RÓD SPRUTH
- SPRUTA - SPRUTTA
 

CONTACT

THE SURNAME

Jan de Vries, who is the author of “Old Norse Dictionary of Etymology”, states that the word “sproti” means the same as Zweig in German nowadays, i.e. trunk, stump, branch, root. The word “sproti” was well known in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea basin:
– sproti – New Icelandic
– sprote – New Nordic
– sprut – Shetland
– sprota – Old English
– spruta – Old Frisian
– sprut – Scotch-Gaelique
– sprate – New Swedish
There exists a word “spruta” in Swedish which means syringe. I asked the University of Uppsali if it has ever been a personal name – it was not. The word sounded spruth (root, limb) in Old Norwegian, and exists as sprout in English.

HISTORICAL SETTING

The SPRUTH family (another spelling SPRUTE) comes from Westphalia. It almost certain that MOSEBACK in Lemgo district is the “family” village. Such an information is provided by Dr. Herbert Spruth, who is believed to be the best expert in this family history, and Sir Wilhelm Spruth. The information is confirmed by I.A. Eickmeier, who states the archival data of the family to be in Arnsberg collection, Detmold & Münster since 1660. W. Spruth states that Johann SPRUTE is listed in the Estates Registry from 1488 as the agrarian owner in Moseback. The Johannes name was the most commonly used in the family. The son /the oldest or the youngest/ was the one to inherit in Westphalia – he had to repay to the rest who settled elsewhere. This is how the SPUTHS come to Pomerania (Pomorze) and Great Poland (Wielkopolska).

Christian HAKEN published /page 44/ the names of the citizens of 1294 in “the History of Koszalin” which was brought up in 1767 – there is SPRUTH senior and his son JOH. SPRUTH /Dr. Herbert Spruth states they come from Moseback/. There is an information in the footnote: “He ordered to become 14 wloks (about 252 000 ha) in Jamno in fee, its become a property of a Glasenapp later on, who gave it up to the city in 1356. It is plausible that Fredeland advanced some money to buy a lake from the Jaschons and the 14 wloks were mortgaged. Although it was Spruth to deal on behalf of himself, the city was responsible for it.” Since that very moment Koszalin was a sea city with a port in Unieście and become a Hanza member /since 1386/. J.E. Benno states in “History of Koszalin” from 1840 that a citizen of Koszalin – Johannes Spruth – purchased in 1333 half of the Jamno lake from Duke of Darłowo and Sławno. Koszalin become the owner of the whole water region in 1353. Kolobrzeg disliked this expansion and in 1446 occurred a clash at Tatowskie Lake /Koszalin won/. The numerous Spruth family used to live in Pomerania (Pomorze) till 1945. They live besides Germany also in Russia, Scandinavia and America nowadays.

After Germany was united the migration of the German population to Great Poland increased. The members of SPRUTH family leaved for these terrains as well. The history of the Polish offshoot of the Westphalia SPRUTH family is strongly connected with Great Poland and Babkowice village in Roman-Catholic parish of Pepowo in Gostyn district. Babkowice belonged to Klucz Chocieszewice /part of Pepowo nowadays/. The Konarzewscys where the owners of the Klucz in 17th century. It belonged to the dowry of Weronika Konarzewska in 1715 when she married Maciej Mycielski. The MYSIELSCYS coat-of-arm Dolega from Mycielin near Kalisz formed due to affinities and marriages one of the most powerful family in Great Poland. One of the most eminent members of the family MACIEJ MYCIELSKI/*1690 +1747/ brought the family to most significant dignities of Republic of Poland due to the marriage with Werionika KONARZEWSKĄ/*1699 +1762/– the daughter of Wisniowiecka princess. The two joined fortunes made the magnate palaces opened for him (he become a headman of Konin – estate's guard - due to favouritism of his mother-in-law) – that is how the Sprutts arrived to Izabelin in district of Konin – the first trace in the parish register of Lichen originates from 1832. Joseph Mycielski /*1733 +1789/ was the one to inherit the estates and his oldest son Michael Mycielski/*1760 +1815/ after him. The Mycielscys brought craftsmen, they were tolerant to newcomers and infidels – Jan of Nepomuk Mycielski (the owner of Gostyn of those days – the Maciej's youngest son) formed an edict of tolerance.



THE SPRUTHS IN POLAND

The authors of monograph “History of the district of Gostyn” and Dr. Joseph Pieprzyk – the author of monograph of Babkowice village – state that it was Westphalia which was the motherhood of the settlers. Also today so called “through the window guests” (westfalocy) are invited to the wedding. It is worth mentioning that in Poland /but not only here/ it was the mother to raise the children. A Polish mother raised Poles – a German mother raised Germans. That is why many inhabitants of Great Poland with German surnames were patriots – insurgents of Great Poland. Looking at the plaque of executed Poles during World War the second.


At 3.05.1776 in Chocieszewice Wojciech SPRUT was born, a son of Maciej and Jadwiga. The “first” Maciej SPRUT was a free peasant. The surname was spelled as it sounded in German where the “H” was soundless.
There was 20-25% of free peasants in Poland before the second Poland's partition (1793) and half of them were called “Oledrowie” - incomers from the West. In the description of Klucz Chocieszewice from 1731 Maciej Sprut appears as a so called “polrolnik”.
There appear few families with the surnames SPRUTA, SZPRUTKA, SZPRUTA at the end of 18th century – these are probably the brothers or sons of Maciej. They keep the family ties e.g. they participate in baptisms. It is a Catholic polonized family. I did not find this surname in any register of Scotch immigrants, neither in Protestant Church register of Kobylin. One cannot deny, however, the Spruts (Sprutts) could have Celtic roots: Pictic or even “Scoti” who migrated from Ireland (Scoti means Irishman in Latin). It is very interesting how the second “T” appeared in the spelling – the majority of the descendants of the very family bear a name of Sprutta (adds Mariusz Sprutta).
I will answer to Mariusz – the SPRUT surname was polonized by adding “A”, and germanized later on by adding “T” - the opinion of the language experts and historians is that it was dependent on the attitude of the registry clerk.



LINEAGE

It is possible that in 1791, in Gebice, Siedlec and later on in Babkowice, used to live the second son of Maciej: WINCENTY SPRUTA with his wife Regina and children

Jan * 05. 07.1791 Gembice

Julianna * ? 1798 Siedlec
+ 23.10.1853 Siedlec

Wawrzyniec * 10.08.1803 Babkowice

MICHAŁ * 09.09.1806 Babkowice
+ 21.01.1874 Babkowice

Ca 90% of the family originates from Wincenty and Michał

JAN SPRUTA with wife Petronala and a son lived in Pepowo around 1795 (possibly a son of Maciej – Wincenty's brother)

Wawrzyniec * ? 1799 Pepowo
+26.02.1869 Zalesie Wielkie
Plausible Jan and Jadwiga had sons:

Feliks SZPRUTKA *07.01.1800 Pepowo

Lukas SPRUTTA *03.10.1802 Chocieszewice

Karol SPRUTTA *04.10.1804 Chocieszewice

Wojciech SZPRUTA *20.04.1806 Chocieszewice
/ he moved to Izabelin, and his son to America in 1907 /

MACIEJ SZPRUTA +5.10.1828 lived in Babkowice with his wife – Agnieszka Robaczynska and children in 1800:

Mateusz *11.09.1800 Chocieszewice

Elżbieta *08.10.1802 Chocieszewice

Urszula *17.10.1804 Chocieszewice

Maria *04.07.1807 Chocieszewice

IGNACY SZPRUTA lived in Babkowice with his wife – Ludwika and children in 1818:

Wiktoria *20.12.1818 Babkowice

Józef *10.03.1821 Babkowice

WOJCIECH SZPRUT /the son of Jan and Jadwiga/ lived with his wife Karolina Hankowna and son in the estates of Koninski district, managed by Mycielscy, inhabitants of which had family and economical connections with the Chocieszewscys till the end of 19th century, in Izabelin in the parish of Lichen.

Maciej *27.01.1832 Izabelin

A huge part of the SPRUTA family lives in Konin and its surroundings. The SPRUTS, SPRUTTS and SZPRUTS live only in Babkowice, Chocieszewice and Pepowo at the beginning of 19th century. They moved to another estates belonging to the Mycielscys such as: Siedlec, Zalesie Wielkie, Anielin, Elęcin, Górka, Sroki, Krzyżanki and Izabelinie.

There live (not only in Poland) over 600 persons – close and collateral relatives bearing the surname:
SPRUTTA (ŚPRUTTA) – ca 250
SZPRUTA – ca 220

SZPUTA – ca 160

The changes in pronunciation and wrong spelling altered the surname. It happened also that whole brothers had different spelling of the surname, and their sons another (it happens still nowadays). Our descendants, though free peasants, belonged to the grange poor of homeworker status (they owned own cottages), bailiff status (owned a chamber in four-flat building). They were carters, sheep-breeders and could dig the ditches and raise the dikes. The Sprutts were men of the world, they were enterprising and courageous. They were called “karbowy” and “polowy” (a person responsible for the work of another peasants) – they organized field working. They were able of working on imported machines such as steam machines (the oldest members of the family told so), they were hot-tempered and liked alcohol. One can find in the census of Babkowice from 1851 MICHAŁ SPROTA (in parish register – MICHAŁ SPRUTA), who farmed as a “half-quarter-farmer” together with Karol Kopec. He did count in the village as his children were hold during baptism by rich half-farmers. He is the ancestor of 80% of the family. His fields are cultivated by great-great-grandson Tadeusz Sparta (his father is listed in the census as SPRUTA).

LINEAGE was elaborated on the basis of the query of Archiwum Archidiecezji Poznanskiej (the Archive of Archdiocese in Poznan) , Archiwum Panstwowe w Poznaniu and Leszno (National Archive in Poznan and Leszno), parish registers of Pepowo, Kobylino, Lichen and another registries. The list is not completed and needs to be researched. I limited the list to the progeny of “2” Wincenty SPRUTA and his wife Regina (note: “2” is the number on the family tree which is still under construction).

Generation III

„ 3 ” MICHAŁ SPRUTA (żył 68 lat) s. Wincentego i Reginy z żoną Agnieszką Szkudlarek (żyła 62 lata) mieli ośmioro dzieci, z tego dwoje zmarło w wieku kilku lat, a sześciu synów miało potomstwo:

Generation IV

„ 4 ” MICHAŁ SPRUTA (lived 88 years – reposes on the cemetery in Domachowo with his wife Juliana Michalak (77) (six children)

„ 5 ” IGNACY SPRUTA (69 – reposes in Pepowo)
with wife – Rozalia Kedziora (7 children)

„ 6 ” FRANCISZEK SPRUTA (89 – reposes in Zytowieck) with wife Marianna Szczepanska and second wife Franciszka Kubs (9 children)

„ 7” WOJCIECH SPRUTA (70 – reposes in Pepowo) with wife Marianna Markowska (7 children)

„ 8 ” PIOTR SPRUTA (68 – reposes in Nieparta) with wife Zofia Lukaszewska (92) (5 children)

„ 9 ” FILIP SPRUTA (64 – reposes in Pepowo) with wife Franciszka Krajka and second wife Marianna Halongowska (5 children)

All of them beard the name SPRUTA (although my great-grandfather Piotr baptised with the surname SPROTA) and all the changes were made in 1874 as the registries were organized.


Generation V

„ 10” MARCIN SPRUTTA son of Michał (79) with Franciszka Kwinecka (79) (12 children)

„ 11 ” PETRONELA SPRUTTA daughter of Ignacy who gave birth to Kacper

„ 12” JAN SZPRUTA son of Franciszek (81) with Marianna Owsianna and with second wife Rozalia Jankowiak (6 children)

„ 13” ANTONI SZPRUTA son of Franciszek with Jozefa (4 children)
gave birth to (among others) Franciszek * 1900 in Poniec w Poniecu – insurgent of Great Poland who reposes on the cemetry in Domachow

„ 14 ” MARCIN SPRUTTA son of Franciszek (91) with Jadwiga Krzyzanska (6 children)

„ 15” MICHAŁ SPROTTA son of Franciszek (76 – reposes in Bojanow) with Elzbieta Oczak and second with Franciszka Pazola (7 children)

„ 16 ” JÓZEFA POLASZEK daughter of Franciszek (90) – died in Gostyn in 1993, with Jan Polaszek (4 children)

„ 17” JOANNA BOROWIAK c. Franciszka (89 lat) – zmarła w 1994 r. w Żytowiecku (2 children)

„ 18” JAN SPRUTTA (SZPRUTA) son of Wojciech with Agnieszka Walenska and seconed wife Mairanna Hoffman

„ 19 ” WALENTY SPRUTA son of Wojciech with Rozalia Pawelska (7 children)

„ 20 ” KAZIMIERZ SPRUTA son of Wojciech with Marianna Lewandowska (8 children)

„ 21 ” JAKUB SPRUTTA son of Piotr (76 – reposes in Kobylin) with Wiktoria Krys and Rozalia Ulatowska-Krzekotowska (19 children)


My grandfather is unbeatable as far as number of children is concerned – 14 of the were brought up

„ 22 ” MICHAŁ SPRUTTA son of Piotr (80) with Stanislawa Szulczyk (7 children)

„ 23 ” FRANCISZEK SPRUTA son of Filip (90) with Jadwiga Walorska (12 children)

Generation VI

The members of the family can be found in many cities and towns all over the country nowadays, among others in Warsaw, Szczecin, Koszalin, Sopot, Bydgoszcz, Konin, Poznan, Leszno, Rawicz, Gostyn, Wroclaw, Katowice, Krakow, Wałbrzych, Lublin, Wagrowiec, Szamotuly,
Leczna and many others. Katty and her brother Jimmy Sprutta/ son of Jozef of Kobylin - district of Krotoszyn/ - live in Chicago, USA, and Jean- Paul-François Sprutta/branch from Konin/ in Montrealu.
There are also several hundreds of SPRUTH and SPRUTHE families members.

I am looking forward to any remarks concerning my establishments.


 

Józef i Cezary SPRUTTA
ul. Daleka 16
75-373 Koszalin
POLAND
tel.: (0-48-94) 347-11-17
tel. kom.: 048-601-999-124
fax: (048-94) 341-11-00
www.sprutta.pl