In Steven's 3rd Great Grandfather Kasimmierz death record he was described as a sztachta ubogi (poor noble). The Popiel (Polish) Popel (Ukrainian) name shows up in several books beginning about 1400. Historians seem to agree that Knight Popel, born about 1380 and awarded Knighthood for valor in the Battle of Grunwald, was probably a progenitor of the family.
The Popels became a very propagated Ruthenian nobility that settled mostly around Sanok, Halich, Przemysl, Sambir, and Drohobycz (see map). Over the years, branches of the family took many nicknames and sometimes these nicknames became their family names as in Broniszowski, Chosciak, Chwostyk, Czarnokozic, Hunczak, Hryckowicz, Kisielewicz, Kiszczak, Kolodrob, Konaszewicz, Lastowczak, Malewicz, Oleszkowicz, Owsiannik, Petrykocz, Popowicz, Romanowicz, Salowicz, Stepaniuk, Zazula.
Some families were awarded undeveloped land to settle or land in exchange for military service/defense. They bought and sold several villages over the years. But most eventually became poor petty noble farmers. Popels are mentioned in many documents related to the estate and court matters of several villages and towns. There seems to be quite a bit of drama. For example, there are records of villages being taken back because of failure to satisfy military service and suits being filed for neglecting to maintain roads. After a salt deposit was found on their land near Drohobycz, the Queen took the land back. The land was eventually returned, less the mine and mineral rights.
The Popel-Konaszewiczs and the Popel-Kolodrubys were separate branches. The remarkable hetman (general) Petro Sahajdaczny, (1570-1622) was probably a descendant of Popel-Konaszewiczs. He was remembered fondly by the people and there were many popular folk songs about him.
In the Sanok-Przemysl-Drohobycz area of 1850, there were 65 noble Popel families (estate owners) and hundreds of Ruthenian (Ukrainian) landless petty gentry Popel families. Kasmirez, who lived 1744-1834, was likely one of the poor petty gentry.
A research paper of a Ukrainian petty gentry study has recently been published. It took a team years to find and then research the property, court, and family documents to piece things together. They found in the order of 10,000 gentry families in the Przemysl-Sambir-Drohobycz area. Unfortunate for us, they did not investigate as far as Chmiel.
This article discusses several of the more prominent Popel priests. Stephen's great uncle and his son entered the priesthood, but are not mentioned here. There were several notable Popel monks in the Ukraine. Google translate will be your friend.
Cвященство з шляхетного роду Попелів гербу Сулима і гербу Сас в Галичині у ХІХ-ХХ ст.
