Spelling of Schewinski/Przelenski

[jstarkey]

After tracking down several ancestors, I keep coming across relatives that went by the name of Przelenski. However, on US documents, several said that Schewinski was the polish spelling for Przelenski. The earliest record I can find is 1886 in Wheeling, WV and the 2 brothers went by Sherlinski. By 1898, the spelling in the city register was shown as Pszelenski. Some of my relatives started going by Schewinski and Schewinski-weings, while others stuck with Przelenski. I was wondering if anyone knew if the spellings were in fact the polish spelling, and that is why there are differing variations. Some relatives have said that the "weings" added on was due to polish spelling as well. Any input is appreciated.

[Yaakov7]

The right spelling for Przelenski is PRZELIŃSKI, pronounced as pshe-LINS-ki. There's also another similar Polish surname PRZYŁĘSKI[b/] pronounced as pshe-WENS-ki.

About the surname "Schewinski", it's probably a mispronounciation which occured by the time of their immigration to the United States. SZEWIŃSKI is more likely to be the right surname.

Both surnames Przeliński and Szewiński are uncommon (not popular) in Poland.

You've mentioned that you found the spelling "Pszelenski" in the city register. Have you seen the index or the whole act in the register book? In many acts, we can see that the spelling written by the register's officer differs from the signature of the immigrant.

Do you know from which region your "Pszelenski's" were?

Edek

[jstarkey]

Not sure what region they came from. I know 2 brothers arrived around 1882. John Przelenski married Anna Sonnefeld around 1880 in Poland according to documents. His brother Frank, also arrived with him, or so it seems. They were wealthy for the time, and built schools, churches, etc in the Wheeling, WV area. Frank died in 1904, but John lived until 1935. John had 11 children, and Frank had 7 children. The only other real clue is that John Przelenski was good friends with the priest Ladislaus Miskiewicz, and founded St Ladislaus church in 1903 in Wheeling. Many relatives have told me they immigrated to the U.S. together. I have found several voyages for Father Miskiewicz, but not his original voyage. In the U.S., the 1890 census was destroyed in a fire, so it is very difficult to validate any facts around then. I'm lucky that Wheeling has a city register that goes back to 1882, and has filled in many of the gaps.

Edit:
The only spelling of Pszelenski was in the 1898 Wheeling city register. It was Shenlinski in 1886. Then it appears to be Przelenski or Schewinski in most cases. The spelling variations are very tough to keep track of, and many could not read or write , and were asked to make their "mark" after someone else wrote their name for them. Or they could only read and write in Polish. Here's a copy of the delayed birth certificate where they said Schewinski was the English spelling of Przelenski.
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.as ... Type=Birth

[kasiek]

Some of my relatives started going by Schewinski and Schewinski-weings, while others stuck with Przelenski.

J,
there must be more to this story. Those two names are not interchaangeable; no names are for that matter, and there is no variations.
Well, I take that back, Szewinska would be the variation for Szewinki's wife (or mother).

The proper spelling for Schewinski is Szewinski.
Przelenski, although not very popular, could be spelled correctly.

[jstarkey]

The only other story I've heard where the name variation came from was due to someone having issues with the police. The story goes that John Przelenski ran a bar, and the police kept coming into the bar looking for a "przelenski". Eventually he tired of the hassle, so the name Schewinski was supposedly invented. However, I don't believe that any longer, since in 1886 they went by Sherlinski. A few in the family actually go by Przelenski-Weings, and one relative says that Weings had a polish meaning and was added on purpose? John Przelenski's grandson said that the spellings were the polish spelling, but I'm not sure. Not sure if you can see my link in the last post.

[kasiek]

Interesting
He's using alias, so who knows, maybe he was running from police?
But why would he name his son Schewinski if he , himself was already using the name Przelenski?
Were you able to find the original baptism cert?
Were you able to find the state's file with the "supporting evidence", especially Frank' affidavit? I am pretty sure you will find answers to some of your questions there.
Weings is not a polish word.

Frank was born, according to the cert, in WV...
Maybe you should try to find his marriage cert.

[jstarkey]

Not sure why he named his son differently. Another twist might be that Frank went to prison around 1920. He's on the census from 1920 twice, once with his wife, and once in the WV penitentiary. His wife said she was widowed from that point on, up until 1934, and then I have no record of her. Frank was locked up until at least 1930, and was again on the census for the WV penitentiary. He went by Schwenski, and other variations, before he got locked up. Then he went by Przelenski afterwards, until he died in 1946. I haven't found the original baptism record, but there might not be one. I've never found the original birth either. The delayed certificates were never posted until recently. None in my family ever knew Frank had 5 kids or remarried in 1905, because he went by Schewinski. Only a few went by Przelenski-Weings, and I'm not sure why.

Edit:
To kasiek,
I found both marriage certificates for Frank.
His first was in 1903:
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.as ... e=Marriage
His 2nd was in 1905:
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.as ... e=Marriage
Here's his death:
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.as ... Type=Death
I know he was born in Wheeling, but the birth records didn't get their own form until around 1900. Only single line entries in ledgers before that. Also, many families didn't report births at that time. Even my grandmother, born in 1919, doesn't have one, or her mother born in 1900. Makes it very difficult to find answers. According to all 3 documents he was born in Wheeling, and in 1882.

[Yaakov7]

I agree with Kasiek!

You should try locating Stanley's baptism certificate in St. Ladislaw's church. It was a Polish church, whose fathers were probably Poles, such as Ladislaw Miskiewicz. So, it means they would write Polish surnames correctly in each act of baptism. And, still according to the document you attached, there's written that a baptism certificate from St. Ladislaw's church (issued in May 14th 1906) was used as an evidence. It also mentions that Frank was born in West Virginia, so you could look for his baptism certificate or for his marriage certificate in St. Ladislaw's church or in another church attended by Poles at that time in Wheeling, such as St. Alphonsus Church or Immaculate Conception Church.

[jstarkey]

To Yaakov:
St Ladislaus was closed several years back, and all records are now in "archives" in St Alphonsus church. I already talked to someone there and they said that they have a picture of the founders of St Ladislaus in 1903 and their names, the way they spelled it. Not sure they kept the baptismal records from back then. I already checked every birth from 1881-1883, and no Frank is listed. Probably go check out St Alphonsus tomorrow for more details and check out the archive room. My aunt said they have a grotto outside the church that people would put their name onto. Definitely worth checking out.
Thanks

[Yaakov7]

It's interesting that Lucia appears as Luchefski and not as Wilczewska in the marriage license.

By the time of his second marriage, in case he was not widower or divorced, I suspect that Frank changed his surname to Swenski, Schewinski in order to get married with Lucia, . Otherwise, he would commit the crime of bigamy.

Just as a suggestion, it also worth looking for his parent's death certificate. Some churches keep the obituary of their parishioners.

[jstarkey]

His 1st wife Minnie Henry died of heart failure in 1904, and he had no kids with her. If you look at the 2nd marriage certificate, beside his name it says (widower). Because of his going to jail, everyone assumed he had no kids and died in 1946. I think the Luchefski spelling is just a butchering by whoever wrote it down. Both sons died in Wheeling and listed their mother's name as Wilczewska. I haven't been able to track her or the family after 1934. Only the kids deaths in the 1970's. My guess is Frank got out of jail around then, and she wanted to disappear. I'm going to contact the WV department of corrections and try to find out what he did. I know he was living with his mother on the 1940 census. I have Frank's death certificate, it's linked above, but I can't find Lucy's. Here's John Przelenski and Anna Sonnefeld's death certificate, Frank's parents.
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.as ... Type=Death
http://www.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.as ... Type=Death
Sometimes they put Poland, sometimes Germany as place of birth. But to my understanding, that may have been to geographical changes to countries in Europe.

Edit: Just found the 1940 census for Lucy, and her 3 sons. The spelling was Schervinski. I've never seen that spelling. The 1950 census isn't available to the public yet.

[kasiek]

Are you aware of the family tree created by Erinn F. on myheritage.com? There is also some info on ancestry from Ron O.
It looks like Frank had a brother, John Andrew, born in 1885. He was using the name Scherwinski. That's the name on his ss card.
All the other siblings, much younger then both brothers, were using the name Przelenski, after their father, John.
Maybe, and just maybe, John Przelenski was not their biological father?
Maybe all the other kids are from Anna's second marriage and the two boys were "adopted" by John P.?
John Andrew kept his father's name and Frank was using both names?
It is an interesting story. I'm curious what you will find at the dept of corrections.
Let us know

[jstarkey]

There were 2 Przelenski's. In 1886, they lived together, with Henrietta and Michael Sonnefeld(Anna's mother and brother) at 3527 Chapline St in Wheeling WV. In 1887, Frank John Przelenski married Anna Jeneskee and had 6 children before he died in 1904. His brother, John E Przelenski(1856-1935) married Anna Sonnefeld in 1880 and had 11 children by my count. With both marrying women named Anna, it made it VERY difficult. With Frank using his middle name John on occasion, it made it a nightmare. I've seen Ron O's tree and talked to him today. It got very confusing and took a lot of time looking at birth, death, and marriage certificates to confirm who the parents of each kid was. On top of that, most lived about 2 blocks from the county line of Ohio and Marshall county. Most list their address as Wheeling WV(Ohio county), but some moved to Benwood, WV(Marshall county), only a few blocks away. But there were 17 Przelenski born between the 2 brothers, born between 1880-1903. I figured with that many children, that somewhere, records would confirm where John and Frank came from. I'm pretty sure John had 1 child(Mary) with Anna before he immigrated. They also had his mother-in-law Henrietta with them. I thought it would be easier to find their voyage with that info, but so far, no luck. I was convinced that John Przelenski didn't arrive in Wheeling until 1898, but finding the 1886 Scherlinsky record and various birth records confirm he did arrive with his brother around the same time. I found most of the name differences by searching by just specific addresses on Ancestry.com. Seems 4500 Jacob St was the key. Listed as Schwenski Hall in the 1920's, and also the Polish National Alliance in the early 1920's. I'll see if I can find the Erin F tree on myheritage.com.
Thanks
John

[kasiek]

http://www.myheritage.com/research/coll ... showRecord

[jstarkey]

Thanks, but I think you have to be a member to view it.