Piłsudski's mother as godmother. Sorokpol, 1862
In 1862 a twenty-year-old young lady, Maria Billewicz, held the younger brother of our great-great-grandfather Bolesław at the font. Five years later she gave birth to a son, Józef Piłsudski.
The historical background
Who was the Marshal's mother before she became a Piłsudska?
Maria Billewicz was born in 1842. Her mother died when she was about four. Her father married again. She was raised by her grandfather, a retired president of the court in Vilnius.
She was a wealthy heiress. Her dowry included several estates, among them Zułów.
She married Józef Wincenty Piłsudski in April 1863, three months after the January Uprising broke out against Russian rule. Her husband served in it as a commissioner of the insurgent government.
She had twelve children and taught them Polish history and literature at home. After the manor at Zułów burned down, the family moved to Vilnius and the boys went to a Russian school, where speaking Polish could be punished.
She died in 1884. Józef was sixteen.
In the 1862 record the priest still wrote her down as a young unmarried lady: Девицею Маріею Билевичъ.
Documents shown in the film
These are the real archive scans you see in the film. Each one has its archive reference, so anyone can check the source.
The crop shows three entries. Antoni's is the middle row: the date and baptism on the left, the parents and godparents on the right.
Original text (Russian): Тысяча Восемь Сотъ Шестьдесятъ Второго Года Марта Шеснадцатого дня, въ Сорокпольской Приходской Римско Католической Церкви, Окрещенъ младенецъ по имяни Антони. Преподобнымъ Отцемъ Томашемъ Волинскимъ, Настоятелемъ оной Церкви, съ совершеніемъ всѣхъ Обрядовъ Таинства. Благородныхъ Тадеуша и Урш[у]ли урожденной Пуцятовны Марковичовъ, Законныхъ Супруговъ Сынъ, родившійся 14. дня Марта въ Застѣнкѣ Опкортахъ, сегоже Года Сорокпольского прихода. Воспріемниками были Помѣщикъ Свенцянского Уѣзда Презыдентъ, Благородный Антони Биллевичъ съ Благородною Девицею Маріею Билевичъ.
In English: In the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, on the sixteenth day of March, in the Roman Catholic parish church of Sorokpol, an infant was baptised with the name Antoni by the Reverend Father Tomasz Woliński, parish priest of that church, with all the rites of the sacrament. He is the son of the well-born Tadeusz and Urszula née Puciata, the Markowicz couple, lawful spouses, born on the 14th day of March of this year in the hamlet of Obkorty in Sorokpol parish. The godparents were the well-born Antoni Billewicz, landowner of Święciany district, president, with the well-born Miss Maria Billewicz.
Józef Piłsudski's entry is the top row, just below the printed table heading. The columns on the left give his birth on 23 November and baptism on 3 December.
Original text (Russian): Тысяча восемь сотъ шестьдесятъ Седьмого года Декабря третьяго дня въ Костелѣ Римско-Католическомъ Сорокполь Окрещенъ младенецъ по Именамъ Іозефъ Клеменсъ Ксендзомъ Томашемъ Волинскимъ Настоятелемъ тогожъ Костела съ Совершеніемъ всѣхъ обрядовъ таинства. Благородныхъ Іозефа и Маріи урожденной Биллевичевной Пилсудскихъ Законныхъ Супруговъ Сынъ, родившійся сего Года Ноября 23 дня въ Мызѣ Зуловѣ Прихода Сорокполя. Воспріемниками были Благородные: Іозефъ Марциновскій съ Констанціею Рогальскою.
In English: In the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, on the third day of December, in the Roman Catholic church at Sorokpol, Father Tomasz Woliński, parish priest of this church, baptised an infant with the names Józef Klemens with all the rites of the sacrament. He is the son of the nobly born Józef and Maria née Billewicz, lawful spouses Piłsudski, born this year on 23 November at the manor of Zułów in Sorokpol parish. The godparents were the nobly born Józef Marcinowski with Konstancja Rogalska.
Zofia's entry is the lower row of the crop. The godparents' column lies further to the right on the scan, outside the frame, so it is not transcribed here.
Original text (Russian): Тысяча восемь сотъ шестьдесятъ третьяго года Августа одиннадцатаго дня въ Сорокпольскомъ Римско Католическомъ Приходскомъ Костелѣ окрещенъ младенецъ по имени Зофія Ксендзомъ Томашемъ Волинскимъ съ совершеніемъ всѣхъ обрядовъ таинства. Дворянъ Антонія и Маріи урожденной Долматовны Валентиновичовъ законныхъ супруговъ дочь родившаяся сего года Августа 7 дня въ Мызѣ Зуловѣ Сорокпольскаго Прихода.
In English: In the year one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, on the eleventh day of August, in the Roman Catholic parish church of Sorokpol, Father Tomasz Woliński baptised an infant named Zofia with all the rites of the sacrament. She is the daughter of the nobles Antoni and Maria née Dołmat, the lawful spouses Walentynowicz, born this year on 7 August at the Zułów manor in Sorokpol parish.
Narration
Józef Piłsudski's mother
was a godmother in our family.
We found this in old records while searching for our ancestors.
This is our family tree.
Here is our grandmother Alina.
Her grandparents,
Bolesław and Zofia,
are our great-great-grandparents.
1862.
A priest baptizes Bolesław's younger brother.
The baby is held by a twenty-year-old young lady from the nearby manor
of Zułów.
Her name
is Maria Billewicz.
A year later
Maria marries
and from then on
her name is Piłsudska.
That same summer,
on her estate at Zułów,
Zofia is born.
The same Zofia from our family tree.
Four years later,
in the manor house at Zułów,
Maria gives birth to a son.
It is Józef Piłsudski,
the future Marshal.
She gave birth to twelve children.
She taught them Polish history
and literature.
In 1918
one of them would lead a free Poland.
Nobody in our family knew
that she was the one who held Bolesław's brother at
the font.
What story about your ancestors did you hear at home?
Tell us in the comments. Ex Archivis.
We find out where your family comes from.
Sources
- Sorokpol parish baptisms, 1862, entry 20 (Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius, 772/1/7)
- Sorokpol parish baptisms, 1863, entry 46 (Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius, 772/1/7)
- Sorokpol parish baptisms, 1867, entry 53 (Lithuanian State Historical Archives in Vilnius, 772/1/8)
Scenes marked “Staged scene” are reconstructions. The documents are real.
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