Translated by
Rosina T. Schmidt
In the archives of the Komitat (County) of Szakadát is a
complaint of the town of
Varsad early settlers on Count of Mercy Estate to be found in
which the villagers listed the reasons why they would like to return
back home. Here is the translation:
1.The count disregards
almost all of the articles of the original agreement between the
settlers and him. From the area originally belonging to Varsad, the
count took a large chunk of meadow away to give it to the new settlers
of Szakadát, Kalaznó and Kistormás.
2.The villagers were
promised to be paid to transport goods to the manor house of Mrs.
Nigrinyi some 15 miles distance, this against the contract and in the
end were forced to do that service without being compensated for it.
When the settlers objected and complained they were threatened with the
Högyész tower (the prison tower in the town of Högyész).
3. Many different type of
wild animals destroyed the villagers newly sown fields. Hungry wolves
stole the chickens from their coops, but the settlers were not permitted
to kill those wolves.
4. The dogs had to be
chained at all times. But as the dogs always do, they would get loose
and the manors’ hunter would charge the dog owner for bringing the dogs
back and fine them two Forint.
5. When a poor settler
lent his trained oxen to someone and those trained oxen were exchanged
for three or four young ones, they had to pay a fee to the manor house.
6. As per the settlement
agreement, the settlers were free of any work obligations to the
landlord, yet they were forced to work on the Danube and transport logs
and other things.
7. Quite a few men
(carpenter and other artisans) worked in Högyész*
for one, even two months for the manor, without ever being compensated
for.
8. When the landlord’s
clerks asked a settler to do something, which was against their
contract, the clerks would immediately give that settler the notice when
he is to appear before the court in Högyész. They even threatened with
hanging.
9. The new settlers, who
disembarked from the boats in Tolna, had to transport themselves to the
Mercy estates. They had to pay 3 Forint each to Mr. Fendrichs. That
money did not pay for the transportation itself.
10. When someone sells his
property, he receives only 1/3; if the landlord throws someone out, he
still has to pay the outstanding mortgage on that property. The landlord
is not willing to give a receipt.
Johann Dallmata and Andreas
Maurer signed this declaration.
Note: Högyész was the place of Count of
Mercy Estate, the local Landowner.