In the small southern Bohemian community of Ratiborova Lhota the Havel's had a farm that was in the family for over 200 years. Passed from generation to generation, most of the 200 hundred years was in the hands of an ancestor from whom I am descended. This knowledge has been possible by tracing back land register records. I can go back to my tenth great grandfather Wolff (also known as Jan Wolffa or Jan Bolffa). Join me as I tell the story of the Havel family bicentennial farm through several generations.
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| Page of 1603 Land Register for Folio 9, Havel Farm |
In early August, Richard D' Amelio, of Boheimb Research, completed transcriptions and translations of land register records for the Havel farm in Ratiborova Lhota dating as far back as 1603. These records were in Czech and German. Some Urbaria records are older, but are rather vague, and they lack the detail of the land registers. How far back is the year 1603? It is 419 years ago? 1603 is also fifteen years before the Thirty Years War which affected Bohemia and, as will be seen, perhaps even the Havel family; in 1603 Galileo was looking at the heaven's; and the Mayflower was still seventeen years away from completing its journey from England to the shores of America. Meanwhile, in that year of 1603 in southern Bohemia, a man named Wolff (also known as Jan Wolff) my tenth great grandfather had died (probably around 1600), and his son Bartos is making annual payments to other relations for their share of the family farm which he now manages. This farm, in later years, would become known as 15 Ratiborova Lhota. Bartos likely started making payments between 1601 and 1603 on the property, but it could have been earlier. At the same time, likely in 1601, Bartos' brother Havel is making payments relative to his acquisition of "Vit's smallholding" at what would become known as house #2 of the same rural village. Havel would be my 9th great grandfather. We get to Havel via his son Jakub, and know Wolff as his father from as the records have him as a brother of Bartos, and they also have Wolff as Bartos' father.
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| Melhutka, aka Ratiborova Lhota, ~1826 Cadastre |
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| Melhutka ~1826 Cadastre 1826 is closer in years to present day than it is to 1603 In 1826 Havel farm owned by Maria (Havel) Mika's son Johann Mika |
Land management was key to being able to help put food on the table, but even then, the peasant farmers were subjected to varied rules and regulations, free compulsory labor known as robot service, the provision of free goods to the manor, and the unpredictability of weather could easily affect planting and harvest. Weather particularly impacted peasant farmers as the robot labor was required first. It was not easy being a peasant farmer, but the Havel family stuck with it on the same farm for over 200 hundred years. The task of being a peasant farmer became increasingly difficult as domains exercised more and more control during the second serfdom (about 1500 to 1740). Given the Urbaria record of 1550, and the noted payments, it is possible that what would be the Havel farm (#15) was not in existence at that time. If this is the case, the farm was created sometime between 1550 and 1585, as the 1585 Urbaria record shows the farm owned by Jan Wolff, who is most likely the same Jan Wolff (my tenth great grandfather) mentioned in the 1600 Urbaria and mentioned in the 1603 land register. The farm was perhaps apportioned out of existing manorial land in order to provide more space for growing crops to feed the population. This also means that of the already poor soils in southern Bohemia, this farm could easily have been on the poor soils of the poor soils, as I suspect the better crop land would have already been placed in production. it is doubtful the manor would give up prime or good farmland. This increase in the desire for agriculture by the manor, or domain, was the reason for the start of the second serfdom. It is in this situation that we find the Havel family.
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| Jan Wolff in 1585 Urbarium Record Trebon Archives, Ord 16, Img 317 Oldest known Record of Havel family |
Havel was able to purchase the rights to Vit's smallholding in 1601, because in that year Vit was buying a farm in Vadkov. The 1603 record notes that Bartos paid 3 Meissen to his brother Havel for a dowry, along with one Meissen to Wolff's widow, Appolonia (Havel's mother or step-mother). These payments came out of their share of Wolff's estate. Perhaps Havel, getting payment for a dowry, married in 1603. The land registers make it pretty clear, that contrary to popular belief when a child acquired a farm, the new farm operator made payments to their other siblings, and the widow (if one) for their share of the estate. The farm property, house, and personal property were valued by the Village headman and the payments were made over time. If the male head retired, the payments were made to that person.
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| Beginning of top line reads: "Jakub on Havel's farm" 1623 entry |
With their father dead single children are considered orphans, even if at the age of maturity. For young children the payment is made to the Waisenamt (orphans office), where the funds are essentially held in trust for the child until they reach maturity and marry. In the Krumlov domain one was considered an orphan upon the death of their father and remained that way until marriage. Some funds could be used for purposes such as, but not limited to, medical expenses, or to learn a trade or craft. Each heir received their fair share. If a widow, subject to the Krumlov domain, died before her payout was fully made, the remainder did not go to her children (as noted earlier), but to the owner of the domain--to the Imperial Grace (Emperor) or the princely grace (Eggenberg's and successors). We find those occurrences with the Havel family.
In 1607 things get interesting for the Havel family, with what the transcriber/translator Richard D'Amelio refers to as musical farms. Havel "has taken on his brother's farm, and therefore ceded and at the same time sold this smallholding to his brother Bartos Wolff for the sum of 117 Meissen." Here we can see that Havel is purchasing, from his brother, his father's former farm, meaning a small gap of perhaps six or seven years of my direct ancestor ownership, but nonetheless still in the Havel family. Havel can afford the family farm as Bartos provides him a 100 Meissen earnest payment against the purchase price leaving the 17 "owned on the previous holding to be settled to the previous orphans recorded above." That would be the other heir, a sister Anna. Bartos sells the Vit smallholding, he obtained from his brother Havel, to Martin Brazda of Micovice and purchases Brazda's farm in Micovice. I wonder if Bartos married Martin Brazda's daughter since farms generally stayed in the family at this time. The domain could bounce a farmer off the property if they thought they farmer was a bad operator, or even a person of low morals. By 1610, Bartos is already trading farms with another farmer in Micovice. He must have been restless, or always looking for a better and bigger deal. Bartos could not have been a middle child since no middle child would be so brazen to undertake such a risk.
What we have is Havel buying a small farm from Vit, and within about seven years is selling it to his brother and buying the family farm. At the same time as Havel buys Vit's farm, Bartos is buying the family farm. Bartos uses the small farm of Vit's that he bought from his brother as leverage to purchase a farm in the nearby village of Micovice. Havel acquired the family farm for 175+ Schock Meissen, plus other considerations. These other considerations required Havel to pay the debt (share of the estate) owed to his sister Anna and Appolonie. This entry is dated "St Dorota's feast day of the year 1607, so likely 6 February 1607.
I know what you are thinking, how did the surname become Havel and not Wolff? Surnames were not widely used in the Land Register records of this era, and perhaps may not have been in use much in this small village. According to a Czech Blog post by professional genealogist Blanca Lednicka, surnames were in constant flux in this early era and were in fact more to recognize what the person did, how they looked, where they were from, or from the first name of the father. Wolff was also referred to as Jan Wolff. In this case Wolff may have been his (Jan's) father's name and his first name was Jan. My theory is that since Bartos was referred to at times as Bartos Wolff, such as Bartos son of Wolff (Bolffa in Czech), the name relates to the latter instance pointed out by Blanca. His brother Havel may not have required a qualifier. Havel is often referred to as brother of Bartos in the early land register record. We don't know when Havel married, but he received that dowry in 1603. His sister, Anna, was likely married before 1605 since in that year Bartos was making a payment to "Anna the wedded orphan." My theory is that Havel, brother of Bartos and son of Wolff, would have his first name become the surname by his son, my eighth great grandfather Jakub. Jakub was often referred to as son of Havel. Yet, by 1640 his first name appears with its surname, written as: Jakub Havel. From that point on the Havel surname has become fixed. My family's surname has thus been around for over 382 years.
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| Havel purchasing Vit's smallholding, 1603 in 1607 Havel would buy the Havel farm from his brother Bartos. |
Havel, having acquired the family farm in 1607 also took on the obligations of payments to Apollonie, the widow of Wolff, and his wedded orphan sister Anna. In 1614, he makes payment for Apollonie's funeral expenses and now owes her share of payment "to his Imperial Grace on account of reversionary rights on the portion of the late widow Apollonie." Even when the Eggenberg's take over the domain, the Imperial Grace continues to receive the remaining payments, since Apollonie died during the Emperor's ownership of the domain.
Havel himself died between 1618 and 1623. The following (a transcription/translation) is recorded in the Land Register, enacted in Krumlov on the Friday following the feast day of St George 1623 (meaning April 28):
The aforementioned farm owner Havel, with a remaining balance of 27ſß 21g 2₰ ½h Meissen to be settled on his farm, had sickness visited upon him by the Lord God and died. Consequently, at the bequest of the governor of the dominion, the headman and his jurors have duly valued said farm which has stood vacant for some years, with arable fields, meadowland, and remaining belongings and furnishings left by the soldiers in the sum of 110ſß Meissen, and which is released in the same purchase price to Jakub, orphan of the late Havel, who is obligated to settle the noted debts and inheritance portions commencing Georgi 1624 with annual installments of 4ſß until the purchase price has been settled in full
From the above quote, we can see that Havel's son Jakub is taking over the farm, probably in 1622 or 1623. Jakub is first named as "Jakub, orphan of the late Havel"; slightly later as "Jakub, farm owner and orphan from the estate of his late father Havel," and later he is identified as "Jakub on Havel's farm." Beyond this, the above quote is interesting. First, we have no idea how old Jakub is, but at the same time Havel's spouse Anezka (Jakub's mother or stepmother) is alive. Slightly later in the document three other children are identified by age--Eva, 7; Dorota, 5; Tomas, 2 (either his siblings or step siblings). I am thinking that Jakub was likely at least about age 18, if not older to operate the farm, and hence, given age gap, Anezeka may be his stepmother, or perhaps some children between him and the young Eva died. Second, Jakub was required to settle debts and provide payment to Anezeka, and provide the inheritance portions to his siblings with payment commencing on St George's Day (April 23) of the following year, that is 1624. Besides the three other heirs. Jakub had payments for debts incurred by his father to three other persons. His portion of the inheritance would be written off with his taking over the farm. In other words, it offset the purchase price.
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| Land Register with Jakub and use of surname Havel "Jakub Havel" is highlighted, 1640 entry |
After the family relationships, the above quoted land register paragraph provides additional interesting information. First we know that, at the time of death, Jakub still had debt of over 27 Schock Meissen to be settled on his farm. Second, that the farm stood vacant for some years, perhaps since 1618. There is a payment gap in the record between the entry of 1618 and the one noting Jakub's taking over the farm in 1623. However, this may not have been unique to the Havel family as, per Richard D' Amelio it appears no payments were made by other farmers in the village for the time period between 1618 and 1623. Third, soldiers occupied the house for a period of time--what soldiers and what side we do not know, but they left behind sufficient material goods to be noted in the settlement documents as part of the Havel personal property. It is possible points two and three are related. The Thirty Years War started in 1618, and the soldiers were probably passing to and from battles, and the farmers may have had an obligation to house them. In this manner, think of the United States Constitution and its Bill of Rights, the third amendment, where the government could not compel quartering of soldiers. Or, the farm could have been occupied by soldiers on the opposite side who simply commandeered the use of the house and/or outbuildings. Whatever the situation they left sufficient goods of value behind to count to the household value. A small farmer was lucky to grow sufficient food for his family, and soldiers may have well competed for the scarce food resources.
If we assume Jakub acquired the farm in 1623, it appears he too, like Havel (his father) passed away early, perhaps 1639 or 1640. We do know that Jakub made a payment on 7 Dec 1638, and Catherina, his wife has remarried by 12 Nov. 1640. Within that two year window Jakub died. I have touched in previous posts, how a husband and wife needed to be on the farm as a joint effort. This caused the surviving spouse to remarry, usually within a several months of the death of their spouse. That is how it came to be that by Nov. 1640 Jakub's widow, Catherina, has remarried Hans from Klenovice. The Soupis (a census conducted after the 30 Years War) of the early 1650's identified Hans as a Havel, it may have been his last name, but he may have taken a roof name, that being the name attached to the house--it was the Havel farm after all. After the roof names were not uncommon in Bohemia. In the Soupis, Hans is 30 years of age and Catharina 34. Catherina remarried in order to maintain the rights of management and operation of the farm to pass down to a child. The child who would receive the farm would be my seventh great grandfather, Georg. While there was this interregnum of 28 years from 1640 to 1668 where Hans controlled the farm, part of the control rested with his wife, Catherina, Jakub's widow, and perhaps Georg's mother, and if not his mother, his stepmother.
Georg acquired the farm on 20 July 1668 by a contract entered in at Krumlov Castle. The property and assets owed were the same sum paid by Hans 28 years earlier, 202 Meissen. There are two interesting points to be made here. First, Bartos sold this farm to his brother Havel for the sum of 175ſß 21g 2₰ ½h all Meissen in 1607 and in 1668 as it is passed to Havel's grandson Georg, the farm and relevant personal property is valued at 202 Meissen. Second, from 1607 to about 1640 when Hans took over the farm with Jakub Havel's widow Catherina, both owners in that time frame died while still operating the farm. Neither had retired. At retirement the farm would have been passed to a child, and payments made to the father. What is interesting is that the Seigniorial Registers indicates that Georg's brother Andre was to take over the farm, as a note for his 1666 marriage indicates after he married "Madalena, daughter of Jakob Kofenda in the village of Klenovice, and will take on his father's farm." 31st December 1665, although this could be an error on the part of the entry as perhaps he meant to write “Schwiegervater (father-in-law)” rather than “Stiefvater” (stepfather)." If taking over his father's farm it then makes sense that in 1668 the farm fell to Georg. Andre may well have judged the Klenovice farm as the better option.
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| Below Jakub Havel (highlighted) are his heirs: Catherina, his widow; Dorothea 9; Gregor 7; Georg 5; Mathes 4; Andre 2 Plus signs to left of name indicate that they died at some point during the term of payment |
This post has covered the Havel farm in Ratiborova Lhota from about 1600 to 1668, going from Wolff, to his son Bartos, who sold it to his brother Havel when upon his death the farm passed to his son Jakub. Jakub died and the farm passed to his widow and her new husband, Hans. When Hans retired in 1668 it passed to Jakub's son Georg, who was listed as age five in the 1640 agreement when Hans took over the farm. Hence we can place a birthdate for Georg in or about 1635. Georg married, with consent of the domain as required by custom and law, in 1660 then took over the farm in 1668 when he was about 33 years of age.
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| Present day House #15, Ratiborva Lhota |
An additional post or two will delve into Havel ownership of the farm in Ratiborva Lhota from 1668 to the early 1800's, by covering the span of ownership from Georg to Matheus "the younger" and the sale from Matheus "the younger" (my fourth great grandfather) to his son Johann. Johann was a younger brother to my third great grandfather, Frantisek. Frantisek had moved on to a farm in Dolni Chrastany while his father still farmed the Havel farm in Ratiborova Lhota. Thus, from Georg's acquisition in 1668 to 1802 when Mathias passes the farm to his son Johann, there is an uninterrupted ownership by persons in my direct lineage--Georg, to Simon, to Mathias (Sr), to Mathias (Jr). Mathis (Jr) passed it to his youngest son Johann. Even then, Johann passed the farm to Johann Mika a nephew, the son of his sister, Maria. Mika would sell the farm to his cousin, Johann Havel's daughter Katherina n 1842, who then promptly sold the farm to Johann and Anna Kozak.
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