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János Hegedüs (1763–1803) |
János Hegedüs (1725?-1790?) → János
Hegedüs (1763–1803) Mihály Hegedüs (1797–1827) János Hegedüs (1819–1870) Béla Hegedüs (1858–1945) Dr Ödön
Hegedüs (1905–1997) |
He was probably born in 1763, but we do not know the
date of his birth exactly, because the church books of the Reformed Church in Magyarszecsőd, in which the births of
the Calvinist population of Hidashollós were recorded, began only in
1784. His birth record – if it was recorded at all – might be in
the Calvinist church books of Felsőőr. His father was János Hegedüs, his
mother’s name is not known.
Our first information about him is the record of his
wedding of 1792 in the church book of Magyarszecsőd: “Die 20. Febr.
H. Hollóson lakó Hegedűs János copuláltatott az ő eljegyzett Mátkájával,
Néhai Csuti Illyés árva hajadon leányával
Katalinnal. Kezesek: Bogár Ferentz, Csúti Mihály. NB.
A’ Móringjok – 100. forént.”
“On Febr. 20, János Hegedűs from H.Hollós married his
engaged fiancée, the late Illyés Csuti’s maiden daughter
Katalin. Bestmen: Ferenc Bogár, Mihály Csúti. NB: Their
dowry – 100 forints.” Katalin Csuti was also from Hidashollós,
but her birth records are not known. (Her father Illyés Csuti was still
alive in 1785 when his daughter Theresia was born from his wife Mária
Német. It is not sure that Katalin’s mother was Mária
Német too; given the age gap she had perhaps been born from an earlier
marriage of his father.)
The couple had four children: Julianna (02.23.1795
– 02.28.1795) lived only a few days. Their son Mihály reached adulthood just
like their daughter Zsuzsanna (*11.26.1799), who married Mihály
Tzál in 1820. The youngest child was baptized as Julianna again,
(04.26.1802–10.08.1805), but she died at the age of three.
János Hegedüs was probably an important
member of the local Calvinist community. The record of his death in the
churchbook contains the title “curator” next to his name. He was
the elected layman who led the community together with the pastor and
controlled the financial affairs.
That is all we know about János
Hegedüs’s life. He died in 1803, aged 40. The record in the church
book of Magyarszecsőd reads as follows: “Oct 26. H. Hollósi
Nemes Hegedüs János – Curator – [kora:] 40. e.
[halál oka:] sinlődés.”
“Oct. 26. Noble János Hegedüs of H. Hollós –
Curator – [age:] 40 y. – [cause of death:] illness.” The word
“sinlődés” was usually used to illnesses when the
person gradually lost his or her force. (The reason was often tubercolosis.)
It is not known what happened to his widow after his
death.
Although we do not have specific evidence, we think it
is highly probable, that the following sentence of a registry of the nobles of
Vas Country (1781/82) refers to the same János Hegedüs: “In
Hidas-Hollós. Joannis olim Hegedüs filius pariter Joannes ex
Possessione Felseő-Eör oriundus, at Annis abhinc circiter 30 inde abscedens
habet filios Joannem et Franciscum.”
(Source: Schneider Miklós: Vas
vármegye nemesi összeírásai, Kőszeg,
1941-1942.) If it is the same person, it means that he had a brother called
Ferenc, his father and grandfather were both called János, and his
father moved from Felsőőr to Hidashollós around 1750. In the
church books of Magyarszecsőd we found a Ferenc Hegedüs of
Hidashollós, who was born in 1764 and died in 1835 – he was
probably János’s brother.