[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] shepherds in central Poland

[Jerry Frank]

Interesting.  It must be an obsolete term.  Neither of my two Pol/Eng 
dictionaries show it, only offering owczarek = sheep dog.

I've always thought of the cloth making industry in Poland as 
primarily linen from flax but it appears there was also wool from sheep.

Jerry Frank - Calgary, Alberta
FranklySpeaking at shaw.ca


At 10:55 PM 11/01/2006, Sue Eipert wrote:
>I thought it was a curious occupation also, but I got this from:
>In Their Words - A Genealogist's Guide Translation Guide to Polish 
>Documents - which lists the following:
>
>owczarz, owczarza: (m.) shepherd, sheepfarmer (fem. owczarka, owczarki)
>
>'Owczarz' or 'owczarza' is in several records describing one of 
>these three Kopp men. In some, the handwriting is very clear.
>
>Sue
>
>Jerry Frank wrote:
>>Shepherd is such an uncommon occupation in Poland that it is not 
>>included in my list of occupations by Frazin.  Are you certain you 
>>have the right translation?
>>My dictionary says that the root word would be pastuch or pasterz.
>>
>>Jerry Frank - Calgary, Alberta
>>FranklySpeaking at shaw.ca
>>
>>
>>At 09:16 PM 11/01/2006, Sue Eipert wrote:
>>
>>>Hello,
>>>
>>>One of my ancestors (Georg (Jerzy) Kopp - or Kopf) is identified as a
>>>shepherd in records from the Chodecz parish in Poland around 1855. He
>>>lived in Wichrowice at that time. At least two other men, Andrzej amd
>>>Michal (perhaps his brothers?), also shepherds, are listed as witnesses
>>>in Georg's children's births and deaths. They were from other towns -
>>>Wilkowice (nearby) and Dabzelowa (??)
>>>
>>>I'm just wondering if anyone knows anything about shepherds in that
>>>place and time. Were they most likely to work as shepherds for some
>>>noble, or own their own sheep?
>>>
>>>Has anyone run across many shepherds in that area or others in Poland?
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>>
>>>Sue Eipert
>>>seipert at eipertinfo.com