From the History of the Basilian Monks in Jēkabpils. Two Letters from the End of the 18th Century from the Former Archive of the Borch Family

Abstract

The two letters from the end of the 18th century presented here are an interesting source for research into the history of the Basilian mission in eighteenth-century Jēkabpils (in Polish: Jakobsztat). They were written by Basilian monks working in the town and addressed to an unknown person, who, however, must undoubtedly be identified as Michał Jan Borch (in Latvian: Mihaels fon der Borhs), owner of the Varakļāni (in Polish: Warklany) estate in the former Polish Livonia (in Polish: Inflanty Polskie). The addressee of both letters is not accidental. The Basilian monks asked Borch for support of conducted construction works, bearing in mind that it was his ancestor who had funded their mission. Michał Jan Borch did not disappoint the monks, as he fulfilled at least some of the requests addressed to him.