This is the list of Jewish residents from the area around Minsk, Minsk district extracted from 1620 inventory.
The original language of these inventoies was Polish. I have tried to transcribe the names and places as best as I could. Oftentimes I could not translate notes usually related to dues from the villages with certainty. One interesting case is the word free ("free") which appears a lot. Based on specific context this can indicate one of the following: a. Someone free from paying a tax, in some cases new renter had no dues for the current year. b. Sometimes Jewish renters in this text are called free, in the context of them not being tied to the place, free to move and not subjects of food-based taxes the peasants were obligated to pay.
Geography: The 1620 inventory certainly does not cover an entire Minsk district, however it includes large areas to the west, east and south of Minsk. District was sub-divided into sub-districts, called Wlosc in Polish, which became known as Volost under Russian Empire. Each wlosc was named after the town or large village which served as its administrative center.
Population: Working with this inventories made me realize how small the Jewish population of this area really was in the 17th century. In most cases few Jewish names are listed as renters in towns and sometimes villages. This was to be changed in the coming decades. Still based on this records, Jewish population in this area at the time was not only small but almost non-existent.
Israel Aronowicz Jew is mentioned 8 times in Koidanov, Jozef Israelowicz Jew is mentioned directly 8 times in Rubezhevichi and likely indirectly as Jew 3 more times.
Luckily their patronymics were found in notes. In Bereza, Wiazyn volost there was a Jew named Rubin though there were four other places also held by unnamed Jew, possibly the same person. Rubin Aronowicz of Smolevichi is mentioned five times, another five times, Jews mentioned in the area without name and twice as Israel "Wolmiensky". It is hard to imagine such a few individuals being able to control multiple places. Some of them were likely tax collectors who derived income from various crafts, inns, mills while paying fixed fees to the landlords. However, perhaps they used community funds to rent multiple places where individual Jewish families lived and worked. If so, this could be how Jewish communities began in this area. In either case they were small in nmber. Unless other information to be found, I don't see how the total Jewish population of this area at this time could be more than few hundred people.
| Wlosc of Koidanow | |
| Jzrael (Israel) Jew | Place Koidanov 3rd Market Quarter. Property: 2 - - 8 free |
| Israel Jew | renter 1-8 free. Slutska street |
| Israel Jew Albertowsky | 1- 7 and 1/2 free. location: to the side of [settlement] (sedziba) parobkow wolnykh |
| Israel Jew | 2-22? free. To the side of Minsk street "przednie dobre" |
| Israel Jew | 1-30 free. Nabrzod(?) behind the Slutsk street near the road which goes to New-Slutsk (road?) on the left side. |
| Israel Jew | 1-30 free. Behind the "za mobiliszem Zydowskim" (Jewish cemetery?). Next lot to him says "Albert's widow". (Few places marked with this name). |
| Israel Jew Albertowski | 1-30 free. Zaulica Rubezhevska (Rubezhevichi) street, goes from place (miasta) on the right side. |
| #7 Israel Jew free | In Wlok Miesckich Koydanowskych. Lot size(?) 1. |
| Note: Jewish rent of inns, mills, and tolls holds Israel Aronowicz Jew, from the day of St.Martin [in year] 1618 for three years "Supelne" to St.Martin [in year] 1621. He has to pay every year to [prince?] 44 Kop. Including Rudzecki inns (i.e. from Rudzice) and in this year 1620, the tax from Rudzice inns and mills is gone to pay in Rudzica. To Pan (landloard) Glinsky for year 1620 for half a year 20 Kop and for year 1621 40 kop. Then (after) in this year 1620 came rent monty from [this] Jew 420 Kop and in 1621 only 400 Kop (could be 4.20 and 4.00 respectively). | |
| Villages : Zaborozany, Makawczycze, Dziabilna, Sakowicze, Putczyno, Nasledniki, Boiarskie Dousie(?), Mosznica, Dziemidowicze - No Jews listed. | |
| Notes after Putczyno: Zascianki te Siola - Zascianek od Zydowicz (Jewish?) ground, from Dubowa mountain thickets - there are Stanislaw, Maiciey and Michal Zonoycinowe place, pays 5 total. | |
| Wlosc of Rubezhevichi | |
| Jozef Jew | Rubezhevichi. Empty place held at Nowogrodzka Street.Dues: 1 - - 38 free |
| Jozef Jew | 1 free Kdaidon(?). Might indicate he came from Koydanov. Gardens at the end of Koydanowska Street |
| Jozef Jew | 1 free. w Klinie between roads Starzynska [..] |
| Jozef Jew | 1 free. Mikulichi walls(?) above Pehkumia |
| Jew | to rent (do Aredy) - 2 free |
| Jozef Jew | 1 free (Free). Zascianek Horodziszcze |
| Jozef Jew | 1 and 1/2 free. Also there on (na Waraxowseczyzna) |
| Jew to rent | 2 free. Zascianek Szustowsky |
| Jozef Jew | 1 free. Zascianek Labowszczyzna |
| also there to rent (do Aredy) | Free |
| Jew to rent (do Aredy) | 1 free. Zascianek Dworyszcze |
| Jozef Jew to rent 1 free | Zascianek Kluniski |
| Notes: Dues of place. The sum of taxes collected from place Rubezhevichi Czym Kop:31/49/1. Rent from inns, mills has Jozeph Jzraelowicz Jew according to the renter's list indicating how much he owes. | |
| #37 Jozeph Jew (1/2 of place) | Nearby(? Morozowicze, no heading page, numbers start at 29. |
| #48 belongs to rent 1 | Free. (Nearby?) Morozowicze. |
| Villages: Mikulicze, Morozowicze, Szymkowicze, Hniedzki, Podzierna, Downary, Dziomgi, Rudnica, Piotruszki, Waraxy, Lichacze, Kuliki - no Jews listed | |
| Wlosc of Folwark Dziabilenskie | |
| Villages: Kosciewicze (Kostevichi), Lotuszczycze, Karaczuny - no Jews listed | |
| Wlosc of Folwark Wiertnicki | |
| #13 Moyzesz (Moyses) Jew renter | Wiertniki (Vertniki, settlement). 1/2 of place. Pays nakop(?) 1/36. Free from food-based tax and other dues (which is usually levied from peasants. |
| Villages: Bohdanowo, Kulakowo, Ledniki - no Jews listed | |
| Dues owed: Something about obrok (i.e. food-based tax, usually paid by peasant) held [by?] Jew Israel Koydanowski, presumably collected for Zascianek (i.e. estate). From the context it sounds like he was a tax collector. | |
| Wlosc of Rudzica | |
| Villages: Borowe, Rudzica, Miesozele, Luczycze, Mikulicze, Liwie, Kowola - no Jews listed | |
| Ziemianie (people) of Rudziccy - some unclear possible referencto a place held by a Jew (?) See file at c:\temp | |
| Wlosc of Porechye (Porzecze) | |
| Villages: Porzecze, Cierebut (Tserebuty), Wiecierewicze - no Jews listed | |
| Wlosc Stankow | |
| Villages: Stankow, Kamionki Dobrzyniewo - no Jews listed | |
| Wlosc of Zycin | |
| Villages: Zycino, Kremok, Jurowicze, Drazko, Podoresie, Koladki - no Jews lsited | |
| Wlosc Wiazynska | |
| #1 Jew Rubin (1/2 of place) nakop 1 | Place Bereza |
| #38 Jew (1/2 of place) nagze 30. | Bereza. Year 1621 of the same dues (of) sita(?) (of) Draczkow. |
| #41 Jew (1/2 of place) | Bereza. Year 1621 Blacksmith has this dues. |
| #48 Jew (1/2 of place) | Bereza. "nagze 60(?)" |
| #25 Jew (1/2 of place) | Hrytczynna. pays(?) 2. |
| Villages: Pawelkowo, Balamutowicze, Jezioro, Boiarskie szpilki, Zablocie, Kukszewicze, Lachowicze - no Jews listed | |
| Wlosc of Scarzynska | |
| Villages: Zadworne, Wielkie, Cieleszewiczy, Kowale, Popielniki, Pereciatki, Wolowniki, Nakwasy - no Jews listed | |
| #16 1.Widow of Zydowicz with Jan Zydowicz. | Osowo. The patronymic means Jewish, could he be a son of convert?) |
| 16 1/2-Jan Zydowicz | Osowo. |
| Notes After Nakwasy)
Ziemiane elders who [settle?] here mentioned: separately 1. Mikolay Zydowicz with Brylewska widow (3 wlok 5?) tax: 6. 2. Mikolay Jan and Woyceh Zydowiczi 3. Stanislaw Zydowicz's [widow?] died this(?) year. 4.(also mentioned people who had horses among them Woyceh and Michal Zydowicz | |
| Wlosc Smolevichi | |
| Rubin Aronowicz Jew | Smolevichi 1st Market Quarter (size? 2, dues 33 1/2) free, to rent. Also Na Zamoscciu oromych rezow 9z (w kozdem reszie po mor[a] z/5 |
| 2 Rubin Jew renter | free |
| 1 on Inn, to/[towards?] rent by a Jew. Free | |
| Dues: rent from inns, mills, tolls and other according to renter's list pays Jew Rubin - Kop 260. | |
| Wolma (Miasteczko). 3rd Quarter 1 palce - rented by Jew - (dues: free) | |
| Place on the other side of river Wolma and in following villages no Jews lsited: Plisa, Zablocie (Zabolotie), Szemetowo (Shemetovo), Pokalino, Draczkowo, Hlebkowicze (Glebkovichi), Horodziszcze , Domonciszki, Slepnia | |
| Bourgeois (Mieszanie) in [..] place Minsk. - Christians, including many Tatars. | |
| Dues of Smolevichi (settlement) - #5-6 two places (1 each) same Jew (towards rent) 1 place. Free. | |
| Dues of Zarzecze (Zarechie) on Zarechie (places) houses(?) 5 which was rented out, pays Rubin Jew - Kop 1. Also he pays "Opackie (Abberss?) [for the right of ] mok(?) and mows (the lawn). | |
| Puszczaz Pushcha(?) Borisowska - (Zascianki which belongs to this(?) settlement. There is a Jew renter who holds (towards the rent) "swey mokcez"(?) free. | |
| Kocieyki dues: there is also according to [price?], Rubin Jew Smolewicky (i.e. of Smolevichi) [size? 12] pays 2.30. | |
| Piotrowicze (Petrovichi) - #18 (on) Jew renter Wolmienskie (this name appear for other people too. Possibly a family he rented the place from. | |
| Dues of village Draczkowo(?) - Israel Jew Wolmienskie in Zurowszczyzna (Zhurovchizna) (area: 4) dues: 0.20 | |