Does Mathias Matter?

For a period of four weeks this spring, from April 28 to May 19, I published four blog posts regarding obligations of my fourth great grandfather, Mathias Havel, to the domain, state and church, including his free service to the domain called robot or robota, from which is derived our present day word robot. I suspect that perhaps the one or two others who may have read these posts wonder if Mathias matters?  Each person can have a different take on this question, but let me lay out a few reasons why Mathias matters.

Rudy Hovel with Great Granddaughter Mary Jo
Source: Hovel Family Archives

The issue of familial relationships came to mind a couple weeks ago when I was thinking about Grandpa Rudy Hovel as he will have been born 135 years ago (b. 1887) on 21 July.  Rudy never knew his grandfather as Josef Havel died in 1882 at 74-1/2 years old, five years before Rudy was born. Rudy was the youngest child of Martin (born 1850) and Amelia. Martin's grandfather Josef Havel was almost forty years of age when his first child, Johann, was born in 1847. Mathias Havel, born in 1740, was Rudy's second great grandfather. When I think of it like that, relationships do not seem so distant. After all, Grandpa Rudy and I shared this earth together for over 20 years. 

Mathias Havel House in Ratiborova Lhota
Indication Sketch ~1826 Property at date of this 
survey was owned by Mathias' grandson Johann Mika
Mathias died in 1802
Source: https://ags.cuzk.cz/archiv/

Mathias Havel is Rudy's second great grandfather which, interestingly, is the same relationship, for example, of Elizabeth, Michael (Hedenberg) and Keagan (Krueger) to Rudy. I like to think that Rudy matters to his second great grandchildren, and thus, if Rudy matters to them, by the transitive property Mathias matters to Rudy. I also think that Mathias matters to me, in his line of descendants, even though he is my fourth great grandfather. Mathias is one of 32 4th great grandparents, or the number of teams in the NFL. 

Mathias matters because he is an ancestor. But, to me, he also matters because his life was filled with trials and servitude, much of which we today would not understand. We have lived in a time and country where we are fortunate to have certain rights and freedoms that Mathias did not have. Unless we volunteer, we are to be renumerated when we provide labor. We would not understand what it would have been like to, as one example, haul fish to Cesky Krumlov at no cost to the domain, at the same time you miss your planting or harvesting window due to developing inclement weather conditions. Or, in the spring searching for morel mushrooms to provide to the domain, again at no charge, and then getting home to have to restock your supply of firewood. Labor to the domain came first, the ability to tend your own farm was secondary. As if farming in the poor soils of southern Bohemia was not bad enough. Mathias, and other ancestors had to provide this servitude. 

Part of 1773 Urbarium Record
Source:  Trebon Archives

Mathias matters because, in a sense, the difference in our lifestyles show how much things have changed, not only with technology, but with rights and opportunities. Mathias had little opportunity, born into serfdom, he was relegated, at the time, to remain a serf. Little ability existed to move beyond that socio-economic stratum. Understanding the history of our ancestors makes us better appreciate not only the life they led, but the life we have today. Mathias' grandson Josef, at the age of 60, and his wife Anna and eight surviving children made a decision to uproot themselves from southern Bohemia and emigrate to the United States. Back in the old country the family farmed, and that is how the family began in the United States, but as the economy progressed the Hovel family followed such that Josef and Anna's descendants are laborers, teachers, professionals, in the whole host of occupations provided in a diversified economy. Mathias controlled about 34 acres, about 20 of arable land, about 8.5 in meadow and about 5.5 in woods.  Rudy would first farm 80 acres in Manly, IA and then near 160 in Sun Prairie, WI. The deep prairie soils in Wisconsin and Iowa would be a significant contrast to the poorer quality soils in the hill and valley region of southern Bohemia. 

Martin Hovel family, ~1897
Rudy is to the left
Source: Hovel Family archives, via David Dixon

I doubt Mathias Havel would much recognize the world in which we live today. Rudy, his second great grandson lived through the industrial revolution, saw two world wars, the space age, and the beginning of the information/computer age. The era in which Rudy lived saw the transformation of our economy, such that when Rudy was born life and daily chores were closer to those of Mathias' time and his death closer to our lifestyles and daily chores. The question arises as to how much change will occur between my Grandpa Rudy's life and that of his second great grandchildren? Mathias matters as he is our connection to the past. Those four posts this past spring provide an insight into Mathias' daily life, and in so doing perhaps allows us to contrast his socio-economic status, lifestyle and daily chores, with our own.