During my childhoot my father ordered a photography of a manuscript of the monastry of Pannonhalma. APROD SZOKA, born in 1220 and ended his life in Guench (now Magyargencs) founded in 1268 on the property of the catholic church of Veszprem. Aprod described his first know family member as the headshepard of Geza, but in the council he had only a small word to say. The name Szoka means SZO-ka (small word)

Later, with the price Bathory in 1575 or with the Austrain-Hungrarian Monarchy a part of the family was spread in Poland, Bielorussia, Slovaks and in the beginning of the century in USA. However we can find descendents of APROD SZOKA in the Hungarian villages of Nemesszalok, Magyargencs, Kemeneshogyes and Ivanc.

Fact and theories concerning the spread of the SZOKA family in Europe and then throughout the world

Migration and Division: Hungarian and Polish branches

A manuscript found in 1930 in the Pannonhalma library show that Aprod SZOKA was born before 1220 in the Hungarian province of Veszprem which was then ecclesiastical property.

In that document Aprod Szoka relates his origins, namely, that his ancester was the head of a family of shepherds and therefor, being lower rank than warriors, he only had a small-word (SZO-ka means in Hungarian small word) in the Council of Geza.

Although Aprod SZOKA's document dated in 1220, we do not know his age nor the number of members in his family.

According to Hungarian history, the hords of Batou Khan crossed the Danube in February 1242 and it is quite possible that some members of Aprod SZOKA's family then sought refuge further south of the Balaton near Kaposvar (then spelled Kaposwywar) and some moved west towards Ivanc, near Szentgotthard. This could be the first division and dispersion of the SZOKA family.

How did SZOKA's appear in Poland?

Another branch of the family lived in the province of Somogy, on feudal territories of prince Eszterhazy; Some may have followed the troups of Bathory, prince of Transylvania (Erdely) who later became King of Poland.

However, more likely, the spread to Poland occured after 1780 or 1830. Tow events suggest this theory.

Firstly, Joseph II of Habsbourg abolished serfdom, allowed marriages without prior aproval of the feudal lords and allowed people to move at will.

Secondly, in the 1830's Hungary was ravaged by an epidemic of cholera causing in this region 207,000 deaths. As a result of these events, possibly some SZOKA's might have sought refuge in the mountainous regions of the Karpat's now called Solvakia (as the SZOKA's of Dubnica) and from there some may have spread to Poland, in Jelnia Gora, Jezyorany and Grodno.

This theory is difficult to prove for now, especially as research is hamperred by the numberous historical and political events.

The second wave of migration occurred around the end of the 19th century, when some SZOKA's migrated to the United States of America from both Hungary and from Poland.

A thrid wave of SZOKA immigrants left both Hungary and Poland after 1945 and settled in the U.K., Austria, Germany and Canada and some joined their relatives already in the United States.

These theories are the starting point for our research which will need to be supported by historical facts, family documents, etc.

Albert Szoka-Ledent,

Montreal, Canada

February 1998

Last updated on Friday, March 5th, 1999

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