| Notes |
- JAKUB, a "Rolnik" or "Sedlak" (meaning, in English, a "farmer"), was living in Odranec, house #10, when his daughter, Barbora, was born. The evidence suggests he and his family were Protestants. Upon JAKUB's death, his farm was inherited by his son, FRANTISEK.
The surname TOPINKA was well known in Odranec during the 19th century. In contemporary Czech language, "topinka" (in English) means "toast or toasted bread". In ancient times "topinka" may have had a different meaning since it is derived from "topit" which means "to heat or to make something hot". In a book listing the meaning of Czech surnames, "TOPINKE" also is described as an "unglazed file; a thin board or even a playing card".
JAKUB and his wife, TEREZIE PEKAREK lived in Odranec -house # 10. Odranec is a small village located 6 miles north-east of Nove Mesto na Morave, a district city in Moravia, The Czech Republic. At the end of the 19th Century, Odranec contained approximately 50 houses with about 340 inhabitants.
The majority inhabitants of Odranec were Protestants with a small number being Catholics.The villagers worshiped in Protestant and Catholic churches located in Nemecke, a nearby market town which changed it's name to Snezne in 1945 after World War II.
The earliest known TOPINKA families in JAKUB's line lived in houses # 6 and # 10. Other TOPINKA families lived in houses # 8, 13, 25, 26, 30, 34, 37, 38, 40 and 44. They probably were all related to each other -- some close while others were further apart. During the 1780s, two distantly related TOPINKA families were joined together by marriage of JOSEF TOPINKA (the son of JIRI [Georg] TOPINKA and his wife, FRANTISKA SLAMA who lived in house # 6) to BARBORA TOPINKA ( the daughter of JAKUB TOPINKA and his wife, TEREZIE PEKAREK who lived close by in house # 10). It is believed that JOSEF and BARBORA were third or fourth cousins.
Beginning in the 13th century and extending into the end of the 19th century, the rural population of what is now known as The Czech Republic was stratified in several social-economic categories. The area surrounding an established village was divided into basic economic units called, in the Czech language, a "LAN". A "Lan" was 18 hectares (180,00 square meters or approximately 30 - 45 acres).
The owner of one (1) Lan was called, in Bohemia, a "Rolnik" or "Sedlak" (meaning, in English, a "farmer"). In Moravia, a "farmer" was called a "Lanik". The top stratum of the village population was occupied by the "Rychtar" and the "Rolniks", "Sedlaks" and "Laniks". They usually were the village's most wealthy and influential citizens.
Immediately below the "Rolnik/ Sedlak/ Lanik" level, was a second category of owner known as a "Pulnik". This class of farmers came into existence when a portion of a "Lan" had to be distributed to several of a farmer's heirs or was subdivided and sold to village newcomers. A "Pulnik" (pul = one- half, in Czech) was known as a "half- farmer", i.e., one who farmed approximately one-half of a "Lan".
A third category of owners, known as "Zahradnik" (zahrada = in Czech, a garden), were those farmers who owned less than 1/4 of a "Lan". Later, in the 18th century these small farmers were called a "Chalupnik".
Immediately above the lowest social-economic level of the rural villages were those called a "Domkar" or Baracnik" ( in English, a "Cottager"). These folks may have owned a small cottage with a small yard or garden in front or behind their cottage. In most cases these villagers may have rented agricultural land from other owners.
At the lowest level were those villagers called a "Podruh",i.e., laborers, who owned no property. A "Podruh" worked for farmers for little more than food and a place to sleep, usually in a barn or shed adjacent to the farmer's house.
It is said that in the "old days" the differences between the various village categories listed above, was as distinctive as the gaps between the various classes of nobility.
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Bef 1780 - Yes, date unknown
