Finding a village and its records

DanRaessler

Any suggestions on where I may find an online early 19th-centurty map that is likely to include tiny villages and, if I can find the village, how I can find out where its civil records may be found, assuming that they exist?

An ancestor emigrated from Prussian Silesia (with a Galician passport) to the Black Sea area in 1808. Several of his children presumably were born in Kalisz c1800-1808. According to what I see in Ancestry (library edition), that is Kalisz, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Poland (although I found no documentation verifying that). The village, which according to a map I found on Mapcarta several years ago, was near the southern tip of a pair of “finger lakes” (one has the name Jezioro Modzerowskie) near present-day Bródw. It appears that that is an area where administrative districts(?) have been fluid. The family was Lutheran in the Black Sea area after they emigrated, but I have no idea what their religious affiliation may have been in Poland.

I have written to libraries and a monastery in that area regarding Kalisz, Kujawsko-Pomorskie and its records, but have had no response.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my questions.

Dan Raessler (who hopes that he can find his way back here once he leaves this page!)

hehesani63

@DanRaessler

Hi,

This is the best I could find. I'm afraid that might not be detailed enough for finding the village you are looking for:

It is the map "Plock 51, uit: Special-Karte von Mittel-Europa / nach amtlichen Quellen bearbeitet von W. Liebenow" overlayed on a modern map on the webpage oldmapsonline. org

Have you had a look in the protestant church books of Babiak for your ancestors? https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/64177?availability=Family%20History%20Library

Kind regards

DanRaessler

Thank you for taking the time to put that together. I was unaware of both of the resources that you mentioned and now plan to look at them. The only document that I have seen linking an ancestor to Kalisz is in the death entry (Bessarabia,1884) indicating that he was born in "Kalisz, Polen." I have no idea how the person on Ancestry decided on Kalisz, Kujawsko-Pomorskie. I am assuming that that could be wrong.

Again, thank you.