Source catalogue

The Górka brothers send two representatives to collect money deposited with the Lviv authorities by the late Andrzej Nakuski [?]. They are to collect the sum and, if necessary, issue a receipt on the senders’ behalf.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms and renews all existing rights, privileges, immunities, and possessions granted to the city of Lwów by his predecessors and by himself. At the same time, he places the burghers and their property under royal protection, prohibiting the imposition of new burdens and the violation of the boundaries of municipal jurisdiction.

Castellan of Poznań Melchior Gurowski asks the Voivode of Ruthenia for protection over his estates and their exemption from winter quarters for the army. He also reports on the activities of Prince Conti's supporters in Greater Poland in anticipation of the upcoming sejmik.

Melchior Gurowski thanks Jan Stanisław Jabłonowski for his intercession and for freeing his leaseholds from the burden of military quartering, promising mutual assistance in the execution of assignments. At the same time, he commends to the care of the Voivode of Ruthenia the case of a client seeking justice.

Gurowski protests a renewed hiberna assignment despite receipts from the Lviv commission. He gives a daily cost of sixteen złoty plus upkeep for deputies, requests their withdrawal and mentions paralysis and undelivered receipts.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms to the Archbishop of Lviv, Piotr Starzechowski, the chapter, and the clergy of the metropolitan church in Lviv all rights, privileges, freedoms, and immunities granted by his predecessors. This confirmation was issued at the General Sejm in Piotrków in fulfillment of the monarch's coronation oath.

Aleksander Gurowski assures Voivode Jan Jabłonowski of his efforts to enforce the collection of due sums as quickly as possible after the upcoming sejmik. He also announces his appearance before a military commission to clear himself of false accusations and asks for continued protection.

Aleksander Gurowski informs Jan Jabłonowski about his economic activities in Olkusz and his planned marriage following the advice of the Voivode of Poznań. He asks the recipient for letters of recommendation and protection in confederation matters, declaring his full readiness to serve at the upcoming sejmiks.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms the privilege of his father, Sigismund I the Old, from 1547, which incorporated the cathedral deanery into the common table of the metropolitan chapter in Lviv. The document regulates the rules for filling the office of dean after the death of Jan Krupski, as well as issues of income distribution and the fulfillment of duties.

Guttinius thanks Hayder for bringing his affair to a successful conclusion. He promises to discuss Hayder’s matter with a judge and reciprocate. The address notes receipt on 14 March.

Tullius Guttinius asks Lviv councilor Matthias Hayder to inspect and redeem pledged goods from Mr. Broniś to avoid the accumulation of interest, offering immediate reimbursement of the advanced sums in Warsaw or Gdańsk. He also authorizes the recipient to keep the goods as security or to sell them during the upcoming St. Agnes fair.

Tullius Guttinius asks Lviv councilor Maciej Hayder to oversee the purchase of goods and to indicate the recipient for the funds prepared for this purpose. He also informs him that the court ruling has been postponed until New Year and asks him to notify the judge.

Tullius Guttinius informs Maciej Hayder about appointing Claudius Hennier to redeem goods pledged to a Jewish creditor and about transferring funds for this purpose. He firmly rejects any concessions towards Mr. Gross, holding him responsible for financial losses and legal costs.

Guttinius thanks the councillors for congratulations on his secretaryship and promises assistance to the city. A postscript thanks them for fifteen thalers.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms the privilege of his father, Sigismund I the Old, from 1546, granting the mayor and councilors of the city of Lviv the perpetual right of patronage and presentation of the provost of the Church and Hospital of the Holy Spirit in Lviv. The document invalidates any conflicting grants and orders the Archbishop of Lviv to institute the candidate presented by the municipal authorities.

Archbishop of Rimini, Jan Davia, thanks the Hetman and Voivode of Ruthenia, Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski, for his remembrance and shares pessimistic reflections on the affairs of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the consequences of the peace treaty with Turkey. He also notes that in the current situation, the only concerns may arise from Prussia.

Davia doubts his journey to Ruthenia as the king’s travel becomes uncertain. He calls for former valour to awaken, reports agreement between parties and a need for funds to move over 30,000 soldiers.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms to the elders and the community of Lwów Armenians all rights, privileges, liberties, immunities, and ancient customs granted by his predecessors, including King Sigismund I the Old.

Dalton reports on the suspension of the trial of the Starosta of Krasnystaw and military efforts made to His Majesty regarding the 'komput' (military register) and the position of regimentarz. He also conveys news about the Sapieha family intercepting a royal instruction, the King's uncompromising stance toward the Starosta, and rumors of a rebellion in Moscow and the death of the Tsar.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms the privilege of his father, Sigismund I the Old, from 1545, granting the mayor and councilors of Lviv a one-time right of patronage and presentation of a candidate for the mansionary at the Church of St. Catherine at the Lower Castle. The document obliges the Archbishop of Lviv to immediately appoint the clergyman indicated by the city authorities.

Angelo Maria Ranuzzi, Archbishop of Damiata, responds to a letter from the mayor and councilors of Lviv, promising fair and favorable treatment of the local furriers' guild case. He also assures them of his readiness to assist the city authorities in other matters and wishes them prosperity.

King Sigismund II Augustus exempts the Armenians of Lwów from the jurisdiction of all land and castle courts, placing them exclusively under the jurisdiction of the wójt (advocatus) and Armenian elders judging according to Armenian law. All appeals from this court are reserved exclusively for the royal court.

Crown Treasurer Jan Mikołaj Daniłowicz calls upon the mayor and councilors of Lwów to immediately release foreign merchants and their goods from custody so they may proceed to the fair in Lublin. He emphasizes that the unlawful detention of the merchants causes losses to the state treasury and violates the exclusive jurisdiction of the Treasurer in customs and fiscal matters.

Crown Treasurer Jan Mikołaj Daniłowicz admonishes the Lviv City Councilors for unlawfully summoning the supervisors of the Sandomierz customs chamber to the Tribunal, bypassing his jurisdiction. He orders the cessation of such lawsuits and instructs that all claims and privileges concerning customs duties be directed to him personally.

Daniłowicz demands the delivery of the belongings of a deceased Greek from the city deposit. He invokes the right of escheat and the king’s wishes, and promises to preserve the property until the parties’ rights are considered.

Crown Treasurer Jan Mikołaj Daniłowicz declares his goodwill to the authorities of Lwów and his readiness to grant the city priority in leasing the czopowe tax. He stipulates, however, that the condition for concluding the contract is the prior enactment of this levy by the Sejm.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms the act of Sigismund I the Old from 1526, establishing the annual obligation for the incumbent Lviv councilors to submit reports on municipal revenues before a commission composed of former councilors, jurors, and the commonalty. Participants of the financial audit are bound by oath to maintain absolute secrecy regarding the results of the accounts.

Cardinal Henri Albert de La Grange d'Arquien asks the Voivode of Ruthenia to send from Lviv the trial documents necessary to obtain compensation for the insult he suffered in Magierów. He also sends greetings to the Grand Hetman and the recipient's family.

Cardinal d’Arquian thanks the recipient for friendship and interest in his affairs, promises to demonstrate his gratitude and asks him to convey assurances of service to the grand hetman.

Stanisław Borek, acting as judge-commissioner for the Bishop of Kraków, Samuel Maciejowski, accepts the resignation of Marcin Słap and solemnly inducts Stanisław Słomowski into the office of parish priest of the parish church in Działoszyce. He orders the vicars and parishioners to recognize the new rector and to provide him with all due income and obedience.

The Marquis d’Arquien expresses deep concern due to unfavorable news about his niece's health, conveyed to him by the Castellan of Kraków. He earnestly requests the Voivode of Volhynia, Jan Stanisław Jabłonowski, to send him the latest news regarding her condition.

The sender informs Joanna Domicela Jabłonowska about the trip of the Marshal's wife and his sister to Kock for a stay of several weeks. He encourages the addressee to surprise them and arrive for a joint meeting halfway.

The Marquis d'Arquien informs Hetman Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski that due to the lack of designated payment from the Prussian treasury and from the Voivode of Poznań, the previously concluded settlement has become void. Due to the failure to meet the terms of the agreement, the author of the letter announces a return to his original financial claims and asks the Hetman for instructions.

The Marquis d'Arquien expresses regret over the lack of support from Hetman Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski in a dispute concerning the starosta office, which he had counted on due to family ties. However, he assures the recipient that he will handle the usurpers' claims himself, noting that any concessions would primarily affect future possessors of these estates.

The marquis asks for intervention concerning a debt and a dispute before the Lviv castle court, naming witnesses and requesting that the events be investigated.

King Sigismund II Augustus grants the mansionaries of the metropolitan cathedral in Lviv a garden with a manor and a meadow within the city of Lviv. The granted properties are incorporated into ecclesiastical immunity and exempted from all burdens as well as castle and municipal taxes.

Darowski rejects the demand for taxes dating from before he took possession of the tenement. He describes a ruined roof, water undermining the foundations, and the billeting of soldiers; he asks that the building’s condition be taken into account and that he receive a written reply.

The document approves an agreement concluded between the city council of Lviv and the butchers' guild, defining the permitted periods and forms of free meat trade to counteract high prices. It also regulates the rules for collecting market fees for the benefit of the butchers and the Lviv castle.

Andrzej Dędyński requests the addressee's intercession to reach an amicable settlement regarding the Skotnicki orphans' property claims to the Kiziów estate. He appeals for a resolution to the dispute without a protracted and costly lawsuit, citing the duties of a guardian and Christian charity.

Lviv Archbishop Piotr Starzechowski transfers a sum with an annual rent secured on the Stołpin estate to the needs of the Lviv Cathedral fabric, orders estate managers to take an oath to secure assets sede vacante, and grants canons and vicars the right to fell timber in Obroszyn.

Jakub Dementer justifies the delays in his correspondence, explaining them by his difficult situation in Husiatyn and the arbitrariness and intrigues of the Voivode and Barnet. He assures his desire to satisfy his creditors and asks for a representative to be sent to assess the situation on-site, as well as for patience until he can settle his accounts personally.

Address of a shipment from Jakub Dementer addressed to Lviv councilor Maciej Hajder with instructions for personal delivery.

King Sigismund II Augustus confirms the ancient custom of the municipal gatekeepers in Lwów collecting a fee in the form of one piece of firewood and a bundle of hay or straw from every cart and sleigh entering the city. In return, the gate guards are obliged to keep the passages clean and ensure convenient entry into Lwów.

Bogusław Ernest Denhoff informs the Voivode of Volhynia about obstacles in presenting his letter to the busy Queen and mentions a conversation between the Voivode of Kalisz and the monarch. He declares his full readiness for further service and sends his respects to the Voivode, the Castellan, and the Voivodess of Volhynia.

King Sigismund II Augustus performs a transumpt and confirmation of four ancient royal privileges for the city of Lwów, concerning, among others, the staple right for all goods, the prohibition for Podolian and Ruthenian merchants to bypass the Lwów staple, the subjection of foreign merchants to municipal jurisdiction, and the rules for drafting wills and real estate transactions. The document grants these copies full legal force equal to the originals.

The sender describes hardship and disputes concerning estates, obligations, and military companies connected with a patron, and asks the addressee to intercede and help secure a just resolution. He mentions documents, earlier orders, soldiers, and wrongs, as well as attempts to remedy the situation. The letter begins on 8 December 1698; its conclusion is dated 19 January 1699. The addressee is titled Palatine of Ruthenia, but his surname could not be read with confidence.

King Sigismund II Augustus approves the legal custom of Lviv, decreeing, following the example of Kraków, that all actions, records, and donations made before the Lviv municipal council office have perpetual force equal to acts of a public court. The monarch also confirms the validity of all entries previously made in this manner.

The sender addresses the noble sirs and mentions the appointment of the suffragan bishop of Lviv, as well as the addressees’ merits and goodwill. The manuscript is damaged and illegible in many places; the details of the matter and the names cannot be reconstructed with confidence. The letter is dated in Warsaw, 9 December 1723. The sender’s signature is illegible.

King Sigismund II Augustus exempts the burghers and suburbanites of Lwów in their private matters from the jurisdiction of royal commissioners' courts and prohibits the issuance of such commissions against them. He further decrees that appeals from municipal verdicts are to be directed straight to the royal court via the official transmission of case records, without the necessity of the parties appearing in person before the commissioners.

Denhoff presents complaints by the Lviv Jewish community about wrongs and oppression by townspeople and asks for support and a fair hearing. He also mentions restrictions on trade and obstacles in the city. The letter is dated 19 December 1691; the place has been read as Janów.