Photo: Zofia Szczerba and Jozef Mirota on their wedding day
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The surname Mirota is known to have been in use, in written form, as early as the 12th century. It is not a common surname. In a recent search on Forebears, 565 people in the world currently have the surname Mirota, most of whom live in Poland.
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Mirota family of Pławna Poland
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Researching our ancestors in the "Galician" region of Austrian occupied areas in Poland was made easier since the Roman Catholic Church records during this time period under Austrian rule were kept in Latin in a log format. Prior to that time the church records were written in a journal format in Polish, and that would require a strong knowledge of 18th century written Polish and a lot of fortitude on the researcher's part. The parish priest listed each family by a house number, and since families tended to stay put, we began to realize the house number was a research tool to identifying our ancestors. Our Mirota family was assigned house number 4 Pławna. The right to be head of the household appears to have been inherited by the first son, although multiple generations and extended family might live together in one household. Josef Mirota was not the first son.
We had been told one of the reasons Jozef Mirota left Poland in 1906 was because he would not inherit the family home as he was not the first born son. The more compelling reason he told his children was that he did not want to serve again in the occupying ruler's army. He had served his two year military term already, but any male could be called up again for another term of military service at the will of the government. Unrest was brewing in Europe, hunger strikes had been occurring in nearby Warsaw, and the extreme poverty meant a very grim future for those who stayed in Poland. Source: The Roman Catholic church records for Plawna and Zborowice are part of the LDS Microfilms #2064570 and #2064571. Note: we have both of those microfilms on permanent loan at our local Family History Center. If you have an ancestor who lived in these or nearby villages Genealogy Sisters can do a church record look-up. |
Our Mirota family history starts in Pławna, Galicia, Poland. Pławna [ˈpwavna] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Ciężkowice, within Tarnów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. The area is known as Małopolska (Little Poland). The village lies in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains, a few kilometers west of Zborowice and approximately 50 miles east of Krakow. The train goes through Pławna and even before that, it was along an important trade route. Yet the poor farm families of this region tended to band tightly together, suspect of outsiders. At present there are only a few houses left in the village of Pławna. The Third Partition of Poland took place in 1795 when this territory was annexed by the Habsburg Monarchy, And our story starts in that same year as it marks the first record we were able to find for our Mirota family. Fortunately for our ancestors, the Austrian government gave them more freedoms than the other territories of Poland were allowed under German and Russian rule. Poles in this region were allowed to speak their own language, become educated, and retain some administrative autonomy in exchange for their loyalty to Austria. Pławna. House Number 4, First Generation. Jan Mirota (ca 1725-1795) The earliest record we have been able to find for our Mirota family in Pławna was the death record of Jan Mirota, who had been living in house #4. When Jan Mirota died on the 21st of January 1795 he was 70 years old, making his estimated year of birth 1725. The names of his parents and his spouse are unknown to us. For far, we have only been able to identify one child of Jan's. This was Jozef Mirota. And his life is where our story goes next. |
Pławna. House Number 4, Second Generation, Jozef Mirota (1758 - 1825)
Jan's son Jozef Mirota was born in 1758. He was married to Catherine Skzabosc (names of her parents are unknown).They had six children that we have found records for, including Margarita, Sebastian, Francisca, Mariana, Adalbert "Wojciech", and Martin. Jozef Mirota died on August 13, 1828.
Jan's son Jozef Mirota was born in 1758. He was married to Catherine Skzabosc (names of her parents are unknown).They had six children that we have found records for, including Margarita, Sebastian, Francisca, Mariana, Adalbert "Wojciech", and Martin. Jozef Mirota died on August 13, 1828.
Pławna. House Number 4, Third Generation, Martin Mirota (1796-1867)
We have found very little information about some of the third generation born in House #4, but enough to find our way through to the next generation. First born of Jozef Mirota and his wife Catherine Skabosc appears to be Margarita Mirota, born on or about her baptism day of 20 May 1789. Her godparents were Paulus Mirota and Teresa Zazasina. No death date found.
Their next child was named Sebastian Mirota. He was born on or about 20 May 1789. His godparents were Paulus Mirota and Teresa Zazasina. Nothing else is known of Sebastian.
Their third child was Francisca Mirota who was born on or about 2 March 1791 Her godparents were Paulus Mirota and Dorotha Komorhis. Francisca died on 4 February 1794, not quite three years old.
Mariana Mirota was born 14 March 1793. She died later that year.
Adalbert "Wojciech" Mirota (Adalbert is the Latin name used in place of the polish name Wojciech, which is translated to either Albert or Walter in English. Adalbert was born 14 April 1794. He married Salome Ksiazek (b. about 1792) on 7 February 1821. Her parents were Kristoph Ksiazek and Mariana Ligcza. Adalbert and Salome had at least two children whose baptism records we were able to find. These two children were Agnes Mirota (1823-1823) and Magdelana Mirota (b. 4 July 1826). Adalbert and Salome's death dates are unknown to us.
Their sixth child was our ancestor Martin Mirota (1796 - 1867). Martin was born on or about 27 October 1796. His godparents were Petrus Gucwa (hortelanus) and Joanna (unreadable last name). Petrus Gucwa's occupation was described in latin as "hortelanus".
Martin Mirota was married four times. He first married Marianna Bochenek on 4 November 1823. Marianna Bochenek was born in Pławna on 11 November 1802 and she apparently died prior to 1836, when Martin remarried. From his first marriage to Marianna Bochenek, Martin had five children, including Catarina, Magdalena, Francisca, Jacob, and Adalbertus. Jacob is our ancestor, and he inherited the right to head the house.
After Marianna's death Martin married Lucia Urban of Plawna on 24 January 1836. Lucia was born about 1802 and her parents were Joseph and Catherine Urban. Martin and Lucia had two children, Anna and Marianna. Lucia died prior to July 1854.
Martin again married on 20 July 1854, this time to Apolonia "Pauline" Majcher, daughter of Joannis Majcher and Franciska Gasior. Martin and Apolonia had two sons, Jozef and Andreas. Apolonia died on 21 January 1867.
In August 1867 Martin married a fourth and final time. His last wife was Franciska Rudczonka. They did not have any children together. Martin Mirota died a few months later, on 30 November 1867 in house #4. He was 71.
We have found very little information about some of the third generation born in House #4, but enough to find our way through to the next generation. First born of Jozef Mirota and his wife Catherine Skabosc appears to be Margarita Mirota, born on or about her baptism day of 20 May 1789. Her godparents were Paulus Mirota and Teresa Zazasina. No death date found.
Their next child was named Sebastian Mirota. He was born on or about 20 May 1789. His godparents were Paulus Mirota and Teresa Zazasina. Nothing else is known of Sebastian.
Their third child was Francisca Mirota who was born on or about 2 March 1791 Her godparents were Paulus Mirota and Dorotha Komorhis. Francisca died on 4 February 1794, not quite three years old.
Mariana Mirota was born 14 March 1793. She died later that year.
Adalbert "Wojciech" Mirota (Adalbert is the Latin name used in place of the polish name Wojciech, which is translated to either Albert or Walter in English. Adalbert was born 14 April 1794. He married Salome Ksiazek (b. about 1792) on 7 February 1821. Her parents were Kristoph Ksiazek and Mariana Ligcza. Adalbert and Salome had at least two children whose baptism records we were able to find. These two children were Agnes Mirota (1823-1823) and Magdelana Mirota (b. 4 July 1826). Adalbert and Salome's death dates are unknown to us.
Their sixth child was our ancestor Martin Mirota (1796 - 1867). Martin was born on or about 27 October 1796. His godparents were Petrus Gucwa (hortelanus) and Joanna (unreadable last name). Petrus Gucwa's occupation was described in latin as "hortelanus".
Martin Mirota was married four times. He first married Marianna Bochenek on 4 November 1823. Marianna Bochenek was born in Pławna on 11 November 1802 and she apparently died prior to 1836, when Martin remarried. From his first marriage to Marianna Bochenek, Martin had five children, including Catarina, Magdalena, Francisca, Jacob, and Adalbertus. Jacob is our ancestor, and he inherited the right to head the house.
After Marianna's death Martin married Lucia Urban of Plawna on 24 January 1836. Lucia was born about 1802 and her parents were Joseph and Catherine Urban. Martin and Lucia had two children, Anna and Marianna. Lucia died prior to July 1854.
Martin again married on 20 July 1854, this time to Apolonia "Pauline" Majcher, daughter of Joannis Majcher and Franciska Gasior. Martin and Apolonia had two sons, Jozef and Andreas. Apolonia died on 21 January 1867.
In August 1867 Martin married a fourth and final time. His last wife was Franciska Rudczonka. They did not have any children together. Martin Mirota died a few months later, on 30 November 1867 in house #4. He was 71.
to be continued..... ran out of time today.
