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BartłomiejBeniowski,1800-1867
20
formalityinordertodomuchgoodforhisco-religionists.”
16
SzymonBeniowski
wasaRomanCatholicwhenhewasawardedhisdoctorateattheUniversityof
Wilno,andaccordingtocurrentregulations,wasalsograntedapatent
ofhereditarynobility.
17
BartłomiejBeniowskiwasalmostcertainlybornand
baptisedintotheCatholicfaith,andwasmarkeddownasfiRomanCatholic”
withoutquestionwhenhefirstregisteredasastudentattheUniversity.
Unfortunately,althoughagainstalltheoddssomeoftheecclesiasticalparish
recordsfromBerdyczówsurvive,theydonotcovertheyearsofBeniowski)s
baptism,oranyothereventsconcerninghisfamily.
18
Weknownothingof
Beniowski)smother,whoperhapsdiedinchildbirth,forwedonothearofany
siblings.SomethinginBeniowski)slaterfiercePolishness,combinedwithan
aggressivedefenceofJewishnessinaperiodwhenthiswassociallyandculturally
taboo,couldperhapssuggestthatonlyoneofhisparentswasfromanethnically
Jewishbackground.Butwhileinlateryearsherecallshisfatherwithrespectand
affection,henevermentionshismother.SzymonBeniowskimaywellhavebeen
arationalistandenlightenmentfree-thinkerofJewishdescentwhowasamember
oftheRomanCatholicchurch,andverypossiblycamefromaFrankistfamilythat
hadconvertedtoCatholicismearlierinthe18thcentury-butthereisnotangible
supportforthathypothesis.
TheprovinceofVolhyniainwhichBeniowskispenthisearlyyears
stretchedsouthfromtheRiverPripetintotherollingfertilecountryoftheDniepr
basin.FormanyinWesternEurope,thiswasterraincognita.WhenBeniowski
appliedforBritishcitizenshipin1854,anddeclaredthathewasbornin
Volhynia,LordPalmerstonminutedonhisapplication,fiIsthisRussian,Prussian
orAustrianPoland?”
19
Berdyczówwas,ifpossible,evenlesswell-known,
althoughinPolanditself,thetownmanagedtoachievethelegendarystatus
ofidiom:thephrase,fiWritetomeinBerdyczów,”cametomean,fiStop
botheringme,”ormorestraightforwardly,fiGetlost.”
20
AleksanderJełowicki,
16
AGADAOU/390,k.186,J.CzyńskitoA.Ostrowski,16.III.1833;seealso:Adam
Gałkowski,Polskipatriota-obywatelEuropy.RzeczoJanieCzyńskim(1801-1867),Warszawa,
2004,p.207.
17
See,e.g.,DanielBeauvois,Wilno-polskastolicakulturalnazaborurosyjskiego1803-
1832,Wrocław2010,p.274.
18
Marriageregistersareavailableonlyfor1813-1820;pre-marriageexaminationsfor1798:
TsDIAKF1046-1-06;christeningregistersonlyfrom1828:F1046-1-55;thefiStatusanimarum”
orparishcensusforBerdyczówhassurvivedonlyfrom1825onwards:F1046-1-28;F1046-1-32;
F1046-1-34.
19
NA/HO-1/57/1868.
20
JuliuszSłowackiwroteinBeniowski(Lipsk,1841,BookI,stanza11),whenhisherofled
thecountry:fitheninItaliansay,addio!AndinPolish,«WritetomeinBerdyczów!».”WhenOtto
Ślizień(fiZPamiętnika(1821-1824),”[in]ed.HenrykMościcki,Zfilareckiegoświata.Zbiór
wspomnieńzlat1816-1824,Warszawa,1924,p.136),astudentcontemporaryofBeniowski)s,
wasreleasedfromarrestintheDominicanMonasteryinWilnoin1823,hejumpedonasledgeto
departforhislodgings,fiandcalledtotheDominicans,‘WritetomeinBerdyczów!).”
