Junosza - My Genealogical Search

In order to help my father trace his family I began a search for relatives in Poland. What I found amazes me and leaves many questions...

First, my Great-Grandfather and his 10 yr old son (my Grandfather) came to the US in 1922 after leaving Poland. Both died in 1955 so I lost my direct connection to Poland. My Grandmother is Polish but born in the US. She didn't speak much about Poland except that my paternal side was sczlachta and that they lost everything and came to the US.

Searching geneteka web site I discovered that my family name was settled in a location in 1722. I traced my positive genetic line back to 5x Great-Grandfather. At another website I found a book excerpt that states my 4x Great-Grandfather was given his nobility card and a coat of arms in 1846 by the Kingdom of Poland. Also, that he was heir to an estate (1722 location) and that he was previously married to an heiress of another estate and she died at 32 years old. They had one child that died at 1 yr old. 4x remarried that year to another wife and had more children.

Geneteka tells me that 2 more generations (3x and 2x Great-Grandfathers) were born and lived on the estate. More internet searching I find in 1856 2x was convicted of 'Returned to party' for a possible role in The January Uprising. That same year x4 dies. I find very little about 3x anywhere.

I lose track until I find x2 in another town up the road in 1870 where he is married. Did the Russians send him to prison for 14 years? What happened to the family estate? Did the Russians steal it? Why has everyone left the estate and living in another town?

I didn't really understand my Grandmother when she said that they lost everything until I learned about my paternal side (got to love the internet). The question is how did they lose it. I do understand that the 1921 Constitution abolished nobility. Did this also remove land ownership? I wonder if that had any affect on Great-Grandfather arriving in the US in 1922.

Now, I only have bragging rights to my lineage to nobility and the Junosza coat of arms. When they came to the US they were poor... and stayed poor.

More internet searching I find that there is a 16th century village that was owned by a nobleman in the area of my forefathers. I found a recent video of a destroyed village in that vicinity. I wonder if that was 4x estate and the land that 2x and 3x were born and raised.

... I wish I had a time machine to go back and see what happened.

It certainly didn't abolish land ownership however the r*ssia-Poland war immediately preceded it and r*ssian troops caused a lot of damage to farms and larger houses east of Warsaw.