History and genealogy of the noble Konstantynowicz family

References: Bartosz Paprocki of 1578 and 1584

Kojalovicz of 1648

"The Armorial of many houses in (...) the Grand duchy of Lithuania" by S. J. Dunczewski, edited in 1757

"The Armorial of the Orsa area" of 1775

"The Inventory of nobility in the Vilkmerge district" of 1795

"The Inventory of nobility of the Dzisna district" 1796

an armorial by Jan Dworzecki - Bohdanowicz

"The List of nobility of the Vilna district (...)" 1809

"The Record of rental (...) nobility from the Barysau district" of 1812

"The Inventory of nobility in the Lida district" of 1855

Stanislav count Mieroszovski (Stanislaw count Grocyn pseudonym, 1827 - 1900 or Jan Stanislaw Mieroszowski), "(...) about Polish heraldry", Cracow 1887

"The List of landowners of the Minsk government" 1899

N. Szaposznikow, "Heraldica"

manuscript of armorial by Boleslaw Starzynski

Jerzy count Dunin - Borkowski of 1909

Uruski of 1910

Andrzej Zajaczkowski, "Polish nobility", edit. by "Semper" 1993

Jan Ciechanowicz, "Knightly ancestries (...)", vol. 1 - 5, edit. Rzeszow 2001.

I concluded in my genealogical search that among families with Konstantynowicz surname which live in Poland are two or three separate groups:

The eldest information about a Konstantynowicz nickname, but not about the Fox coat of arms (crest), go back to 07 October 1515 (according to Jan Ciechanowicz) and to the Hrodna area:

Jakub (= Jakov) Konstantynowicz sued to a court his neighbour Tolloczko. His relative surely Olechno Konstantynowicz held a post in the Hrodna municipal tribunal in 1539 . He sued his neighbour Dowtortowicz in 1542. The Konstantynowiczs - both of above mentioned - were the landowwners of their Duke. Then the nest of them was in villages Toloczki, Ejsmonty and Jurewicze in the Hrodna region (probably since c. 1500) and they were knighted in 1578 with the Pielesz diverse coat of arms.

We are lacking information that they had the Fox coat of arms proper already and I don't know if the Konstantynowicz nickname was the surname in anyone case in the beginning of the 16th cent.! Or it maybe the Konstantynowicz name was only an "otchestvo" (by-name) id est a form deriving from the Konstanty or Konstantyn names with oriental ending "wicz" (= vich). However it's not unlikely that Jakub was a father of Olechno and Michno Konstantynowicz but there is no probability on proved of the thesis. Michno and Olechno that's very popular form of Belorussian names with ending "-no" and "-ko" in the 15th and 16th cent.; I give others examples: Senko Miloszewicz from Ostryna 1528, Iwanko and Misko Miloszewicz in Podlasie, Mitko from Vicebsk = Vitsyebsk (or Witebsk) province in 1528, Michno Lyszczynski in 1528, Michno Polanski 1515, Mleczko from Vilkmerge 1467, Piotr Olechnowicz (surname from Christian name of father) 1501, Senko Mikolajewicz 1514, Szymko Mikolajewicz from Upita, Jacko son of Mikula Wasilkowicz A.D. 1525, Mitko (= Mikolaj) Mickiewicz with Fox arms et ceteri and also little villages exempli gratia Olechnowszczyzna in the Minsk province; besides I found out about Dmitrei son of Konstantin in the 15th century, Polut Konstiantinowic' mid 15th century, Kostiantinowic' Semen mid 15th century, Chebotko Konstiantinow in 1540 and Fedor Konstentinow son of Spits 1552, a clerk in Wisztyniec - Michal Konstantynowicz Sumorok A.D. 1571, Iwan Konstantynowicz from Kulbaczyna in 1572 (but with Mackowicz surname nicknamed Kulbaka or Mackiewicz), Jaroslaw Konstantynowicz (but with Lukomski surname 1595). I was faced with the difficult task of collecting information and differing interpretations about origin of our ancestry. One has to be careful with final claims and theses for some years and in passing judgement on first person with the Konstantynowicz surname. A person with a Konstantynowicz nickname in the first half of the 16th cent. didn't has to be the person with the Konstantynowicz surname. I called it purposely to the attention of you. The Konstantynowicz ancestry with the Fox coat of arms proper lived only in the Trakai district (i.e. district of Troki since c. 1550), the Samaites territory (since c. 1550) and in the Minsk province (since c. 1565/1570) by c. 1600 (next in the Slonim area after c. 1600; also in Vilna / Wilno since c. 1640) as good as proves it all armorials. One of string evidences say us for example that the record of common noble movement A.D. 1528 doesn't point to persons with the Konstantynowicz surname in any districts of Lithuania according to all historical sources.

You write back to me at the E-mail address (English, Russian, Belorussian, Polish languages and remove "SPAMNO" from address "bog4konsta"):

A legend was about the beginning of the Konstantynowicz family. Many said that our family (ancestry) has come from the BALKANS according to "Gutenberg Encyclopaedia" (volume 8); many said that the ancestry had got to descent from Serbian ancestor (janczar), who was Turkish soldier 1455 - 1463, who was afterwards in POLAND (that is since 1470 or 1471); he has written memoirs here (1490-1516 or rather 1496 - 1501) about title "(...) the Turkish chronicle (...)". A copy was in the SAPIEHA Archive. More inf. on the same Turkish soldier - Michal Konstantynowicz in F. Bujak, "Studia geograf.-hist.", p. 129 - 134. The main editions of "(...) the Turkish chronicle (...)" in 1828 and 1912 misleaded many of our ancestors. The Kibalczyc family i.e. Kibalcicas have got a legend that tell us about an ancestor from Serbia - the family moved out to the Chernigov province in the Grand duchy of Lithuania in the 17th century - the legend it's mistake, too.

Descendants of the Konstantynowicz family who derived from present BUKOVINA (Bukovina joined Austrian Empire in 1775 but it seems to be probable they moved house here from the Austria - Hungarys Volhynia after the 1st Partition of POLAND) at the border Ukraine on Roumania; it was the Greek church family in the 19th century perhaps and they (regarded as - in part, by authorities - Ukrainians) were displaced partially to the Mazury / East Prussia after 1945. Most of them live today in south - easterly Poland. You see also about village Zydowskie = Shydovskie where Michajlo Konstantynowicz lived and who was born 1790; his father was priest and mother - Maria Wapnicki - derived from Desznica i.e Deshnica. They had own GRECUL (i.e. GREKUL armorial bearings but own GREK arms was Lithuanian origin, according to Mieroszowski) coat of arms in time of the Austria - Hungarys Galicia at the beginning of the 19th cent. (Bazyli and Michal Konstantynowicz 1803). I take note of them in ODESSA, Tschernowzy (= Chernovits) in 1939 - 1940 and in Kiev after the second World War and

besides e.g.

"Officials in 1876" note in Bukovina: "(...) Konopasek Emanuel, Konstantinowicz von Grekul Gedeon, Landes-Hauptmann Stellvertreter (...)" and "Franz Josef- Staatsgymnasium in Sereth": "(...) Kasriel Josef, Klocek Stanislaus Josef, Kohn Julius, Konstantinowicz, Ewald Ludwig Franz (...)". See: http://bukowina.info/FJSereth.pdf

Florin Konstantinowicz / Constantinovici from Roumania (Romania) was in Israel (the Tsafririm Holon team in 2001 - 2002).

In all probability our ancestry with the Konstantynowicz surname derived from belorussian Czyz family i.e. Senko Czyzewicz and his son Konstanty Czyz, I think. The Lithuanian - Byelorussian nobility was polonised as early as the 16th century (generally speaking, the ethnically non Polish noble families of Belarus adopted the Polish language and culture but only Byelorussian was native and official language of the Grand duchy of Lithuania in the 14th - 17th centuries till 1697) and they converted to Roman Catholicism. The Czyz family used the coat of arms of FOX proper since

or Marcin Czyz Nieczycki (or Nietecki because different opinions have been passed upon him; more inf. on the Fox coat of arms in Lithuania and Belarus, see: http://www.geocities.com/konstanbogdan) who was born probably c. 1495.

The royal courtier Marcin Konstantynowicz Czyz from Nieciecza according to:

Niesiecki 1839

Czarniecki 1875

Boniecki 1901

Leszczyc 1908/13, page 210

historical magazine of 1914

historical magazine of April 1938 (number 4/17, page 49)

Dymmel of 1995.

Konstantynowicz Czyz unknown of name (either Konstantinowicz who was born c. 1530 or the probability is that Michno Konstantynowicz / Miknos Konstantinoviciaus) was withdrawn in the last will and testament of his father

and destitute of a legacy which daughter Margaret inherited; she had got some brothers. Another lawsuits were also at that time: lady Katarzyna Czyz - Boguszewski vs. her sons i.e. the sons of Stanislaw Wojciechowicz Czyzewicz or Czyz in 1546 and at the same time Jan Czyzewicz son of Jurij and his wife Hanna nee Narbut vs. Aleksander Czyzewicz son of Wojciech in 1547.

Part of these Czyz from neighbourhood of LIDA (either Nietiacz, Nieciecz, Nieczyca or Nietiaz near to Dubrovny and farther Lipniszki, 9 km from Lida)

have accepted the Konstantynowicz surname (from Christian name of father according to Leszczyc of 1908/13; Konstiantin or Kostiantin = Konstantin that is "steadfast, constant") adopting the armorial bearings of FOX proper and moved out to the Samaites territory and also to the Trakai district, and after from here to the MINSK province circa

1570

I don't know surely where did Michno = Michal / Miknos Konstantinoviciaus come from. I don't know doubtless if exactly Michno was stripped of the assets by his sister in 1547. Miknos Konstantinoviciaus / Konstantinovicius - nobleman from Zaleskovscizna / Zaleskowszczyzna - was founder of Roman Catholic church in

Krikstonys circa 1562.

Settlement Krikstonys in Lithuania now, in subdistrict Norageliai, county Alytus / Olita, now the parish of Christ the King in Krikstonys 67252, phone 31847893; Post Office in Krikstonys, LT - 67014, Lazdijai / Lozdzee / Lozdzieje District Municipality. Krikstonys is 18,5 km SW of Alytus - near by Zilviciai, Gudonys, Dubravai and Lizdai; 2,5 km West of Nemunas and 5 km SE of Norageliai.

received a big estate, an arable ground and forested land from the king Sigismund Augustus on

was situated in the Merkine area, Merkine parish (= Merecz, Meretium or Merken area in the Troki district in the ex-province of Troki; a chief officer for life of the Merkine area was Jan Janowicz Zabrzezinski / Zaberezenski since 1536; the Junowicz family lived close by Merkine - see also: the Pileszyszki estate), beside the Niemen river (Neman or Nemunas), next to estuary of Merkys = Mereczanka river

49 km N-W-N of Lida in the Troki or Trakai district, too (close by a south - easterly border of the former Trakai district) as early as

upstream of Merkys river in the Turgeliai parish, 38 km S-E-S of Vilnius. Zaleskowszczyzna, Merecz Michnowski, Ulkiszki and Merecz Michnowo are situated at the territory of independent, since 1918, Republic of Lithuania. We set out to the authority in Vilna on 19 May 1842 original of the privilege edited by the king to MICHNO Konstantynowicz who was endowed with estate in the Merecz area on 04 January 1554 and many of documents of 18th cent.

c. 1550	Raseiniai region i.e. Rosienie / Rossienie in the Samaites territory: the Poszeszow estate in the middle of the 16th century
1598	Petrus Konstantynowicz in France and Perugia (a province of Umbrien in Italy) according to "Lista degli scolari (...)"
1600	The Konstantynowicz family used POCHOWICZ by-name (or Pohozy, Pohosha, Pohowicz, Rokoz, Rohoza and Pokoz nicknames, information of 1937) at first in the Minsk province since A.D. 1600. It was a certain Rohoza family in the Orsa district and Verchnjadzvinsk (i.e. Dryssa) region A.D. 1602/1643 but it's not our line
c. 25 August 1601	A certain judicial document from the district of Trakai (i.e. Troki) tell us about noblemen, Jan Sobolewski of Busilolisdy by Kraksznia river near by Urkiszki and Stanislaw Kiszka, who litigated against a neighbour from Lachowicze due to the same taken away a little ground in 1600; the landowner called Pavel i.e. Pawel Konstantynowicz, Matys Gozdziewski and Stefan Stankiewicz in evidence at the end of August 1601; we read in the document about neighbours: Koklin family and Jan Sowgowicz, and also about a functionary from Trakai, Jan Stanislawowicz from Bogdanowicze village; the document signed in Urkiszki, and above village Urkiszki i.e. Ulkiszki was situated only 1 km NW of Rudziszki (i.e. Rudiskes, Lithuania now).
07 March 1643	Mikolay Pohosha Konstantynowicz was rewarded a privilege in the Minsk province handed over to him by the king Vladislav IV Vasa. Bonifacy 1st Konstantynowicz derived from above mentioned Mikolay.

1584 Michal Konstantynowic / Miknos Konstantinoviciaus / Konstantinovicius

they partially moved house to the EAST BELARUS in the MSCISLAU / Mstsislaw province near to:

KRYCAU / Kritschew by Sosh / Kritchev / Krychaw where we had eight hundred peasants c. 1700; neighbourhood: the Brujewicz family (in Krycau A.D. 1745), Czyz (Bazyli Czyz was an officer in Krycau in 1522), Danilowicz (Russians burned down Krycau in 1655 and all assets of Pawel Danilowicz, too), Holynski family (proprietors of towns Krychaw = Kritchev and Klimavici but after 1772), Jerzy Malachowski, Nowodworski, Petrazycki, dukes Polubinski or Polubenski (here as early as 1540), Siemaszko (Jan Siemaszko + wife Tomila Saprynowski in the castle of Kritchev / Krychaw in 1695), Siemienowicz (a priest Wasyl Siemienowicz in 1664), a certain Szalus (clerk in Krycau in 1568 - he fought against Russians in the Smolensk province), Mikolaj Shukovski, Usakowski (in Zarubec since 1878), Weselowski (i.e. Wesolowski or Wiesiolowski in Kritschew as early as 1634 and next in 1663), Jan Zadanowicz (or Zdanowicz, Zdanavicius in Kritchev = Krychaw A.D. 1662, he came from the Orsa or Orscha district), Wacur (in Kritschew and nearby Zimonino or Zimonin) and others families,

and in the region northwards of MSCISLAU i.e. the villages Samava (either Szamowo by the Lejedna river or Chamovo at the map of 1834, Czamow at the map "Carte Des Frontieres de Pologne et de Russie (...)" by Rizzi Zannoni of 1772, only 3 km from present border of Russia), Kopceuka, Niesterevo or Niesterow - the Berezetnia estate, where Swedes looted their assets on 29 - 30 August (the battle near to Dobroje by White Natopa river 16 km SW of Mscislau) A.D.

Those near and dear in the Mscislau / Mstsislaw territory, the Polish and others known and renowned families:

Brujewicz	of Boncza arms (or Boncz - Brujewicz, in Bohdanovka - i.e. Bogdanowka in Russia now - in the Mscislau ex-district since 1870 and here also Poplatyno since 1870; Petrulin in the region of Cerykau; Muryn - Bor or Bor near to Holynski's Michiejeviczi, 12 km NW of Klimavicy since 1870; and Sieliszcze 18 km E-S-E of Cavusy or Czausy - since 1876)
counties Puszkin	according to Szaposznikow, vol. 1, in Mscislau = Mstsislaw 1774; owned Kolodzicz / Oltuchow in the province A.D. 1560, next Sielec or Sjalec farm south of Mstsislaw (according to "Philip's Concise World Atlas", 2003) i.e. Mscislau, Novae Sjalo i.e. Nowosiolki SW of Mscislau in 1774 and Monachi from Suchodolski family; relations: Sokolowski, Konstantynowicz and Reutt family
Dederko	of Dederkalo arms (the crest verified on 10 March 1798, they lived in the Mscislau province and possessed: Stare Siolo - 8 km NW of Mscislau, Nowe Siolo i.e. Novae Sjalo or Nowosiolki - 13 km SW of Mscislau, Hryckowo, Pisarzewszczyzna and Turowka - 14 SW of Nowoje Sselo = Nowe Siolo / Nowosiolki)
Holynski	relations: Ostankiewicz, Hurko, Konstantynowicz, Wojna, Karpilowicz, Suryn before 1663, Anna nee Sutocki + Norbert Holynski from Janovek, Moskiewicz, Piszczal from Brakowiec, Kurzeniecki, counties Aleksandrowicz and Starosielski from Holedz at the beginning of the 18th cent., Bojwid, Chodzkiewicz, Kaszyc, Mister(ow), Kirkor, Zyrkiewicz, Zukowski and Stachowski in the 18th cent., Kotly, Kolski from Chlyszczewo by 1670, Chelchowski at the beginning of the 17th cent., Issakowicz, Nagorski (i.e. Nagurski; pilot Jan I. Nagurskij did "the world first flight in Nesterov's flying boat on September 17th, 1916 twice with a passenger"; the international record was registered by the Airclub counsel on November 16th, 1916), Swatkowski (Swiatkowski ) + Tekla nee Holynski at the end of the 18th cent., Czudowski, Ciechanowiecki and Wieczor at the beginning of the 19th cent.

of the noble Konstantynowicz family from the

Grand duchy of

Lithuania

of the noble
Konstantynowicz
family
from the