Lisa Alzo's blogging prompt for March 9 asked about a family document. As is often the case, closer scrutiny of a document leads to more questions, and tardy posting of this story.
I had had my grandfather's 1910 passenger manifest for the Kroonland of the Red Star Line in my files for years before I looked to the next line. Peter Szymanowicz was recorded as "Franz," although his surname is spelled correctly.The date and ship matches the information that he gave on his Declaration of Intention to become a citizen. I knew my grandmother, Walerya, stayed behind in Russian Poland until he got settled, so I wasn't looking for a travelling companion. When I did, it became obvious that he came to this country with his sister-in-law, Jadwiga Zawacka. Her name is spelled phonetically on line 22 below as "Zawadzka."
The manifest says that Jadwiga was 19 and that the closest relative left behind was her father,Wincenty. Peter lists his wife, Walerya, as his closest relative in the "country from whence alien came." They both gave their last place of residence as Siedlec, a city about 20 miles southwest of their village of Drohiczyn. Jadwiga and Walerya's brothers were already living here. It is hard to make out the script on the second page of the manifest, but they were coming to Easthampton, MA to join their oldest brother and brother-in-law Witold.
That's when I took another look yet again this week. The names of to whom they are travelling do not look identical. The 1910 City Directory for Easthampton lists Witold Zawacki at 2 Harrison Avenue. It appears that the address is indeed given as "Haryson Ave" on the manifest, but Jadwiga's entry looks like #16, and although the surnames are spelled the same, it is not the same first name. Their brother Karol came later than 1910. I am going to have to investigate who lived at 16 Harrison Avenue further.
Jadwiga was married within a year to John Szysko in Easthampton. They had two sons, Adam and Henry,
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