Biezun is a small town located to the western side of Ciechanow, at
52º58' longitude and 19º55' latitude. Approximately 1.3 miles to the NE
of Biezun is Karniszyn, at 52º59' longitude 19º54' latitude. The town of
Przywitowo is in Wloclawek Province, 13.3 miles WNW of Biezun.
Sierpc, Plock is 11.9 miles WSW of Biezun.
My Grandfather Jan Stanislaus Przywitowski came to the U.S. at age 18 on the ship "Noordam". He left Rotterdam, Holland on April 3, 1905, and arrived New York City, Ellis Island, the day after his 18th birthday, April 14, 1905. His father had died and his mother had remarried. Because she did not want him to have to join the Russian army, his mother got the money together to send him to the U.S. We think he had 3 sisters and possibly one brother left in Poland. One cousin came over later, also a John Przywitowski.
Originally we thought he was from Biezun, outside Warsaw. His naturalization papers state he was born in Pritzki, Rus, Poland. There is a town called Preczki, Wloclawek, Poland, about 15 miles from Bìezun, Ciechanow, Poland. The ship's manifest says he was from Lierpitz, Plock, Russia (Poland). I find no town close to this name anywhere. His cousin said he came from Karnisein. Recently while searching the LDS Family History Center Polish films in Salt Lake City, I found many Przywitowskis in the Biezun Roman Catholic Church Records. All of the family came from the town of Karnyszyn, probably the present day town of Karniszyn 1.3 miles from Biezun. Follow this link to learn a little more about the Przywitowskis found in the Biezun Church records BIEZUN.
He had about $10 in his pocket and was going to Wilmington, Delaware to stay with his "br. i. l. (Brother-in law?) Josef R(?)orpusinski, Wilmington Del Poplar ? 105 (?)." According to his naturalization papers he did not settle in Pennsylvania until 1907, or two years after his arrival. His petition for naturalization papers signed in 1922 was vouched for by Joseph S. Rutkowski a Realtor living at 2805 West 3rd Street and Piatr (sp?) Krzlowski a Steward living at 423 Highland Avenue, Chester. In the Biezun church records I have seen Rorpusinski and Rutkowski, but no definite tie in to the Przywitowski family.
My Grandfather worked at Baldwin Locomotive Works, as a "flue buster". The Baldwin Locomotive Works was a very well-known and important Philadelphia industrial site. It was at Broad and Spring Garden Streets (Spring Garden is very close to Buttonwood) for many years, from about 1836 to 1884, when it was burned and then rebuilt. A new plant was built in Eddystone, Delaware County in about 1918, becoming operational in 1924. It's still there today, south of the Philadelphia International Airport, although it closed down completely by 1972. From "Work Sights : Industrial Philadelphia, 1890-1950" by Philip Scranton and Walter Licht, Temple University Press, 1986, ISBN 0-87722-341-6.
His parents were farmers. None of his immediate family came over at that time except for his first cousin John who came later. Cousin John married Anna Zajdel in Linwood, PA. Both are buried in Immaculate Heart Cemetery, Linwood: John 1883-1949; Anna 1892-1977.
In 1911 my Grandfather married Marianna Zoladkiewicz at St. Hedwigs Roman Catholic Church in Chester, PA. He and Marianna took my mother to visit a cousin in Philadelphia when Mom was maybe 4 or 5. This was the only time they went. He had a cousin Golombieski (sp?) in Bounbrook, N.J. and a Przywitowski cousin in Wilmington, Del.
All of the Roman Catholic Church records that I have read to date have all of the births, marriages, and deaths of any Przywitowski in the town of Karnyszyn (today Karniszyn). My Grandfather's cousin stated that he came from this town with the spelling a little different. When my Grandfather was asked what town he was from for his naturalization papers he said he was from what looked like Lierpitz, Plock, Poland. The first letter of the writing could easily be S making him to be from Sierpitz. Pronunciation of the town Sierpc in Polish is Sierpitz. The name Przywitowski means to come from the town of Przywitowo. The ages of the persons mentioned in the documents are probably not always stated correctly. Or I could easily have misinterpreted the Napoleonic Polish word. Therefore I will give each of the records as I read them and not as I would interpret them. Again all records are from Biezun and each event takes place in Karnyszyn. Also, I am unable at present to give any of the accent marks or special letters in Polish. January 30, 1840, Stanislaw Brdailnim age 19 and Malzaichun Przywitowski age 19 were married. Her father Adam Przywitowski was not living. July 3, 1842, Adam Przywitowski age 26 and his wife Antoniny Rylkow age 21, had a child named Maryanee. Godparents were Jan Przywitowski and Helina Kariecka. June 14, 1843, Jan Przywitowski, Farmer age 28 and Wife Maryanny (né) Przybutkow age 22 had a female child named Antoninu. Godparents were Jan Sleckie and Antoninu Przywitowski. June 30, 1843, Wayciek Przywitowski died age 48. His wife Maryanna Przywitowski was still living. February 18, 1844, Adam Przywitowski age 25 and Ewy Rogowskich age 20 had a male child named Maciey. Godparents were Antoni Przywitowski and Maryanna Tultonska. October 28, 1844, Adam Przywitowski age 28 and his wife Antoniny Rylkow age 21 had a female child named Katarzyna. Godparents were Tani Rochowicz and Maryanna Ruchowicz. November 25, 1848, Adam Przywitowski age 3- and his wife Antoniny Rylkow age 30 had a male child named Adam. Godparents were Marin Budziche and Maryanna Budzyna. February 20, 1849, Jan Przywitowski age 30 and wife Maryanny Przybutkow age 30 had a female child named Anna. Godparents were Faboks Damzslski and Anna Cyzyk. April 6, 1849, Wzyciech Przywitowski age 45 and his wife Maryanny Masristow age 30 had a female child named Maryanna. Godparents were Antoni Sidowski and Zadwiga Olezicik. September 24, 1851, Adam Przywitowski age 33 and his wife Antoniny Rylkow age 30, had a male child named Michat. Godparents were Barltomiey Retajczytk and Marjanna Kotarska. March 24, 1852, Jan Przywitowski age 36 and wife Marjanny Przybutkow age 30 had a female child named Tozcfa. Godparents were Adam Rogowski and Marjanna Sotdanska. November 28, 1852 Michat Przywitowski died. His wife's name is Antoniny Przywitowski. April 22, 1853, Jan Przywitowski died. His wife Ewy Przywitowski was not alive. October 20, 1853, Adam Przywitowski age 35 and his wife Antoniny Ryblieco age 30, had a female child named Flanieszka. Godparents were Antoni Przywitowski and Marjanna Trewcienska. February 2, 1857, Adam Przywitowski age 38 and his wife Antoniny Rylkow age 38, had twin female children named Karjanna and Walenty. Karjanna's Godparents were Pawel Cyzyk and Agnieszka Cyzyk. Walenty's Godparents were Adam Trusiciniski and Karjanna Relajezyk.
Jack Bowman