Squiggles on a Page

The exciting find of the birth record for Anna, my great-grandfather's older sister, was frustrated by my inability to read handwritten Russian script -- "squiggles on a page", I called it. A Russian speaking friend helped a little, but also struggled. So I sent the document off to an online Russian transcription service (and crossed my fingers that I hadn't just volunteered my credit card for fraud). The result came back, and I'm happy to say, so far so good.

Here's what I found out:

	№	Р о ж д е н и я	К р е щ е н и я	Когда, где, кто и кемъ, одною - ли водою или со всеми обрядами таинства окрещенъ?	Какихъ родителей и къ какому сословию или обществу они принадлежатъ, когда и где, т.е. въ какомъ приходе родился крещаемьй?	Кто были по имени прозванию восприемниками при св. крещении и кто присутствовалъ?
T r a n s c r i p t i o n	17	18	19	Тысяча восемьсотъ девяносто первого года января девятнадцатого дня. Въ Посцунель???ъ Р.К. филіяльномъ костёле [??]: И. Мартыи[усол??]ъ окрещено дитя именемъ: Анна, съ всъими обрядами таинства.	Крестьянъ Кракиновской волости Михаила и Катержины изъ Милашевичевъ Матолисовъ, законныхъ супруговъ дочъ, родившаяся 1901 года 18 января въ Жиборт[???]ъ Кракиновского прихода.	Воспріемниками были: Константинъ Матолисъ Елеонорою Милашевичевою.

And this is my attempt at translating (with heavy reliance on Google and input from friends):

	№	B i r t h d a y	B a p t i s m d a y	When, where, who and by whom, whether with water or with all rites of the sacrament christened?	To which parents and which estate or society [class?] do they belong, when and where, i.e. in which parish, was the baptized person born?	Who were the godparents at holy baptism, and who was present?
T r a n s l a t i o n	17	18	19	One thousand eight hundred and ninety-first year January, nineteenth day. In Pociuneliai R.C. church of [??]: I. Marti[usol??] baptised the child: Anna, with all the rites of the sacrament.	Peasants of Krekenava district Mikhail and Katerina of Milashevichev Matolisov [i.e. Mykolas Matolis and Katerina Milaševičiute], lawful spouses, born 1901 year, 18 January in Žibartoniai of the Krekenava district.	Witnesses were: Konstantin Matolis, Yeleonora [Elenora] Milashevicheva.

Most of the information is what I already knew, but the right hand column is significant. It says who the godparents were. It's not something I've seen on a birth record before -- actually this is a record of baptism, so it makes sense -- but it could really help me to build the family tree. Since it is common for aunts and uncles to be godparents, it could provide me with some hints beyond the direct lineage of parents. Of course people who are completely unrelated can also be godparents, so I'll need to verify everything with other records.

The document also says Anna was born in Žibartoniai, which is the first I have seen that the family was there. It's very close to Kurgulai, where the family later lived and where my grandfather was born.