I want to encourage you to become familiar with current resources for your Hungarian Nobility research. Even if you hit into brick walls, even if you never have genealogy documents that prove a connection with one or more noble families, I'm sure your knowledge and understanding of a small and often forgotten country where your ancestors stood not knowing that generations later, you'd be standing on their shoulders, will be so much richer.
It is honorable of you to keep to professional standards and sometimes we do have to give up. If something is speculation, write that it is and why you're including it in your book.
But before you do, learn about the places the ancestors lived.
What was the name of the church that they were baptized in? (It's almost never on the church records on the microfilms/database.) What was the history of that church? Do individuals or whole families change religions?
What was their profession? Did they have estates they lost? What then did they do for work once in America?
Who are those people who stood as godparents or witnesses at marriage?
Who were the nobles that owned the land or were running the town?
I want you to explore the databases at Hungaricana.hu which are free. However, some there are linked to Arcanum.hu where some are free (public) and others require a subscription.
It can be tantalizing to find a title of interest but run into needing a subscription. After all, you don't know if the information you pay to access will be what you need. So if that happens, cross reference the title in FamilySearch. I recently found that the FamilySearch catalogue listed books on nobility by Bela Kempelen but only two, not the one I wanted, was downloadable from their website. You might also try Google Books or other free online library options.
There seems to be an attitude in Hungary (and in Poland) that archival documents are owned by, should remain the property of, and should be accessed through that country. I believe it will remain so. I understand it. Some people in those countries feel their documents were thieved.
(If you're following the Luby or Potoky families you'll be finding them in both countries.)
That means there are a lot of records available through FamilySearch, through paid for databases, and on the shelves of libraries, including The National Archives of the United States (NARA) but for Hungarian Nobility research you most likely will use those country's archives.
You may pay fees. I think they deserve them. Some people have dedicated their lives to preserving documents.
You should see the earliest evidence of Hungary.
I want to share with you my recent experience of spending about two days reading through lists of surnames, settlements, and bookmarking them to give a closer look at another time.
I found HUNGARICANA years ago and new photos, maps, art, books, magazines, town booklets (sometimes for tourists), as well as ancient and old documents are added continually so I check in.
I took pages on handwritten notes and bookmarked so much. But through persistence I learned one of the surnames I'm research had it's start in Lipto County because of a Magyar tribal man called Hauk Polku. His grandchildren went with four surnames: Dietrich, Luby Horanszky, and Andreanszky.****
Before you search for a surname, be sure to get it's meaning. Using the translation option from Google, you will see that Szabo is coming up as Tailor, Takács as Weaver, and Veres as Bloody.
Like the National Archives of the United States, it doesn't feel easy to uses Hungarian archives. Hungaricana does have an English interface that will take you to originals.
*****
First I want to go through some word definitions you're likely to encounter.
Just a taste.
*****
Kiralyi Konyvek - Royal Books
Cimertan - Heraldry
Fegyverek Kolt Sege - Coat of Arms
Birtok - Estate
Nemeseg - Nobility
Arany - Gold
Exust - Silver
Interesting accounts of one noble selling or accepting gold or silver for land from another. You may also find land disputes.
Csalad - Family (When searching try adding the word after the surname to bring up hits helpful to genealogy such as "Veres Csalad".
Lovag - Knight
Grof - Count
Grofno - Countess
Baro - Baron
Herceg - Prince
Hercegno - Princess
Kiralyi - King
Kiralyino - Queen
Var - Castle
Varos - Town
Megye - County
Varmegye - Castle County
Mezo - Field
Mezovaros - Field City (Overall area includes city).
The difference between a village and city is population. A "city charter" means that place has been recognized as a city by the King or Queen. Though population may be a leading factor, the sophistication of the place is also implied. A town has trade. Shops. Craftsmen. It's a place where you can buy or barter for goods. It has a church or churches. It likely has places to stay overnight for travelers. (By our standards most of these places are small habitations.)
Orokles - Inheritance
Gyujtelmeny - Collection
Osszesen - Total / All
*****
Falva - Village
Haza - Home
Felso - Upper (indicates North)
Also - Lower (indicates South)
Nagy - Big or Greater
Kis - Little or Small
Hegy - Mountain
*****
De - Of (Von in German) Used to link surname with location such as "Asztalos de Goncz" from a 1639 document. (There are many Goncz families.)
*****
Another collection you may want to look at is available as an online book in FamilySearch. This is another well regarded list of nobility.
Positive is that there is an Index as well as a by-county surname list. There is also a statistical chart that is about the rank of noble, such as how many have Heraldry. I wish the Surnames were coordinated with this rank list
Titled "Nemesis Osszeiras" which suggests a total accounting of nobles surnames.
The author is Dr. Janos Illessy.
Now if you go into Hungaricana, you will find a database collection called the Illessy. This is a collection of books, some quite old, and run your surnames and locations in it because again you may be able to read online.
One surname I ran through had so many hits. Then I realized this was because the person was a 17th century Bishop in Nyitra County. (Not much chance of descendants!) 😉
*****
Chamberlain - Kamaras
Major General -
Vezerornagy
Soldier - Katona
Army - Hadsereg
Mongols - Mongolok
Turks - Torokok
Pope - Papa
Bishop - Puspok
Dean - Dekan
Priest - Pap
Convent - Koloster
(You may read that a grant, recognition, or decision about a person's nobility happened at a convent. Implied is a convention. If it lists the location as an actual nunnery, well, the sisters were not part of that decision.
*********
I encourage you to enjoy your adventure of discovery!
C 2021 Magyar-American BlogSpot
All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
This post is part of a series about Hungarian Nobility research. To bring up all posts in the series, click on the tab Pro Tips - Hungarian Nobility in the Family.
**** There may be more surnames associated with this tribal leader. See Ivan Nagy's work.
