Jan Koutecky's Two Wives Named Anna?

Research note by Wesley Johnston - Begun 13 Mar 2022, Last updated 13 Mar 2022

Thanks to Bohuslav Koutecky for raising the possibility of one Jan with two wives named Anna.

Overview

Jan Koutecky had children whose mother's name was given only as Anna. The births range from 1762 to 1785, with a gap between a 1774 birth and a 1779 birth. In a 23 Nov 1777 Rousinov record, Jan Koutecky of Modrejovice married Anna Macakova which fits well with the gap in births. This 1777 marriage fits well with the 5 Nov 1779 birth of a daughter Katerina.

So, were there two Jan and Anna couples. Or did one Jan have two wives named Anna?

Death Records for Anna 1774-1777

The Slabce death index (Slabce 4, image 164, page 183 verso == https://ebadatelna.soapraha.cz/d/11978/164) has no deaths for Anna Koutecky in the period 1760-1784.

This would tend to favor the conjecture that there were two couples named Jan Koutecky and Anna.

But there are no other known Jan Kouteckys who are not otherwise accounted for -- no Jan Koutecky would be a candidate for the second Jan.

Jan Baptism 1729

The earliest Jan-Anna births are most likely children of the Jan Koutecky born 3 Apr 1729 at Zhor to Ondrej Koutecky and Kateřina Kočková. With the births of the children starting 15 Jan 1762, a 1760-1761 marriage seems likely, but no marriage has yet been found.

Current Conclusion

There is insufficient evidence of two wives for one Jan. But it cannot be ruled out either. At this time, I am willing to accept Bohuslav's conclusion that there were two Annas and one Jan.

It is worth noting that a mitochondrial DNA test of direct matrilineal descendants of the two Annas would possibly prove that there were two separate Annas. Similarly Y-DNA tests of direct patrilineal descendants of the two possible Jans would possibly prove that there were either one or two Jans. But if the two Annas were from the same maternal line or the two Jans were from the same paternal line, then the tests would not be conclusive -- even if we could find such descendants.