The History of Lignowy

The first known charter granted to Lignowy was issued to a Teutonic landmaster named Heldwig von Goldbach in 1300-1302.  In 1381 the Grand Master of the Teutonic knights, Wynryk von Kniprode, issued a new charter to the village when the old one expired. The new document was an acknowledgement of the previous one.  The village owned 69 łanów(from 7,5 to 32 hectares = 1 łan) from which five free ones went to the head of the hamlet, and four łanów to the Parish priest.  The head of the hamlet also drew additional money from claims.  Lignowy was also annexed to the Teutonic Order district in Gniwie.

When the acts of location were granted, German colonists started to arrive in the area.  The available sources do not mention what happened to the people that lived there before.  They probably remained on their place, but were relegated to the status of landless peasants.  German colonization brought changes in both the economic and legal government of the village.

After the thirteen-year war in 1466, former Teutonic estates entered the possession of the Polish kings.  In Royal Prussia the estates were changed into headships of districts.  Lignowy and Rudno belonged to the administrative district of Gniewskie, which is confirmed by scrutiny from 1570.  However, in the 15th century, the tenure was separated from it.  It can be found from the available information that the first known tenant of Lignowy and Rudno was a town councilor named Tiedemann Giese (around 1488).  The Giese family was in possession of the estates, and the last tenant from the family (also from Tiedemann ancestery) inherited the administration of Lignowy and Rudno after the death of his father in 1534, but didn't continue after he ceased to be in charge of the Lignowska tenure.

It is known, however, that in 1549 Jerzy Konopacki, who was a castellan of Gdańsk, and layman head of the district, was given an authorization to administer Lignowy, Rudno and Gręblin with the obligation to redeem Gręblin from the hands of Jakub Rexa.  Lignowy and Rudno were under control of the Konopackich family until 1574.  Because of the executions of the wealthy in 1569,  Lignowskie holdings were taken away from one of the Konopackich owners (Jerzy) and given to Stanisław Rzyjmiejski. After the death of King Zygmunt August, Konopacki reclaimed it by force. When the Wielkopolskie nobility attempted to take it away, their actions were thwarted by Krzysztof Kostka, head of the Golubski district.  It was an important issue in the Convocation Seym in 1573 and the Coronation Seym in 1574. In spite of the fact that the king issued a decree in favour of Przjemski (7th 4 1574) it was not worth the paper it was written on.  A Seym commission issued him the holdings with the right to attack to reclaim it.  Przejemski returned to his holdings in 1577 (possibly earlier) and held it until 1593.

In the following years the klucz remained in the hands of the Przmiejski’s, first of a son Krzsztof (1596-1611), and then his brother Andrzej (1611-1618) who handed it over perpetually to his son, Adam Dymitr Wejher and his wife Katarzyna Opelinska in 1624. The presence of Wejher in the holding from 1624, is confirmed by research.

Dymitr Wejher (ca. 1579-1628), a castellan of Gdańsk, was the son of  a colonel, (head of Puckie district) and Anna Mortęskich.  In his youth, he was abroad gaining experience in the arts of warfare.  After returning to his country he married Gertruda Konarska.  In 1611 he assumed the headship of the Koscierskie district. ( he founded a village named Szymbark on his holdings for settlers from Pomorskie Zachodnie and built a Protestant church). After Gertruda’s death, he married Katarzyna Opalinska, Peter's daughter who was royal sewer.  In 1621 he obtained the headship of the Lignowski district.  He was also a tenant of Brudziew district and part of Orłów.  In 1626 he participated in the revision of Gdańsk's monastery of carmelites in contention with a town council.  He died on 25th August 1628.

After his death, Katarzyna (his wife) married Gerard Denholf (1589-1648) the head of Koscierskie district.  In his youth, he was sent to the Brandenburg elector's court where he educated himself in the arts of war. In 1626-1629 he fought with the Swedes over the "mouth of the Vistula". In 1629 he married Katarzyna Opalinska, Dymitr Weiher's widow, which resulted in his obtaining the headship of Koscierskie district in perpetuity. As a protestant of German origins, he remained on good terms with Gdansk.  In 1642 he obtained holdings in Malbork from King Władysław VI. Afterward he contributed to a renovation of a castle in Malbork.  In 1642 he was given a senatorship, Gdańsk's castellany, and in 1643 become Palatine of Gdańsk while simultaneously seizing the office of treasurer’s deputy after Paweł Działyński. After the death of his first wife, Katarzyna, in 1637, he remarried Małgorzata, a duchess from Brzeg and Legnica.  He administered the holding throughout his life until 1648. From 1648 until 1731 the Lignowski tenure was owned by the heads of the Koscierski district from the Denhoffów family: after the death of Gerard in 1648-1657 – Sybilla Małgorzata Denhoffa in 1657 - 1638 Władysław Denhoff, which is confirmed by research.
 
   Władysław Denhoff (1639 - 1683) was Palatine of Pomorskie and treasury deputy of Royal Prussia.  He was the son of Pomorskie's Palatine, Gerard, and Brzesko-Legnicka's duchess, Sybillia Małgorzata.  In 1651 he began to study in Torun's gimnasium, and in 1655 became the head of Koscierskie district.  Soon afterwards he enlisted as a soldier serving under the command of Jan Sobieski.  He managed to get into the royal court of Jan Kazimierz.  After 1664 he was a member of Royal Prussia's parliament.  Jan Kazimierz appointed him as a chamberlain of Pomorskie before his abdication. In 1673 he took part in a battle in nearby Chocim.  After the death of Michał Korybut he approved the election of Jan Sobieski.  On 23 February, 1677 he was made castellan of Cheminsk, and in the summer became Palatine of Pomorskie.
  
    After his death, the tenure was owned by a widower named Konstancji Denhoffowej (1683-1713), after which, it was Stanisław Denhoff who ruled it (1717-1728) and in 1728 Maria Zofia Donhoffowa (Sieniowska) who after marrying August Aleksander Czartoryski made him tenant of Lignowy until 1771.  On 13 June, 1771 he handed it over to his son the Flemingów. After the first partition Prussia's government acknowledged the holding to be inherited and did not make a claim. In 1787 Adam Czartoryski sold it privately. The available literature does not say who he sold it to.
 
   The Sołecka book suggests that in 1749 the governor of the Lignowska tenure was a Captain Marcin de Rostken. In his presence a new head of the hamlet, Piotr Rajkowski, was sworn in on 25 September, 1749.

-Piechowska, Malgorzata, “Klucz lignowski do konca XVIII wieku”, Kociewski Magazyn Regionalny, 1999, #2, pgs 33-34  (Translated from Polish)