the Grand Duke Vitennis died 1315, whose son, Woyno (Woynok) built a castle called Woyneko and founded the Woyneko estate ( today called Woynekany) which is still located in the Upita county, (Samogitia), Southern Lithuania. His descendants took the name of Woynek (Wojneko). The Grand Duke Vitennis was succeeded by his brother the Grand Duke Gedeminis, who was not friendly to the sons of Vitennis.

 

Kniaz (Prince) Woyno descendants, the Tomkow Woynek Tomkiewicz,  retained ownership of Woynekany, which was much divided through the years, until after 1885, ex 60.

 

The Tomkow Woynek Tomkiewicz pedigree begins with the Royal Bojar Kniaz (Prince) Maciej Tomkiewicz , born  circa 1490, ex ? , grandfather of the Royal Bojar Tomko Macieyewicz, born circa 1515, dead in 1585, ex ?. Sometime in the middle of the 15th century the family began to use the nicknames of Tomko, Tomkowicz, or Tomkiewicz. Tomko was the name of a Wojneko estate, ex 58. In time the family began droping the Woyneko name and using primarily the Tomkowicz or Tomkiewicz form. The last known member of the family to use the combined Woyneko name with the Tomkiewicz name was the distinquished author, painter and poet //////    ?????????? Woyneko Tomkiewicz, died 1889?.    n?.

 

The title of kniaz (prince) was used spoaradicaly by various members of the family through the generations. The last known member to actively use it was alive in 1950 and lived in Chicago, Illinois. Some authors do not agree with the Tomkiewicz family descent from Lutuver, but do not explane why they were documented as Royal Bojars. Professor Wasilewicz of the Warsaw University thinks that the title of Kniaz was given to the Tomkiewicz by the Orthodox Church in some remote time. The noted Polish historian, Professor ? Tomkiewicz (no relation) supported the right of the Woyneko Tomkowicz Tomkiewicz to the knias tittle.Unfortunately, his arhicve which included the unpublished part of Boneck Herbacz which he was commissioned to complete? was burned in Warsaw during World War II. n?.

 

Since the Woynek Tomkiewicz used the title" knias" through the generations and since there is no proof that they do not have that right, I have kept that tradition and included it in my pedigree.

 

The family uses two coat of arms, the original ancient Lithuanian arms called the Tomkow Herb, n ?    (which is similar to arms used by many Lithuanian medieval dukes and princes) and the Polish arms called Topacz Herb. The topacz arms Polish nobility was granted to Theodisius Tomkiewicz in 1654 by King Casimir for his military services to the Commonwealth, ex 61.

In 1825 ?.The  Commission on Nobility confirmed that the Woynek Tomkiewicz family has also the right to the Topacz arms, ex.   .

 

I believe that the original ancient Tomkowicz arms is the primary arms of the family and submit it in this report.

 

The most extensive printed materail regarding the Tomkiewicz appears in Zychlinski, Gold////////, ex 58. The archive ????? in Krakow, Poland has a Woynek Tomkiewicz Archive which contains the original painted Tomkiewicz pedigree which was submitted to the /////// in 1822 in oorder to have their noble origin confirmed as required by the Russian government. My grandmother's grandfather appears on this chart, ex 57.2,  nr ? .The birth, death and marriage documents of my grandmothers's family that tie into this chart are to be found in the parish archive of the Roman Catholic Church in Krasnopol, Poland, ex

 

In the 19th century the Tomkiewicz produced distinquished and highly decorated officers. Franciszek, Jozef, and Jocob in the Napoelianic war. Major Kazimierz and captain Wincenty in the revolution of 1831, ex 58.   .

 

The noted professor of Theology at the Lublin University, Poland, the Rev. Dr. Francasek Tomkiewicz is a member of the Woynek Tomkiewicz family.

 

Some historian claims the the Woynek Tomkiewicz are descendants of the princely tartar house of

Tomkiewicz, ex ? 62, and that this descent gives them the right to the title of prince.

 

 

 

 

MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Pedigree for five generations

 

the  Noble Antonia  Stanislawa Radwan Janowicz

nee the Kniasouna (Princess) Wojnek Tomkow Tomkowicz called Topacz Woynek Tomkiewicz,

born: Aug. 24, 1868, Zlobin, Krasnopolu, Russian Poland , ex 53

             marr: Nov. 5, 1889, Jersey City, New Jersey, USA, ex 32.2

died:  Apr. 11, 1944, Chicago, Il. USA, ex 53.2

 

 

 

II GENERATION

 

Kniasz,(Prince) Stanislaus Marcel

Wojnek Tomkow Tomkiewicz  called Topacz Woynek Tomkiewicz

born: Apr. 26, 1836, Zlobin, Krasnopol, Russian Poland, ex 54

died: Sept. 9, 1916, Zlobin, Krasnoplo, Russian Poland, ex 54.2

marr: ex 54.1

to:


Rydzewski coat of arms called Suchekomnaty (Kownata)

 

the Noble Krystyna Suchekomanty Rydzewski

born: June 3, 1835, Krasnopol, Russian Poland

died: Jan. 4, 1917, Zlobin, Krasnopol, Russian Poland

 

The (Suchekommaty) Kownata Rydzewski are a Roman Catholic Mazovian ancient noble family, n ?

 

 

 

III GENERATION

 

Kniasz (Prince) Nikodym Andrzej

Wojnek Tomkow Tomkowicz called Topacz Woynek Tomkiewicz, ex 57, nr 41

born: 1803, Zlobin, Krasnopol, Russian Poland, ex 55

died:  Apr. 20, 1884, Zlobin, Krasnopol, Russian Poland,  ex 55.1

marr: 1826, Krasnopol, Poland, ex 55.?

to:

the noble Katharzyna

(Namiot) Namiotkiewicz

born: 1806, Zlobin, Krasnopol, Russian Poland

died: after 1850

 

It is not clear to which herb the Namiotkiewicz family belong. It is said that they are "Namiot". But they are not listed as such in any of the pertinent Polish literature. Prince ?

is said to be the founder of their family. The Kisiel family did belong to the Namiot herb.

The family is documented as having come to the Seyny area before 1641 as colonists from Grudno, Lithuuania. The family has not as yet been researched in either the Lithuanian, Belarus, or Urkrainian archives. Oleg Perzakiewich, the director of the Belarus Genealogical Society in Minisk, states that a family that is documented in 1641 as using the name form "Namiotkiewicz" (Namienkiewicz)  in Eastern Poland or Lithuania had to be of  noble orgin.   

 

 

 

IV GENERATION

 

Kniasz (Prince) Francizek

Wojnek Tomkow Tomkowicz called Topacz Wojnek Tomkiewicz, ex 57, nr 26

born: 1744, ex 56

died: Nov. 20, 1814, Krasnopol, Poland, ex 56

marr: the Noble Marianna  Pozniak  ?Pozniak, ex 56

born: 1759, ex 56

died: Sept. 3, 1829, Krasnopol, Russian Poland, ex 56. ?

 

The Pozniak did not belong to a "herb" they had their own individual arms. They are an ancient Roman Catholic Lithuanian family, n ?

 

 

 

  

V GENERATION

 

Kniasz (Prince) Stanislaus

Wojnek Tomkow Tomkowicz callled Topacz Woynek Tomkiewicz, ex 57, nr 16

born: circa

died:

marr: before 1744

 

None of the survieving documents mention his wife name.

 

For information regarding the branches of Tomkowicz aka Tomkiewicz family in Belarus, see ex. 55, part I.