Historical facts

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• 1615 The son of Adam, George Blinstrub (S15, Georgius Blinstrub, nobilis Lituanus) joined the Protestant University of Marburg (Germany). He joined Frankfurt Order university on Januray 1621.

• 1644 December 7 David Blinstrub (S16) has accused Jurbarkas elder Martin Czudowski that this 1,000 Polish groszy had returned a fake coin tossed in his manor. (Samogitia castle court (1644), VUB RS, f. 7, No. 14463.)

• 1696 May 1 Catholic Boguslav Peter Blinstrub of Towtwil (S21), the son of George Blinstrub and the grandson of Adam, ruined the Calvinist chapel built by his Protestant ancestors John Blinstrub of Towtwil (S18, King Wladyslaw Vasa and John Casimir’s secretary) and his wife Elena Vainiotaite Blinstrubiene (S28) in 1645 in the territory of Blinstrubiškiai manor, near the Alsa river and even destroyed the Mausoleum (chapel) with his ancestor’s coffins. In 1707 The Provincial Synod of the Evangelical Reforms of Lithuania appealed to the Lida Court in Vilnius concerning that. In October 1712 by the decision of the Minsk Tribunal, Boguslav Blinstrub was deported for life from Samogitia and Kaunas County and received a 2740 zloty fine. After that, he settled down in Vilnius.

• Until April 20, 1702, Babtai (Bopty) manor with the lands belonged to Upyte marshal and the Sasiai county elder George Melchior Blinstrub of Towtwil (S62) and Elena Puzynianka Blinstrubiene of Kozelski. The sale act (below) mentions that Babtai Manor and Sasiai county (Surviliškis parish) was given to George Melchior Blinstrub  as the privilege of the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania (most likely John Casimir or Jan Sobieski) , which George Blinstrub and his wife retain after selling Babtai manor. The manor was sold for 10000 timfs to John Prozor with his wife Anna Rose Prozoriene in 1702.04.20.

• 1729.07.08, priest Adam Blinstrub of Chrzczon (W7), filled his father’s Christopher’s Blinstrub of Chrzczon (W6) last will and became a donator of Viduklė catholic church. He donated to it’s needs villages of Pašaltuonis, Palapišiai and Užuomedis, Lauksminiškė folwark, 9100 timfs and 4 oxen (LVIA, f. SA, b. 14796, l 670-671 and 14526, p.130-131).

• Utena manor in the 18th century was owned by Theodor Blinstrub of Towtwil (S38). 1719 04 29 owners of Utena manor – Smolensk voiski Theodor Blinstrub with his wife Felicia Ciechanovičiūtė (S65) deposited Utena manor for one year to Smolensk cupbearer Nikolai Franckevich for 650 talers.

Court case of Christopher Blinstrub ws the witch Susanna Šlekienė

In 1680 Christopher Blinstrub of Chrzczon (W6), owner of the Raulai manor, accused his maid Susanna Šlekienė  on witchcraft. He claimed that thanks to her spells, his wife Darata Stanislavičiūtė Blinstrubienė (W30) and three minor children died in the short term. The Raseiniai County Court received Susanna Šlekienė confession that she had been practicing witchcraft for 25 years and named her teacher Sofia Sorokienė from Pašaltuonis and Davida Stasiukaitienė, who had already been burned for witchcraft. He also acknowledged relationship with the Devil named Paul. As a sacrifice to the devil, she caught a piglet in Mr Blinstrub’s barn. Part of the blood of the pig drank devil Paul and the other part Šlekienė spilled in the manor. Later on Christmas evening in 1679 , together with Michael Budrecki, his wife and two other women, drowned piglet carrion into the manor’s pond .

Susanna Šlekienė, summoned the death of three of Kristup Blinstrub’s children by following way – bewitched Theophilia Blinstrubaitė (W38) in some way that child died in two years;  other daughter bewitched by “spilling on her water from a spring where he swimmed with devil Paul” and child died, and then she bewitched to the death an underage son of the lord with the help of their chickens and spells. In addition, Šlekienė, along with other witches, for wizardry used the swaddling leather or items stolen from future victims.  As accomplices, Susanna Šlekienė named the spouses Budreckai and Solomon Puzas. – They are oldest and most powerful wizards, said Šlekienė. They conceal many devils’ powers.

Asked if she went to the church and confessed, he replied: “I went, but in the church they behaved unfairly and unscathed – I always dropped the sacrament out of my mouth. In addition, Šlekienė admitted that several times, with magic society, gathered at meetings near the River Saltuona. Before the meetings, they met a devil in the agreed place near a spring. The devil, “the ruler of all of them,” always came from a moss, along with his two servants, Peter and Jacob, and spilled on all magic water. She then, like others, left her body and turned the ghost and moved into a meeting on the mountain.

Judges of the Raseiniai County Court, having heard such a testimony of Susanna Šlekienė, decided to admit her as a witch and send her for torture and then burned her.

After three hours of torture, Susanna did not denied any of her companions she named her, except for one young woman who began to study witchcraft but interrupted and joined the Holy Trinitymonastery – writes Michael Žilevičius, the court clerk.

After the burning down of Susanna Šlekienė, a trial began against other wizards named by her. Sofia Sorokienė was the first to be sentenced. She also admited as a witch and burned down. Later was Solomon Puzas turn, the most powerful and chief magician. Since he did not confessed any judges,it was decided to test him with water, during which he floated on the surface of the water in front of everyone. After this test, he was given to a headsman  for torture. During the torture, he confessed to various innocent things, such as giving sick people treating herbs. After that, he began to speakan unknown language. When asked what he was talking about,he did not answer anything. Then he was publicly burned. It happened in 1680 March 22, four days later,  after the witch Budreckiene was burned. Source: Raseiniai Land Court Book of 1680