The Vambutas Family History
According the St.Peterburg archives data
In 1529 King Žygimantas presented land to brother Kontrimai
(Janowi, Juszkowi, Piotrowi ir Petkowi) in a rural district of Telšiai. The
place got a name according their family name Kontrimaičiai. Petras Kontrimas
had son Povilas, Povilas had - Razmusas. Povilas presented half land
of Kontrimaičiai to Rasmusas. In 1649 Jonas, the son of Razmusas sold
part of land - Bortuliškės to Vambutas. See the Scheme.
In 1617-05-29, Jokūbas Vambutovičius Vambutas and his wife Kristina
Janavičiūtė bought lands (Krištopaičiai and Žukiškės) in a rural district of
Viešvėnai from Andrius and Sofija Kristofavičius.
In 1642-01-10, a son of Jokūbas, Merkelis (Melchioras) and his wife Marijona
bought estates in Kontrimaičiai, Užupiai, Dievaitiškės and Birikiai from
Mickevičius (or Kiškevičius?).
The Merkelis patrimony - the estates of Kontrimiškės, Keižioriai, Bėrikai,
Vambutiškės and Krištopaitiškės, in 1686-04-10 was divided among his
children Jurgis, Danielius and Mykolas. Merkelis retained the estates of
Viešvėnai. The estates of Vambutiškės, Goriškės and Krištopaičiai were given
to Jurgis while the estates of Kontrimaičiai, Keižorai and Birikiai to
Danielius. It is not clear what was Mykolas inheritance share.
In 1686 Merkelis became impoverished. By the will of his father, Jurgis
retained Vambutiškės (Vambutai), Goriškės (Tariškės) and Krištopaičiai (Krištofaitiškės)
(all in the Viešvėnai district). Danila (Danielius) and Mykolas retained
Kontrimiškės, Neižiūnai and Birkėnai, all in the district of Telšiai.
Merkelis was the first in the family to start using Vambutas name others
before him vere known as Vambutovič Vambut.
Jurgis, (the son of Merkelis) willed Vambutai, Viešvėnai, Krištopaičiai and
Kontrimiškės to Jokūbas and Vincentas.
Twice married, but very sick Jurgis certified his will in 1692-05-28.
Accordingly, he wanted to be burried in Telšiai Church Cemetary, in the
family crypt and in front of the picture of St. Francis. He willed Viešvėnai
to his first wife Marija Vaitkevičiūtė and to their children Vincentas and
Jokūbas. All the other property acquired while living with his second wife
Konstancija Volochovičiūtė, he willed to her and to their children
Pranciškus (Pranas) and Mikalojus who for their part received money. The
buildings, orchards, fields, pastures, forests, gold, copper, and siver
after her death were to go to her children. A serf by the name Varfalamiejus
Kliauma was to be given to Vincentas, while Zigimundas Kliauma to Jokūbas.
In the event of the death of the second wife, everything was to be divided
among the four children. The moneys were to be kept by two jews and later
was to be distributed among her children. The guardians for the wife
Konstancija and her sons Francas (Pranciškus) and Teodoras were to be an
elder by name of Danilas Bialadoras and Dirvian Fiodor, Stepan Bielevič,
Vladislav Velochovič.
Juozas, the son of Jokūbas on 1734-04-24,
according to the will of his uncle inherited the estate of Viešvėnai. While
Mykolas and Ignas (line of Vincentas/Mykolas) on 1759-04-04 sold fathers
Mykolas inheritence.
Juozas had the following children: Jurgis, Antanas,
Ignotas, Rozalija and Franciška.
Jurgis, the son of Juozas, together with his brothers
on 1764-03-22 sold Vambutiškės and Krištopaičiai to the noblemen Pranas and
Judita Burnickis.
Antanas Vambutas children, the four brothers:
Demetrijus, Vincentas, Jurgis and Jokūbas all equally inherited
Viešvėnai estate in 1765.
Vincentas and Demetrijus, representing the younger
brothers Jurgis and Jokūbas, sold the land in 1794-04-22 to Viškauskas
family.
According to the census of 1795, a wife of Antanas
Vambutas, Marijona Vaitkevičiūtė, together with children Jurgis and
Jokūbas in 1795 lived in Medvingėnai. Vincentas Vambutas, a son (age 30)
with his wife Ona (age 25) lived in Luokė.
Confirmation of the nobility recognition for the
Vambutas Family.
In 1801-05-05 in the book of
Noblemen of Lithuania province (Lithuania was occupied by Russia) were
writen: "The family Vambutai are polish noblemen of old high descent, and
certified as of the first class" In
1819-12-22 the Vambutas Family nobility was beeing confirmed, but as not
all of the documents were submited and not all the people were represented,
the nobility status was reviewed again in 1834.
Discovered in the file was: a document dated 1833-12-12 from the archives
and a document dated 1833-12-13 from the RC Consistory of Šauliai, stating
that the birth certificates of Feliksas and Tadas (branch of Jurgis Vambutas,
brother of Antanas) were lost in fire.
The 1832-11-24 document states that Vambutas
family owns: Svirbutai, Groblaukis and Girlaukis (in Šiauliai district).
This docu ment was confirmed on 25th by the District Court of Šauliai.
It was noted that the Vambutas family uses the Pogonia 4 coat of arms
acording to the K. Niesieckis description.
The 1835-12-23 entry shows that
Vambutas family owned estates from the early days and never had to pay
personal (pagalvės) taxes. This was confirmed in 1811, 1816 and 1834.
In 1879-12-22 it was certified that Tadas, Feliksas (son of Jurgis)
with his children Dementrijus, Vikentijus, Jurgis and Jokūbas (son of
Antanas) with his children, Matas, Felicijonas and Mykolas with his children
etc. belong to an old noble Polish family which lived in the
Samogitian principality for more than 300 years. The family participated in
state government, owned many lands and did not pay any personal (pagalvės)
taxes. Their documents were lost during the country government changes.
There are some discrepancies (but none
mentioned here) among the documents found in the St. Petersburg file and in
the Lithuanian archives, facts which may lead to some speculation about the
family history. To my direct ancestor
Antanas (son of Jokūbas), the nobility was established by the Vilnius
Noblemens Deputy Meeting in 1819-12-22. On 1842-11-13 it was certified by
the Senate governing the Department of Heraldy (order # 18781). This was
entered into Part Six of the Noblemen Book of Genealogy and was certified
again in 1834-01-20. In 1860 Antanas was admitted
to the monastery of Tytuvėnai to solicit for the monastery, but could not
become a monk because of the illiteracy.
On 1884-10-29 in the Padvarninkai village,
Šaukėnai parish a daughter Stanislava was born to Antanas Vambutas and
Marijona Ancevičiūtė. Stanislava is my mother (other children: Antanas,
Aleksandras, Teofilė, Teklė, Aleksandra).
The above factual data was compiled by Audronė Musteikienė.
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