A fugitive wanted

Here a leaflet is published that informed about a fugitive serf and asked everybody to help to find him. The leaflet was printed by the Vidzeme [Livland] government in 1800 and was distributed to all parishes of the province with instructions to Pastors to read it in churches and after that to send it to all manors of the parishes as a circular letter. See about circular letters in another Page.

I decided not to propose a translation of the text, but only to inform you what actually was the essence of the letter. Its full text in German you may read below.

The letter informed that Baron Omancov, a retired major who lived in Burtnieki manor, sold Jacob Johan Krickmeyer and his wife and children to colonel Miklašovski in 1792. At the same time he (I think - Miklašovski) granted to J.J.Krickmeyer written permission to earn his living in Vidzeme [Livland] province. Now in 1800 the owner had no information about his property and asked the Vidzeme government to publish a leaflet about the fugitive serf, which was really done, and all inhabitants of the province were asked to chase the fugitives and to get them to the nearest Order court (an apriņķis level court). Those who eventually tried to hide the family were informed that this deed will be prosecuted.

The both owners of J.J.Krickmeyer had Russian type names, which allows to suppose that they were invited to the manor by the manor's owner Count Rumjancev, who was a high level official in the Empire.

For me it was rather interesting that the serf had the family name. Actually in the Vidzeme province of that time the serfs had no family names, and, to tell the truth, they did not need them, because no hereditary family name was necessary for living and working in a farm. I suppose that J.J.Krickmeyer acquired his name at the time when written permission to go to work outside Burtnieki farm was prepared for him. Just for your information, the name Krickmeyer was mentioned in the list of Livland's province officials in 1863, E.Krickmeyer was an assistant of the chief editor of the province newspaper.

Publication

Demnach bey der Liefländischen Gouvernements-Regierung der auf dem Gute Schloß-Burtneek sich aufhaltende verabschiedete Major, Baron Omanzow, supplicando vorgestellet hat, daß der ihm erbgehörige, mit seinem Weibe und seinen Kindern im Jahr 1792 dem Herrn Obristen Miklaschowsky käuflich überlassene Jacob Johann Krickmeyer, der damals von ihm mit einem Erlaubniß-Schein, um im Liefländischen Gouvernement durch Arbeiten seinen Unterhalt zu erwerben, abgelassen gewesen, seitdem, aller angewandeten Mühe ohnerachtet, bis jetzt nicht habe aussindig gemacht werden können; weshalb er gebeten, durch eine zu erlassende allgemeine Publikation diese Läuflings-Familie ausfindig zu machen und unter Verwahrung der auf die Läuflings-Heelung gesetzten Strafe ihm denselben einliefern zu lassen; welchem Gesuch auch die Gouvernements-Regierung statt zu geben resolviret hat; als werden demnach alle und jede, welchen der Aufenthalt dieses Läuflings, wie auch seines Weibes und seiner Kinder bekannt seyn sollte, oder noch bekannt werden möchte, von dieser Gouvernements-Regierung ernstlichst und bey Vermeidung der auf die Läuflings-Heelung gesetzten Strafe angewiesen, diese Läuflinge sofort zur haft zu bringen, und das nächste Ordnungs-Gericht zur weitern Transportirung an ihren Erbherrn abgeben zu lassen.

Riga-Schloß, am 11ten April, 1800

C.A. von Richter.

G.Schwartz. A.Karomalyn

Secretair Fr.Eckardt