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Research in Other Countries => Europe => Topic started by: LittleC on Wednesday 06 October 04 09:33 BST (UK)

Title: Austria/Poland
Post by: LittleC on Wednesday 06 October 04 09:33 BST (UK)
would anyone know how i would find out when one of my ancestors came to the UK (Sheffield) from his birth place which is either Austria or Poland?

Thanks, Claire
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Wednesday 06 October 04 10:00 BST (UK)
Hi Claire,

I am also researching ancestors from Austria and Poland, so I have been collecting useful links: http://www.rootschat.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=11752.0
There are also a couple of other threads with useful "how to ..." info.

Can you post as many details as possible her (names, dates, birth places or home towns, was he jewish, etc).

Was it before 1901, Have you found him in any  censuses yet ?

I am going to Wales for a week, tomorrow, but there are others here who can also help.
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: LittleC on Wednesday 06 October 04 10:50 BST (UK)
Hi Bob,

The guy that i am looking for is a Maurice Chryst who was born 1830ish.  Says Austria on most of the census i have but 1891 shows Poland which would figure more as the family have always believed Polish.

He married in Sheffield here in 1858 so came before then but havnt a clue before that.

Thanks for the tips, much appreicated.

Claire
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: LittleC on Wednesday 06 October 04 13:09 BST (UK)
Hi Bob,

Do you know what is the best website to go on to look for Polish ancestors?

Thanks, Claire
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Wednesday 06 October 04 13:47 BST (UK)
Hi Claire,

I've just posted a couple of websites for polish roots in "Sharing useful links: ....".

Try them out and let us know how you get on
Good luck !
Bob
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: LittleC on Wednesday 06 October 04 15:16 BST (UK)
I will certainly let you know if i find anything Bob, thanks for letting me know those sights.

Do you know if there are any uk databases or anything that would keep records of when someone has entered this country?

Cheers, Claire
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Wednesday 06 October 04 15:39 BST (UK)
Not sure about Records for entering the country (I would love to know when my g-grandfather entered the country !), but if he got naturalised, they have these records at Kew (same problem again with g-g'dad: I don't know if  he got naturalised and if he did, when !)
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: LittleC on Wednesday 06 October 04 15:49 BST (UK)
Im sure he got naturalised, what exactly does that mean?  Sorry, I am new to all this.

I know he married in 1858 so was before then, i know the year he died in so would have been buried over here, dont know where though.

Do any of these websites allow you to search on them or do you have to write to Poland to get info?

Claire
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: Berlin-Bob on Wednesday 06 October 04 16:12 BST (UK)
... became a "natural" british citizen !
This is a formal procedure, so there would be records, and they are at Kew.

Most of the web-sites have english and polish pages, so tra them out and see.
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: nutkin on Wednesday 06 October 04 16:36 BST (UK)
I too have an ancestor who says he is Austrian, Polish, Ukrainain, and Galacian.  The boundaries of Austria, Poland and Ukrain changed quite a bit which makes it hard to determine place of birth.  My ancestor, Ilko Sosnicki, was born in Austria in 1879.  The palce is called Galacia or No Man's Land.

Today, after corresponding with some of the archival offices in eastern europe, i was told that the place is now the Ukraine.  I am working to see if I can get a record there. My advice is to try to find out what the location is today.  Not in the past. 

Halgen has a good website on Galacian and Ukrainian genealogy.  Just type halgen into google.
- Kristin

PS I was able to find a naturalization record in the US and it gave me loads of information.  I think it is the best place to start. ;)
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: kaja on Wednesday 06 October 04 22:29 BST (UK)
hi,

Re: Poland.     Some of the problems regarding Poland can be solved by checking in history books. Poland has been partitioned and even disappeared of the map.

In 1830 Poland was under Austrian, Prussian and Russian
rule [there was no Poland ] This might explain a person being born in Austria.

I do know that a jewish organization has been trying to reclaim old [jewish] cemeteries so they must have records of some use.

There are archive sources here but it is my understanding that they are difficult to access. As I understand it there are records relating to former Germans etc

I think that  church records are your best hope as even today Polish families make sure that their children are baptised and the church will also have records of First Communion

Although I live in Poland my area of interest is England but I'll make some enquires.

                 Kaja  [Steve]

Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: JSFinn on Thursday 07 October 04 00:26 BST (UK)
I too am looking at my maternal grandmother's family, the Kellerts, who are variously mentioned as Polish or Russian, from the time around 1893 when they must have arrived here. I haven't begun yet to look at their history before they pitch up in Whitechapel, and the first questions I'll have to sort out will be where they actually came from, their religion, etc etc before I can begin. I'm only just getting to grips with the Londoners in the family, so I'm putting it to one side, and reading up the advice on the postings here for when I can get my teeth into it.

By the way, the Family Records Centre also hold indexes of names of those applying for naturalisation, who are successful in their application. They are on the shelves in the library on the first floor. Unsuccessful applications are somewhere in the Home Office records at Kew. I couldn't find my family at the FRC, so either they didn't apply or were turned down. I wonder what proportion of Eastern European immigrants applied for naturalisation. A likely cause of having your application refused was, apparently, that the Home Office thought you would be a bomb-totin' anarchist or the like!

John

Title: Austria/Poland
Post by: GreySquirrel on Friday 08 October 04 13:00 BST (UK)
LittleC

Nutkin is right. If you ever see a place of birth given variously as "Austria" or "Poland" it will almost always mean the pre-WW1 former Austro-Hungarian province of Galicia. After WW1, Galicia became Polish. After WW2, it was split between Poland (its west half, based around Krakow) and the Ukrainian SSR (its eastern half, based around L'viv; now  independent Ukraine). This was one of the most-cultural regions of Europe -- Polish, Slovak, German, Jewish, Hutsul, Boyko, Ruthernian/Ukrainian, etc). 

Firstly, though, you will have to determine the exact place of origin, the nationality and/or the religion (which will be a guide to nationality). Try to find immigration and naturalisation records.

If you tell me the name, I should be able to tell you the nationality / religion even if you do not know it already.

I have several excellent books on Galician research and records but these won't help you till you have the specific place.
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: kaja on Friday 08 October 04 23:35 BST (UK)
hi,

If it helps anyone on this thread I live in the centre of Wroclaw [Breslau] I'm willing to make a few phone calls
if you need it. When you know what you want don't be
afraid to ask me.
                              Kaja [Steve]
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: Clincher on Sunday 10 October 04 20:23 BST (UK)
I know the spelling is different from the homonym mentioned earlier by Claire (and the name may not be unusual) but these names appear in 1861 census for St George in the East, Middlesex RG9/277 folio 65:
Herman KRISTE age 35 sugar baker born in Hanover
Adelaide KRISTE       30)
Frederick KRISTE        7) all born in Whitechapel. Middx
Amelia KRISTE            3)
Amelia KRISTE            1)
and I thought I'd mention it just in case it's useful
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: GillSmith on Thursday 14 October 04 08:31 BST (UK)
I am trying to help a friend do similar. we did find his family on the 1901 census for London

If you search Google for Polish family History a number of sites appear. I need to check but I do have note of a couple and will get back to you. Do you know the approximate dates?


Regards
Gill
Title: Re: Austria/Poland
Post by: Janealogy on Sunday 14 August 05 02:31 BST (UK)
I am also searching the once German area of Galizen. I have been fortunate enough to find the village where Grandma and her family lived since 1780 before migration. Its now the case of finding other family members who remained in this region. Some moved to the what was then Cz-Slovak, others married and moved to the larger cities now in Ukraine. Tough job!!

This may be of some help to other's. Its on the Jewishgen web site.  Work in progress as in the future they hope to have every named indexed. Only help to those at present who know the town or village, what is rather strange is is also written in French?? it is the Polish trade Directory 1929

http://www.jewishgen.org/jri-pl/bizdir/start.htm

There are also some excellent maps available and would recommend this map, 1939 Galizien Deutsche Settlement Map

http://www.semanchuk.com/gen/maps/unterschutz.html


Jane