Time for Week 6 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge! As noted in my first post of this challenge, I am starting with my most ancient known ancestors.

This week’s ancestor is JÄ“kabs Francis, born March 25, 1825, and died sometime after 1884. He is my great-great-great-grandfather, by way of my maternal grandfather’s paternal grandfather, Roberts JÅ«lijs Francis.

JÄ“kabs Francis was born on March 25, 1825 (according to his marriage record), to parents Kārlis and Anna, at Liel-Mārkundas farm on MilÄ«te estate, near lake Burtnieki in northern Latvia (not far from last week’s ancestor Marcis Å Ä«rs). In fact, it is quite probable that the Francis and Å Ä«rs families – one from my maternal side, one from my paternal side – knew each other. They attended the same church in MatÄ«Å¡i, and JÄ“kabs’ marriage record follows the marriage record of Marcis’ son Jānis in the church books for 1851.

JÄ“kabs married JÅ«lija Wilhelmine Roop (daughter of 52 Ancestors #2 Walter (RudzÄ«tis) Roop) in 1851. They had at least four children: Emma (c. 1852), Rudolfs (c. 1854), Arnolds (c. 1856) and my great-great-grandfather Roberts JÅ«lijs (1859). I have not had the opportunity to examine MatÄ«Å¡i death records in detail yet, but according to Roberts’ marriage record in 1884, both of his parents (JÄ“kabs and JÅ«lija) were still living, so my first step will be to look after that marriage date for the death of JÄ“kabs. He would have been 59 years old when his son married.

Since MilÄ«te estate does not have any revision lists prior to 1857, it is difficult to find more on any family – siblings, parents, and so on. I will have to spend more time going through the MatÄ«Å¡i records to see if I can find more. The only other Francis in the MilÄ«te revision list for 1857 is the family of Mārtiņš Francis, son of JÄ“kabs, who was around the same age as my JÄ“kabs – Mārtiņš was 40 years old, JÄ“kabs was 32. Consequently, their closest possible relation could be first cousins, and that would be assuming that JÄ“kabs’ father Kārlis and Mārtiņš’ father JÄ“kabs were brothers. They could be more distant relatives, or not relatives at all. But the lack of any siblings of JÄ“kabs does raise the question – was he actually born in Liel-Mārkundas? His marriage record says he was, but the lack of any immediate family does seem suspicious. My next step will be to consult the other local estates – of which there are many – to see if they happen to be found on any of them.

So that’s it for Week 6 – Week 7 to come!