Person:Peter Sawatzki (1)

He is likely to be either the grandson or great-grandson of Hans Sawatzki, who was a Polish convert to the Mennonite faith and believed to be the ancestor of all Mennonite Sawatzky's originating in Prussia in the 1700's. The approximately 80-year gap between his birth year and that of Hans makes it possible for him to be either.

According to an e-mail received from Mennonite researcher Tim Janzen in 2006, two different translations of the same information about his son Thomas (in an 1850 list of people moving to Friedrichsthal) call him "Peter Thomas Sawatzky" and "Peter Peter Sawatzky" - implying that his father was either Thomas or Peter Sawatzky. In the 1776 census, there were both a Thomas Sawatzki living in Walldorf with 2 sons^[2] and a Peter Seiwatzki living at Klein Mausdorf with 2 sons^[2]. Depending on which translation is correct, either could be Peter's father. Peter himself lived in Blumenort before moving to Zeyersvorderkampen and then Russia. Blumenort is within about 5 km. of both Walldorf and Klein Mausdorf, which are within about 5 km. of each other.

Henry Schapansky believes that it is likely that both Thomas and Peter in the 1776 census were sons of Hans Sawatzki, although he admits to the possibility that one or both were grandsons^[1]. In particular, the father of Peter (b, 1760) could be the son of Johann Sawatzki (who married in 1733 and whose known children were born in 1739 and 1742), making Peter (b. 1760) a great-grandson of Hans.

Based on the information in B. H. Unruh and the death date of son Johann, it would appear that the Peter Sawatzki family, with farmhand Martin Jost, emigrated secretly from Prussia in Oct 1793^[1], and arrived in Chortitza colony in 1794^[3], after the death of their son Johann in Jan 1794. The family was still "not settled" in 1795^[3].

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Schapansky, Henry. The Bergthaler Sawatskys. Preservings. (Hanover Steinbach Historical Society, Dec 1996)
   page 14.
2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Penner, Glenn H. (compiler). The Complete 1776 Census of Mennonites in West Prussia.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6} summaries, 1793 immigrants #5 and #7, in Unruh, Benjamin Heinrich. Die niederländisch-niederdeutschen Hintergründe der mennonitischen Ostwanderungen: im 16., 18. und 19 Jahrhundert. (Karlsruhe-Rüppurr: B. H. Unruh, 1955)
   page 300.

   'Jost, Martin, Zeyersvorderkampen, nach ..., Chortitza, 1. 10 1793 heimlich ausgewandert [St. A. Kbsbg. 97/6].'
   'Sawatzki, Peter, 1. Blumenort, 2. Zeyersvorderkampen, geb. 4. 7. 1760, nach Chortitz, gest. 19. 5. 1843 Bergtal, verh. Penner, Helene, geb. 4. 2. 1764, nach Chortitz, gest. 16. 4. 1801 Chortitz, Ki Peter geb. 29. 5. 1785, Johann geb. 29. 6. 1788, Helene geb. 1. 4. 1790. Kein Besitz, heimlich ausgewandert [St. A. Kbsbg. 97/6].'
   
   Translation:
   Jost, Martin, Zeyersvorderkampen, to ..., Chortitza, 1. 10 1793 emigrated secretly [St. A. Kbsbg. 97/6].
   Sawatzki, Peter, 1. Blumenort, 2. Zeyersvorderkampen, born 4. 7. 1760, to Chortitz, died 19. 5. 1843 Bergtal, married Penner, Helene, born 4. 2. 1764, to Chortitz, died 16. 4. 1801 Chortitz, children Peter born 29. 5. 1785, Johann born 29. 6. 1788, Helene born 1. 4. 1790. No possessions, emigrated secretly [St. A. Kbsbg. 97/6].

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 Hanover Steinbach Historical Society (Manitoba), and John Dyck. Bergthal Gemeinde Buch: consisting of Bergthal Gemeinde Buch, 1843-1876 ... : Chortitzer Gemeinde Buch indexes for volumes started in 1878, 1887 and 1907 : passenger lists, 1874-1880 of Mennonite immigrants to Manitoba ... : the 1881 federal census data on residents in Manitoba Mennonite communities. (Steinbach, Manitoba: Hanover Steinbach Historical Society, c1993)
   page A1.

   Peter Sawtzki, born 4 Jul 1760, died 19 May 1843
   married 4 May 1801
   Magaretha Rempel, born 1780, died 28 Mar 1853 (25 Mar 1853)
   Children of this marriage:
   Johan Sawatzki, born 28 Jan 1804, ref. B8
   Kornelius Sawatzki, born 3 Jan 1806, ref. B10
   Magareta Sawatzki, born 2 Nov 1807, married Joh Klippenstein, ref. A26
   Peter Sawatzki, born 13 Mar 1811, ref. B1
   Fransz Sawatzki, born 19 Aug 1814, ref. B6
   Thomas Sawatzki, born 1 Dec 1816, ref. B5
   Jacob Sawatzki, born 18 Dec 1818, ref. B3
   Sara Sawatzki, born 23 May 1821, married Peter Hiebert, ref. B7

   "Ref." indicates a reference to a page in this or another church book.
   Dates prior to emigration to Canada are assumed to be given according to the Julian ("old world") calendar, which was 12 days behind the Gregorian (modern) calendar in the 1800's.
   
   The date 25 Mar 1853 is positioned to appear to be the death date of son Johan Sawatzki, but according to page B8, he died 5 Jun 1855. Therefore, it is possible to interpret 25 Mar 1853 as the date Magaretha died, and 28 Mar 1853 as the date she was buried.

5. ↑ 1795 census, Schönwiese not settled, in Unruh, Benjamin Heinrich. Die niederländisch-niederdeutschen Hintergründe der mennonitischen Ostwanderungen: im 16., 18. und 19 Jahrhundert. (Karlsruhe-Rüppurr: B. H. Unruh, 1955)
   page 244.

   'Flämische Mennoniten, angekommen 1794, noch nicht angesiedelt, gehören jedoch zum Verwaltungsbezirk. ...
   Peter Sawatski 30 J, Frau Helena 27, So Peter 10, To Helena 6, Knecht Martin Jost 24.'
   
   Translation:
   Flemish Mennonites who arrived in 1794, not yet settled, except for the administrative district [colony]. ...
   Peter Sawatski 30 yrs, wife Helena 27, son Peter 10, daughter Helena 6, servant/farmhand Martin Jost 24.

6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 1806 census, Chortitza, in Rempel, Peter; Alfred H. Redekopp; and Richard D. Thiessen. Mennonite migration to Russia, 1788-1828. (Winnipeg: Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, 2000)
   page 9.

   'Peter Sawatzky ([name also given in Cyrillic]) arrived in Russia in 1794 and was an original settler in Chortitza. ... In 1806 the owner of the farm is the same Peter Sawatzky ([name also given in Cyrillic]), whose family consists of 4 males and 3 females. (W3 - 24.7.1806)'

7. ↑ Chortitza #38, in 1801 Census, Chortitza Colony, South Russia: Odessa Archives, Fond 6, Inventory 1, File 67, compiled by Tim Ja.

   'Peter Sawatzky 41; his wife Margaretha 21; a son Peter 16; first daughter Elisabeth 5; second daughter Maria 2 ½.'

8. ↑ 1802 changes, Chortitza #36, in Unruh, Benjamin Heinrich. Die niederländisch-niederdeutschen Hintergründe der mennonitischen Ostwanderungen: im 16., 18. und 19 Jahrhundert. (Karlsruhe-Rüppurr: B. H. Unruh, 1955)
   pages 246-47.

   'Die "Feuerstellen-Listen 1802"
   "Verzeichnis der Wirthen in der Chortietzer Colonie, so wie sie anfangs in der Colonie Etabliret sind, und durch welch einen Umstand die Nahmen der Ersten Wirthe verändert worden" 1802 ...
   Peter Sawatzky ist ohnverändert Peter Sawatzky.'
   
   Translation:
   The Homestead List 1802
   Directory of landlords in Chortitza Colony, as they were first established in the colony and by what circumstance the names of the first landlord were changed, 1802 ...
   Peter Sawatzky is unchanged Peter Sawatzky.

9. ↑ 1803 list, Chortitz #31 (29), in Unruh, Benjamin Heinrich. Die niederländisch-niederdeutschen Hintergründe der mennonitischen Ostwanderungen: im 16., 18. und 19 Jahrhundert. (Karlsruhe-Rüppurr: B. H. Unruh, 1955)
   page 213.

   'Sawatzki, Peter'

10. ↑ Chortitza #26, in 1814 Chortitza Landowners List, prepared and reconciled to GRANDMA by Tim Janzen, online (www.mennonitehistory.

    'Peter Sawatzky'

11.   Tim Janzen, e-mail message to Janet Bjorndahl, 11 Apr 2006.

    Jist of the e-mail message: One translation of information about his son Thomas in an 1850 list of people moving to Friedrichsthal calls him "Peter Thomas Sawatzky" (suggesting his father was named Thomas), while another translation of the same information calls him "Peter Peter Sawatzky".
    
    Note also that both translations list his son Thomas as his second son, which he was not. A better translation might be "son of his second wife," which he was (from followup e-mails from Alan Peters and Tim Janzen).

12.   Chortitza I.42, in Schapansky, Henry. The old colony (Chortitza) of Russia: early history and first settlers in the context of the Mennonite Migrations. (Canada?: H. Schapansky, c2001)
    page 178.

    'Peter Sawatsky (4.7.1760-19.5.1843) Schönwiese 1795, Chortitza 1802, 1803, 1806
    Likely a son of Thomas Sawatsky, Walldorf 1776: 2 sons, Rosenort Gem..
    m1) Helena Penner (4.2.1764-16.4.1801)
    m2) 4.5.1801 Margaretha Rempel (1780-28.3.1853) ...
    Note: Peter Sawatsky was likely a grandson of Johann Sawatsky and Johanna Wiens of Rosenort GW, and a cousin of Johann Sawatsky (b. 4.4.1742) of Rosenthal (Russia). He was a late arrival of the first wave and was placed at Schönwiese in 1795 on a temporary basis. Peter Sawatsky later moved to Bergthal with his family.'