By Roberta McGee
John (Jonas) Swegsda was born in 1911. It is not clear where he was born but his younger siblings were all born, from 1913 until 1928, in Auchinleck. Perhaps he was born in Poland where his parents originated from. John and his father were coalminers.
John married Annie De Sykes (or Kalwaitis) on 22nd July 1947 at St Thomas Roman Catholic Church, Muirkirk. The Marriage Certificate states: John (Jonas) Swegsda age 37yrs, coalminer, bachelor, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck. His father is Matthew Swegsda, coalminer and his mother is Francisis Waitkuke. His bride is Ann Kalwaitis known as De Sykes age 29yrs, 44 Linkieburn, Muirkirk, housekeeper, spinster whose father is Anthony Kalwaitis, railway surfaceman and her her mother is Mary Kalwaitis ms Stakalik deceased. The witnesses are William Swegsda, 120 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck and Margaret De Sykes, 1296 Maryhill Road, Glasgow.
N.B. There seems to have been various spellings of John's mother's maiden name eg. Wailkule,
Wailkula etc. Waitkuke seems to be the one favoured by SP index.
After their marriage John and Annie lived in Hut No. 112 Pennylands from 1949-1951.
(Image from Find a Grave)
Auchinleck Cemetery: Treasured memories of Margaret De Sykes
died 10/2/1953 aged 8yrs. Also her father John Swegsda died 5/8/1964
aged 53yrs, beloved husband of Annie De Sykes d 15/2/2012 aged 93yrs.
Anthony Kalwaitis De Sykes
Mary Stakelik De Sykes
William Kalwaitis De Sykes
(Image from Find a Grave)
Maggie Kalwaitis De Sykes
John Swegsda died 5th August 1964 at 16 Ballochmyle Avenue, Auchinleck, age 53yrs, coalminer married to Annie De Sykes. Father: Matthew Swegsda, coalminer deceased. Mother: Frances Swegsda ms Wailkule decd. Informant: John Bryden, brother-in-law, 2 Hillside Crescent, Auchinleck.
John's Parents were:
Mathew (Mathias) Swegsda who was a coalminer. He was born in 1882 in Cowanshire,
Lativanion, Poland and died 22/9/1959
in Auchinleck age 77yrs
and
Frances (Francisis) Waitkuke who was born in 1886 in Cowanshire, Lativanion, Poland and died
27/5/1959 in Auchinleck age 73yrs.
N.B. - Cannot find Cowanshire, Lativanion, Poland.
 |
| 1921 census of Scotland |
Their children were:
*John b 1911 perhaps Poland
d 5/8/1964 at 10 Ballochmyle Avenue, Auchinleck
married Annie De Sykes 22/7/1947 at St. Thomas RC Church, Muirkirk
Annie b 1913 Old Cumnock
aka Swiggs d 1995 Old Cumnock (SP Index Waitkuka)
married Bladisla Andrezanzkis 19/9/1936 Lugar
Marriage certificate: At The Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes & St. Patrick,
Birnieknowe, Lugar, Frank Miller (formerly Bladisla Andrezanzkis) age 29yrs
pithead worker 110 Skares, Cumnock Fa: Joseph Miller (formerly Joseph
Andrezanzkis) pithead worker Mo: Barbara Miller (formerly Andrezanzkis)
ms Balzilies to Annie Swiggs (formerly Annie Swegsda) age 23yrs, dispensary
maid, spinster, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck Fa: Mathias Swiggs (formerly
Mathias Swegsda) coalminer Mo: Frances Swiggs (formerly Frances Swegsda)
ms Waitkula Wtnesses: Adam McCallum, 151 Skares, Cumnock and Mary
Swegsda, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck. Frank Miller was another Lithuanian descendant. Frank was born in Skares but in 1901 his family was in Kilbirnie, North Ayrshire where his father Joe was a blast furnace labourer.
Mary b 15/2/1915 119 Skares Rows, Old Cumnock
aka Swiggs d 28/2/2004 Pontefract, Yorkshire, England.
Married Daniel Callaghan 28/11/1936 Lugar
Marriage certificate: At The Church Of Our Lady Of Lourdes & St. Patrick,
Birnieknowe, Lugar, Daniel Callaghan age 27yrs, farm servant, bachelor,,
East Collarie Farm, Fenwick. Fa: William Callaghan, farmer Mo: Annie
Callaghan ms Callaghan to Mary Swiggs, formerly Swegsda age 21yrs,
domestic servant, spinster, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck Fa: Mathias Swegsda
Mo: Francis Wailkula. Witnesses: Eric Barrowman, 24 Athol Street, Earlston,
Lancs and Frances Swiggs, 114 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck.
Anthony b 1916 Skares, Old Cumnock
d ?
Matheas b 1919 Auchinleck
1921 Auchinleck aged 2yrs. (SP Index Waitluke)
Frances b 1918 Auchinleck
aka Swiggs d 1998 Ayr ag 80 (Find a Grave) SP Index mms Wailkula
Married Eric Barrowman 1937 Birnieknowe, Lugar
(both are witnesses on sister Mary's marriage certificate 1936)
Wallace b 1920 Auchinleck
d 1995 Kilmarnock (SP Index) aged 75yrs
Married Rose Ann Jardine 1944 Hurlford & Crookedholm, Kilmarnock (SP Index)
Andrew b 1922 Auchinleck (SP Index)
d 20/10/2008 Auchinleck aged 85yrs (Find a Grave) (SP Index mms Waitkuke)
Married Barbara Denim Robertson 1945 Lugar (SP Index)
Male b 1924 Auchinleck
d
Anelia (f) b 1926 Auchinleck
d 1992 Auchinleck (SP Index mms Waitkuke)
Married Josef Lomako 1945 Lugar (SP Index) (Prob Birnieknowe)
Alexander b 1927 Auchinleck
d 28/7/2002 Auchinleck age 74 yrs (SP Index mms Waitkuke)
Alexandra b 1928 Auchinleck
d ?
The 1921 Census for 23 Ballochmyle, Auchinleck shows:
Swegsda Matheas M 29 born Cowanshire, Lativanion
Frances F 31 born Cowanshire, Lativanion
Annie F 7 born Cumnock
Mary F 6 born Cumnock
Anthony M 5 born Cumnock
Matheas M 3 born Auchinleck
Frances F 2 born Auchinleck
Wallace M 1 born Auchinleck
(Source - Cumnock Connections)
The Lithuanian Connection
John's wife Annie Kalwaitis later De Sykes was born 9/5/1918 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk and died 15/2/2012 in Auchinleck. Her parents were:
Father: Antonio (Anthony) Kalwaitis who was born about 1869 in Suvalkan, Vilkaviskis, Lithuania and died 27th June 1960 at 2 Hillside Crescent, Auchinleck. He later changed the family name to De Sykes.
Mother: Maria (Mary) Stakalis or Stakelik who was born abt 1874 in Krakow, Poland and died 6/4/1945 at Linkieburn Square, Muirkirk.
(Image from Find a Grave)
(Image from Find a Grave)
Antony & Mary's children were:
John Kalwaitis De Sykes b 1902 Muirkirk
d 25/12/1964 at 10 Colthart Drive, Muirkirk
Married Mary Ann Robertson at Muirkirk in 1964
William Kalwaitis De Sykes b 1904 Muirkirk
(coalminer) d 3/12/1963 at 49 Menzies Avenue, Netherthird, Old Cumnock
Married Jean McKay Mitchell in 1961 at Glasgow
(Image from Find a Grave)
Mary Kalwaitis De Sykes b 16/6/1906 New Terrace, Muirkirk
d 20/6/1978 Auchinleck
Married John Bryden 14/12/1937 at Barony Church Manse,
Auchinleck
Maggie Kalwaitis De Sykes b 8/7/1908 Muirkirk
d 3/4/1990 at 1 Wardlaw Road, Kilmarnock
Married 1st Thomas Ronney on 13/4/1928 at the Church of Scotland
Manse, Muirkirk. They were divorced 19/7/1945 . Maggie then
married James Fleming Waterson McColm in 1949 at Ayr.
(Image from Find a Grave)
George Anthony Kalwaitis
De Sykes b 21/3/1911 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk
d 19/5/1984 Burnley & Pendle, Lancashire, England
Married Irene Thompson in Apr 1937 at Luton, Bedfordshire.
Robert Kalwaitis De Sykes b 15/4/1915 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk
(mineral borer) d 5/2/1985 Glasgow
Married Margaret Hughes 26/4/1947 at St Mary's R.C. Church,
Maryhill, Glasgow. He was living at 99 Dalsalloch, Auchinleck,
at the time of his marriage. Margaret was a foundry worker. Her
family were originally from Co. Mayo, Ireland.
*Annie Kalwaitis De Sykes b 9/5/1918 at 48 Linkieburn, Muirkirk
d 15/2/2012 Auchinleck
Married John (Jonas) Swegsda 22/7/1947 at St. Thomas R.C.
Church, Wellwood Road, Muirkirk.
Why did Lithuanians come to Scotland?
Lithuanians began to arrive in Scotland in small numbers in the 1870s but by the 1890s they were arriving in larger numbers. Their reasons for coming were varied. Some were agricultural workers who had been recruited by the agents of Scottish coal and iron companies such as Baird and wanted to leave Lithuania because of the poverty there. Many of these were 'stage migrants' who, once they had saved enough money, would move on to another country such as America. Others were escaping the Russification policies and some were escaping conscription into the Russian Army.
Read more about the Russification of Lithuania here
The Lithuanians were not made welcome in Scotland. They were met with discrimination and hostility because they were seen as competition for jobs and were prepared to work for less money than the Scottish miners. The employers were often accused of using them as strike breakers. Even Keir Hardie led a fierce xenophobic campaign against them. They spoke poor or no English and were devout Catholics in a fiercely Presbyterian Scotland. They were routinely referred to as 'Poles' or 'Russian Poles'. Many had their names changed by immigration officers at the pits but many voluntarily changed their names in a bid to avoid harassment and fit in with Scottish society more easily. The family of John Swegsda's wife Annie Kalwaitis, later De Sykes, was an examples of this.
Read more about the Lithuanians here
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