Z Dobrzynia na Żmudź Rodzina Maliszewskich od końca XVI do połowy XVIII wieku (mobilność społeczna, małżeństwa, majątek)
From Dobrzyń to Samogitia: The Maliszewski Family from the Late 16th to the Mid-18th Century (Social Mobility, Marriages, Estates)

Summary/Abstract: The Maliszewski family, bearing the Godziemba coat of arms, originally hailing from Dobrzyń land, made their way to Samogitia by the end of the 16th century. Their migration serves as an illustrative example of social mobility, showcasing how a family seamlessly integrates into a new living environment – an aspect that has been largely overlooked by researchers until now. The research employed the genealogical method, delving into the careers of family members, scrutinising concluded marriages, and examining the estates held by the Maliszewski family from the late 16th to the mid-18th centuries. The analysis revealed distinct stages in the family’s marriage policy during this period. The Maliszewski family strategically intermarried with: a) families of Polish origin previously established in the region, b) the local middle nobility, c) families that held significant offices locally and in other regions. This approach strengthened kinship through reciprocal marital ‘exchanges’ among relatives, such as the case of the Songajło family, and recurrent second- and fourth- generation marriages with the influential Billewicz family, one of the prominent houses in Samogitia. However, the changing patrons (from Jan Karol Chodkiewicz to the Sapiehas and then Benedict Ważyński), limited wealth (absence of private estates until the second half of the 17th century), and subsequently the phenomenon of an indivisible manor house in Judejki, together with ‘titular’ offices in Dobrzyń and the eastern regions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (acquired from the second half of the 17th century) were the factors that signalled a boundary of the family’s social mobility in Samogitia, which ultimately came to a conclusion in the mid-18th century with the death of its last representative.

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