From: Larry Yanchynski
To: 'ROBERT W ALAND'
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 11:38 PM
Subject: RE: Janczynski Family History

Dear Karen,

I did not answer sooner because I just returned from my summer vacation. I have been collecting documents (over a 1000, dating back to 1386) and researching the Janczynski family (clan?) for the past 25 years. In this message I can give you the short answer to your question.

I was aware of your posting on the internet re: Barbara.  At this point, I cannot tell you more about her specifically. What I can tell you is that the Janczynski's are spread out over the globe.  Branches of this family are found in Ukraine, Poland, Russia, Belarus, and of course, those areas of Poland once under German (Prussian) rule, and now back under Polish rule. Janczynskis therefore come in all denominations -- there are Roman Catholics, Greek Catholics, Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox.  I have not identified any Protestant Janczynski's but it is possible.  Most of these branches are not aware of each other, and some believe that those that are not like them, are not "real" Janczynskis!

Although, I must mention that there are "fake" Janczynskis.  The name derives from the personal Christian name Jan (der. from Johann).  There is also the name Jaczynski, which does not derive from the name Jan, but from the name Jacob.  To their advantage, the two names were often confused by officials, who pronounced Jaczynski as Janczynski.  A simple spelling error could make one a noble! (at least until found out).

The Janczynski's can be mapped by their residences and activities over the century.  Almost none of that activity occurred in what is today Poland, only in Polish occupied territories.  There are over two hundred Janczynskis living in Poland today, and probably twice as many in Ukraine and Russia. Many of those living in Poland, but not all, "escaped" westward when the Russians took over most of Volyn after the Partitions of Poland, while many more "escaped" before the communists took over Galicia in 1939. Some were relocated by the Akcja Wisla.

They do, as far as I have been able to determine, come from the same noble source.  The first mentioned Janczynski is a certain pan (Sir, or Lord) Oleshko Janczynski, judge of the L'viv Castle court, whose name appears in cyrillic script in a land sale document in 1386.

It would also appear that Lord Oleshko owned considerable land himself, mostly in the L'viv (Pol.Lwow) province. Until shortly after WWII, there was a village in this province called Janczyn.  It was renamed Ivanivka.

In the dispute between King Jagiello and his brother, the rebellious Svydrigiello, the Janczynski's and other Rus' (Ruthenian) nobility supported Svydrigiello.  For this, their properties in Galicia were confiscated. However, the Janczynski's were compensated for their support by Prince Svydrigiello and were given land in Volyn (Pol. Wolyn). In Volyn, they were mostly associated with the princely Sanguszko family (one of the wealthiest in Poland for over 5 centuries until WWII).  They were frequently were called upon to act in the settling of land disputes.  Some of them joined religious orders, and at least one was abbot of the famous monastary complex in Zimno (near Volodymyr Volynski).

Of those who remained in Galicia, at least three became Jesuits in the early XVII century.  Each rose to the position of rector, and one-- Rafal, became a noted historian whose works are still referred to by modern historians, and whose donated stone manse still stands in the city of L'viv.

From Volyn, the Janczynski's branched out to the north (Lithuania) and southeastward into Bratslav and Vynnitsa regions, and also into Kiev province. Several of these Janczynskis were associated with the noble Potocki family, large landowners. One of them was Castle court judge in Lublin, later in Kolomyja toward the end of the XVIII century.

I have not been able to determine just when the Janczynskis appeared in Russia, but quite possibly sometime in XIX century, and probably from the Kiev region or Volyn, where most of them at this stage belonged to priestly families (Orthodox).

One Russian Janczynski, became a general and participated in the surrender of the Nazi General Paulus after his defeat in Stalingrad in WWII. Almost a dozen Ukrainian Janczynskis fell in battle against the Nazis.

Today, besides the countries mentioned above, there are Janczynskis in Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada, USA, South America and believe it or not, at least one in Iceland.

Somewhere, from one of those branches came your Barbara. Only further research in the Prussian, Polish or Russian archives will provide more information.  I have done research in Poland, Ukraine and Russia but have only been able to cover a fraction of the available information.  It costs a lot of money to do this, and mine has been a labor of love with very limited finances.

Hope this clarifies a few things for you.

Sincerely,
Larry Yanchynski

-----Original Message-----

From: ROBERT W ALAND
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 9:37 AM
To: Larry Yanchynski
Subject: Janczynski Family History

Dear Larry,

I understand that you are into family history. My gr gr grandmother was Barbara JANCZYNSKA,born about 1803. She died 1 on Jun 23 1863 in Osterwick, Chojnice, Westpreußen, Germany. She was buried on Jun 26 1863 in Osterwick, Chojnice, Westpreußen, Germany. She married  Adalbert MATHIA on Nov 22 1823 in Neukirchen (Kr Konitz), Westpreußen.

Death record says she was age 60 and had 9 children. We have the names of all her children.

Does your family go back into Poland?  A greater understanding of this Family name would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Karen Aland
Utah