Polish Ancestors: Edward Cyrott

[Ann]

Hi Woody,

Thanks for the update - I wondered how you had got on with Edward Cyrott.

My own father-in-law was Polish (but no Polish speakers in family now). He had a very hard life in Poland, and had no wish to return there.

After serving in a Polish Regiment of the British Army, he was placed in a resettlement camp (in Moston). Like you, we found that my father-in-law had unclaimed medals, which we discovered when he was close to 80. We claimed them for him and mounted them on a bar - I will always remember the first time he wore them - he was so proud!!!

We know very little about his life in Poland (not even his father's name) as he did not wish to speak about it. I would be interested to know how you get on, for my own future research.

Thanks

Ann

[Woody]

Hello folks

Thanks for all the support. It hasn't been easy or straightforward but if I've learned nothing else from family history research, I've certainly learned about the value of patience and persistence.

In order to put Edward's circumstances into a context, I compiled a short resume of pre and post-war events in Poland. It's a very harrowing picture and I'm not surprised your father-in-law chose to bury his memories, Ann. He ought to have worn his medals with pride too. The Polish armed forces were the fourth largest Allied group in WW2 and they were given little formal recognition for their efforts.

I had never realised the extent of the anhiliation following the German invasion from the Wset on 1st September 1939, followed two weeks later by the Soviet invasion from the East. In just under four weeks Poland ceased to exist as a geophysical entity, and over 6,000,000 Polish civilians perished in the process.

Although death and destruction weren't everyday events for the Polish displaced people over here after the war, they then met with considerable resistance from local communities as they tried to integrate.

If you want a copy of the resume, Ann, you just need to ask. I suggest via a personal message.

[Woody]

The newspaper article paid dividends and I've finally managed to crack the mystery of the missing St Anne's Road, Audenshaw Polish Camp. It was where the day nursery now sits at the junction of Cemetery Road and Shepley Road, Audenshaw.

The mystery was entirely due to one factor - the present Cemetery Road wasn't called that in 1934.

In 1934, the road we now know as Cemetery Road was called St Anne's Road, and the re-naming must have been authorised at some point before 1948.

When the dog-leg junction near the present Sun Inn on Guide Lane/Denton Road was straightened out, the old Haughton Lane was extended towards Denton and its name, 'Haughton Road', changed to St Anne's Road. That's the one we know today, about 400 yards closer to Denton Road than its original position.

Just the archives in Poland to find now. No pressure then !!

Many thanks to all who contributed

Woody

[Woody]

This is just by way of reporting a successful ending to my search, even if, as I feared, it's not an entirely happy ending for all the ancestors I found.

The good news is that after almost 12 months continuous and very persistent searching, I've finally found and made contact with one of Edward Cyrott's living relatives in the USA - and she knows about others in West Germany.

I'd always suspected that 'Cyrott' was an anglicised version of his real name and my suspicion proved nearly correct. Likewise, his father, ‘Afron’ on Edward’s marriage certificate, was actually ‘Ephraim’ and the family name turned out to be 'Zierott'. (For anyone needing to search Polish records, the explanation is that in the Polish language you can’t use a letter ‘z’ followed by an ‘i’ - so ‘Cy’ is used. You were right, Ann).

'Zieroth/ Zierath' are common German alternative spellings and that’s because Poland wasn’t an independent nation until 1919. At various times during the preceding 150 years its cities and territories had been ruled by each of the surrounding countries - Germany, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Lithuania, etc. The pre-1919 records for my Zierott families turned up in Prussia and that accounts for some records using ‘Zieroth/ Zierath, the German versions of the name.

After 1919, Edward’s birthplace near Pultusk was included in the newly created Poland - which is why Edward says that’s his country of birth but why all the ancestral records I’ve found refer to either Prussia or Russia.

In the late 1800s a substantial number of people migrated from ‘Poland’ to the USA (the 'bread migrants') and Edward’s father made that trip along with several of his siblings. Living conditions for the migrants in the USA were frequently appalling and many just saved up sufficient to return home. While some of his siblings stayed there and were naturalised, Ephraim was one of those who returned to his roots.

He died in Poland, 1939, but we don’t know whether his death was associated with the WW2 invasion or from natural causes. The bad news is that the fate of his wife, Rodyna, and all Edward’s siblings was certainly associated with WW2. They were expelled to the east of Germany and nobody knows what happened to them after that. We’re left to assume they were amongst the 6.000,000 Poles killed as part of Hitler’s ethnic cleansing programme.

So, it’s been a long but interesting trip and thanks again to all those who contributed, including my history teacher at secondary school. How I wish I’d listened to what he probably had to say about European history !!

[Gay J Oliver]

Hello Woody,

You really are to be congratulated on your Polish research. It reads just like an episode of Who Do you Think You Are? But without the celebrity. The real lives of people caught up in conflict are so poignant we are so lucky not to have gone through anything like this in our time.

very best wishes,
GAY