Ratzlaff Family in Przechówko Village, 1715

Elder Hendrik Berents Hulshoff visited Przechówko in 1719.  Hulshoff lived at "het Paschen" at Zenderen near Borne in the district of Twenthe in the Dutch province of Overijssel and visited the Polish congregation, preaching and baptizing.  He left us with a valuable record of the villagers in Przechówko, and Deutsch Konopat, as well as several villages on the right bank including Dorposch, Schoensee, and Horst (probably equivalent to Podwitz).  We can see the translated document here: https://mla.bethelks.edu/archives/cong_15/hulshoff.pdf.

We can go through these lists and compile a census of the villages very easily.  The late John D Richert did so a couple years ago and it's very interesting to see how Ratzlaff family members populated especially Przechówko, and Deutsch Konopat based on the 1715 record.

Note: I do disagree with Richert's overall assessment of these villagers.  He lists 13 farms at Przechówko and in my opinion, there were only 12.  I would opine that one of the families Richert assigns to a farm was an einwohner family living at the church building.  Unfortunately, we cannot know which family that was because we don't know for sure where the church fell in the order of houses, 1 through 12.  Richert and I visited about this many times and we both felt that the order likely began with 1 on the east end of the village and 12 at the west end.  Richert's list can be found here: https://mgr.mennonitegenealogy.com/prussia/Prezechowka_Gemeinde_Households_1715_and_1719.pdf.

From the above tree we can see the Ratzlaffs occupying lots in the villages.  The oldest was Hans (Przechówko Church Record #25).  In 1715, he was the oldest living member of the Ratzlaff clan, his older brother Berent passing away perhaps only earlier that year.  Hans at this time was living in his son Peter's household.

Hans' younger siblings Tobias, Katherine (Mrs. Tobias Sparling), Sarah (Mrs. Benjamin Wedel), Adam (a bachelor in 1715) lived in other Przechówko lots.  Still more Przechówko lots were occupied by his nephew Berent and son Hans.  We could also find two other sisters: Anna (Mrs. Peter Tesmer) in Deutsch Konopat and Elisabeth (Mrs. Heinrich Funck) in Schoensee.  Finally, Hans' two younger sons, Berent and Jeorgen, were also each living in Deutsch Konopat.

So, in 1715, six of twelve Przechówko farms were occupied by Ratzlaffs.