Changing Surnames

In the past I have written about surnames in Southern Bohemia. What are known as after-the-roof surnames were common in Bohemia particularly from mid-18th century and earlier. In that situation, a person takes on the surname of a prior owner. For example, a man marries and takes over his father-in-law's farm he may no longer be known by his surname, but the name of the father-in-law. Or, even a prior owner of the holding. However, I have a few instances in which the surname alteration makes absolutely no sense, at least with research to date.  This post will explore the surnames used in one line of my ancestors. 

Stieka Farmstead #24
Stabile Cadastre Map, ~1830

Luckily, in my Havel line from about 1648 to present there were no surname changes, but for spelling. I suspect this was because my Havel line farmed the same holding in Ratiborova Lhota from about 1585 to 1796 (when Frantisek moved to Dolni Chrastany) there was no after the roof name. The only change in the Havel surname was likely in the early 17th century when son Havel of Jan Wolff had his first name become the surname of his child Jakub. However, I do have after-the-roof names in other ancestral lines. 

My 5th great grandmother Ludmilla Trobl (who married Mathias Stieka in 1745) had two after the roof names, with each of her male grandparents taking an after-the-roof name. Her paternal grandfather Michael Strangl married Dorothea Trobl, and he took on her family's holding and the Trobl last name, hence Ludmilla's father was known as Veit Trobl not Veit Strangl. It was the same situation with Ludmilla's maternal grandfather. Vaclav Becvar, married Dorothea Kavan, and he too took the after-the-roof name, so that Ludmilla's mother was Sophia Kavan, not Becvar.  The best way to figure out the after-the-roof names is through the land registers which record property transactions. However, in the Stieka line the surname gets even more complicated. 

Ludmilla Trobl Parents and Grandparents

One of my fourth great grandmothers was Maria Anna Stikova (daughter of Ludmilla Trobl and Mathias Stieka), Stikova being the female version of Stika, also spelled Stieka. Let me begin with her great grandfather, Sebastian. Sebastian moved from an unknown location to take over what was the Mikes farm in Hlavatce in 1673. This holding was originally owned by Mathous Mikes, but the farm was burned and abandoned in 1623 during the Thirty Years War. In 1666, 43 years after it was burned during that war, it was purchased by Jan Springa, but he abandoned the holding in or about 1671 or 1672 and the whole farm was purchased by Sebastian Stieka for 120 Schock Grossen. The application of the Mikes surname, as an after-the-roof surname, to Sebastian resulted from a person who last owned the holding in 1623, fifty years before Sebastian even bought the farm. This shows how long surnames were attached to a property, lasting beyond even 43 years of vacancy. 

The fist recorded payment for Sebastian in the land register he is identified as Sebastian Mikes. The record keepers did not lose his Stieka surname in the land records, however. For example in 1699 Sebastian is deceased with the farm transferring to his widow, "Sophia Mikes aka Stieka." The holding is taken over by her second husband when she remarries. In 1724 the stepfather transfers the farm to his stepson identified as Martin Stieka (Mathias' father). From then on the land register uses the surname Stieka. When Martin was born his birth record identified him as Martin Mikes. From here on out things get interesting.

Land Register, 1680 entry showing
Sebastian Mikes (name highlighted)

When Martin marries, he is known as Martin "son of the late Sebastian Schöubaur of Hlavatce". I have no idea how that surname came about. However, it is the only marriage record that fits between the parish, land register and Seigniorial Register records. The surname's used by the Stieka family becomes even more curious. When my fifth great grandfather Mathias (Ludmilla's husband) is born his birth record identifies him as Mathias (although Mathias is added in with a carrot) Sebastian son of Martin Jansa. Like Schöubaur, I have no idea how the surname Jansa came about. How did Martin go from Stieka to Jansa may remain a mystery. Martin married Ludmilla Trobl in 1745, and they had, from my research, ten children over a 21 year span of time from 1746 to 1767. However, the seven children born before my 4th great grandmother Marianna (or Maria Anna) are under the surname Jansa in the parish records. Beginning with Marianna, the last three show their surname as Stieka. How do we know the Jansa's and the Stieka's one in the same? This is where you need the three sources--parish records, Seigniorial records and the land records to work out the puzzle. Two looseleaf inserts in the land records, about certain debts and obligations used the surname Jansa when referring to Mathias Stieka. This provided the extra proof of Jansa being an alias for Stieka. Sometime in the 18th century, it is said, Joseph II proclaimed that one surname had to be chosen and to be used from then on. His rule started in 1765, three years after Marianna was born. However, he shared duties with his mother for a period of time and it is possible that the decree came earlier than his formal ascendancy to the throne. Josef did issue a decree  in 1787 that required Jews to use surnames, which makes me wonder if this is the proclamation referred regarding surname usage. 

Mathias Stieka Birth
Note surname Jansa, highlight at right

This post provides a glimpse into the cultural manifestation of surnames in 17th and 18th century Bohemia. Varied surnames for the same family line make research more challenging. The after-the-roof surnames are understandable. In the Stieka line the Jansa and Schöubaur surnames are, so far, unexplainable; reasons why those were used may be lost to time. The latter may be simply a mistake. It also shows how one has to delve beyond the parish records. My original translator did a good job, but was not able to work with the land record writing, syntax and the varied colloquialisms used in the records. I was fortunate to find Richard D' Amelio to undertake the land register translations that have allowed a deeper dive into my genealogical lines. The land registers, are often repetitive, but at times some interesting information is provided to provide insight into our ancestors and their daily life challenges. Changing surnames in this part of Bohemia shows the difficulty of family history research.