Jan Ivan Gasztold

Jan Gastold XI ur. 1408 zm. 1480, marszałek dworny (1430-1431), namiestnik gieranoński 13.2.1433, namiestnik smoleński (1436), wojewoda trocki (1440-1442), wojewoda wileński (1443-1457) W. ks. Zygmunt nadał mu w 1433 r. Gieranojny, Petryłowice, Miedniki, Tykocin, Trokiele i wiele innych dóbr.

Wojwoda trocki i Wilenski.

JONAS-2 GOSTAUTAS, son of Albertas-Talvusas (1375-1432) was born in 1408 and he died in 1480. As his father divorced from his wife: Elisabeth Dowgiallo, Jonas-2 G. lived with his mother in their estates of Samogitia. Samogitia was just freed from the Teutonic Knights. Jonas-2 G. spent his childhood and adolescence there and this fact will be very helpful during its political activities he will exercise later on. He was very close to his mother family, his grand father Jonas Dowgiallo and his uncle Martynas Dowgiallo. Martynas D. who had no children gave to his nephew Jonas-2 G. his estates of Dowgelliszki-Dowgiallowszyzna situated in the Oszmiany region.

As soon he we was able to understand the political situation of his country he was as his mother family Dowgiallo against Swidrigajlo, while his father and his uncles on the Gostautas side were supporting the Grand Duke.

In 1432 Jonas-2 Gostautas participated to the eviction of Swidrigajlo and to the intronisation of Vytautas brother Zygimantas-Kestutaitis (1432-1440).

O n October 15, 1432 he signed the treaty concluded between Zygimantas and the Poles.

In 1433, to grant him for services rendered to the State, Jonas-2 Gostautas got «Patent Letters" which allowed him the possession of the estates of Gieranoijni, Dzieweniszki and some other. By adding these estates to the Dowgialowszyzna he obtained a vast complex of properties as it is shown by the inventory made later about the possessions of the Gasztold in the Oszmiany region.

In 1434 Prince Alexander Noss, governor of Luck district, gave the city to Zygimantas and Jonas-2 G. during the summer of the same year was sent with an important army to recover southern Volhynia to give it back to Lithuania.

The old Jogailo died in 1434 and his son Wladyslaw was his successor to the throne of Poland.

In 1435, Swidrigajlo, at the head of an important army invaded Lithuania and Samogitia. The Zygimantas army met him on the Swenta river close to Wilkomir (Ukmerge today). The old Jonas Dowgiallo, very old, but still very strong was at the head of the Zygimantas troops while his grand son Jonas-2 Gostautas was fighting courageously when leading the army.

Swidrigajlo lost the battle and fled to the south. Then the russian countries which recognized Swidrigajlo as their Grand Duke passed one after the other under the Zygimantas domination.

In 1436 Jonas-2 Gostautas was nominated Governor of Smolensk

In 1440 he was asked to come to Trakai to stay with the Grand Duke, while Sakowicz replaced him as Governor of Smolensk.

During this period Jonas-2 Gostautas and his wife Princess Elisabeth Drucka (1423-1501) spent a lot of time and of energy in taking care and organizing their estates. They founded a parish in Gieranoijni and they built a beautiful castle. They established also a parish in Tykocin in Podlaszje making from it a real small city. This land was given to him by the Grand Duke Zygimants.

One day riding from Smolensk to Trakai he stopped for one night in Prince Wolozynski residence where he was informed of the Zygimantas assassination. Then he made a detour to meet his friend Prince Holszanski. They decided very quickly to send messengers to ask the Senators and their friends to meet because they were fearing Swidrigajlo come back and loss of independance for Lithuania. They succeeded to gather: Kezgajlo Samogitia governor, Niemirowicz Vilnius governor and Mykolas Radvila (Radziwill) Marshal of the administration.

They reached an agreement to give the power as an independant Grand Duke to Kazimieras (13 years old), Jogailo youngest son.

Jonas-2 Gostautas went to Trakai, succeeded to get enough soldiers to get the full control of the situation. He asked that the dead Grand Duke was brought back to Vilnius where he was buried in the cathedral close to his brother Vytautas.

The following period seemed to be full of problems: four different princes were claiming the throne of the Grand Duchy. Swidrigajlo supporters who had perpetrated Zygimantas assassination asked him to go to the capital from Valachia where he found some protection. Swidrigajlo occupied Luck.

On the other hand, Michael, Zygimantas (assassinated Grand Duke) son also claimed the throne.

Among all these competitions people were anxious of the position of the Poland King, Wladislas III, as according the last treaties he could exercise his suzerain rights each time a change will occur in the Grand Duchy succession. But as he has been proclaimed recently King of Hungary, he was far and very busy with the administration of his new territories.

The Lithuanians "Magnates" headed by the young Jonas-2 Gostautas, sent an embassy to Cracow to invite Kazimieras, the King youngest brother to pay a visit to the lithuanian capital. The trip was done as quickly as it was possible.

In the main time Wladislaw supporters agreed to support Kazimieras on his way to the Lithuanian throne.

Bishop Matas, Ostyk, Monowid and Jonas-1 Gostautas, the old (the uncle of Jonas-2 Gostautas in question in this chapter) fearing Swidrigajlo come back, decided, following Jonas-2 Gostautas the young, to reserve to Kazimieras a triumphal welcome to Lithuania. All the dignitaries of the State went to the border to welcome Kazimieras with solemnity.

Vilnius city also gave to Kazimieras a magnificent entry. Kazimieras 13 years old was taken directly to the Saint Stanislovas church where the bishop put on his head the crown of his great-grand father Gediminas.

In 1440 a big change occured in the relationship between Poland and Lithuania. After the Zygimantas death the "Union" sunk down and the only link between the two countries remained a common dynasty.

Before 1440 the tendancies of separation between the two countries was coming from the Grand Dukes themselves: Vytautas, Swidrigajlo, Zygimantas and the Princes associated to the Grand Duke.

After 1440 the country management was exclusively in the hands of the "Magnates". The new Grand Duke, Kazimieras, received Jonas Gostautas as" adviser and guardian". Jonas-2 Gostautas "de facto" was dominating everything in Vilnius. He succeeded very quickly in the total pacification of the country.

Zygimantas son, Mikalojus, who married polish Mazovia Prince Boleslas daughter and his supporters met in Mazovia, occupying Podlachia which was belonging to Lithuania. Other Mikalojus supporters under the leadership of Narbutt were conducting propaganda in behalf of Mikalojus in Samogitia, where Mikalojus was very popular because he was Kestutis grand son.

Jonas-2 Gostautas heading a detachment attacked Drogicsyn in Podlachia where Mikalojus was present with his troops. The castle has been taken and all the territory given back to Lithuania. Mikalojus succeed to flee.

Jonas-2 Gostautas came back triumphaly to Vilnius and was nominated governor (voiëvode) of Trakai. But Samogitia supporting Mikalojus uprised and put its army along the border materialised by the river: Niewiaza.

To attack Mikalojus supporters in Samogitia Jonas-2 Gostautas the young, gathered a considerable number of troops in the Kaunas area.

Jonas-2 Gostautas went personnaly to meet the Samogitians to exhort them to follow the Grand Duke and not Mikalojus.

The historian Gloger in his book "Samogitian Nobility" says that due to the fact Jonas-2 Gostautas spent his youth and adolescence in Samogitia helped him a lot to convince Samogitians, who were considering Jonas Gostautas as one of them.

Jonas-2 Gostautas came back with a full success as Samogitia recognised Kazimieras as their Grea tDuke. In return Samogitians obtained some privileges.

Smolensk uprising in favour of the prince of this country was settled again by Jonas-2 Gostautas because of his popularity (as he has been governor of Smolensk some years ago).

Kazimieras was following Jonas-2 Gostautas advices in all matters who in return received a lot of favours. In 1443 when Dowgird, Vilnius governor died, Jonas Gostautas-2 was nominated in his replacement.

Jonas-2 Gostautas solved again problems with Poland. With the help of Tatars, Lithuanians ravaged Mazovia and Galicia so that Podlachia remained Lithuanian.

Again Mikalojus, Zygimantas son, showed his nose. With the help of a moscovite detachement he occupied Kiev. Jonas-2 Gostautas at the head of the Lithuanian army attacked Mikalojus who was obliged to flee to Moscow Grand Duchy.

When the Lithuania unification has been consolidated the government started to organise commerce and urbanisation. Cities received Magdebourg Statute (Free cities).

On November 10, 1444, Wladislaw III, King of Poland, died at Varna battle during the war against Turks. His only legitimate heir to the throne was his youngest brother Kazimieras Grand Duke of Lithuania.

This fact was considered as very interesting for Poland which always wanted to be linked to Lithuania, having only one souvereign for the two countries.

Jonas-2 Gostautas and all the "Magnates" of Lithuania who always fought for Lithuania independance spent all their efforts to convince Kazimieras to not accept polish crown. But in 1446 Kazimieras decided to accept the Poland throne.

The "Union" of the past was not renewed and during the following six years the relations between the two countries remained quiet and friendly.

At that time Jonas-2 Gostautas was still Vilnius governor and through this position he was managing all the destiny of the nation.

In 1445 he married in Vilnius the Princess Elisabeth de Druck (1420-1501)

On February 10, 1452 Swidrigajlo died and the fight between Poland and Lithuania for his inheritage became intense. At the same time the relationship between Kazimieras and Jonas-2 Gostautas became very bad to reach a point of full breakdown.

As soon the bad health of Swidrigajlo was known in Vilnius, Lithuanians detachments under Yourcha commandment occupied all the stategic points in the territories of the ex.Grand Duchy. A lot of debates were held on the subject, and to solve them Kazimieras decided to leave the most part of Volhynia to Lithuania and to incorporate Podolia to Poland. But this decision satisfied nobody.

Upset by the situation Jonas-2 Gostautas took the head of a lithuano-russo opposition against the Grand Duke to whom any help was refused during the prusso-polono war. It has to be mentionned that Kazimieras very active as king of Poland was not much involved in Lithuanian affairs.

At the end of the year 1455 the Lithuanian nobility encouraged by Jonas-2 Gostautas, decided to occupy all the claimed territories. When the news reached Kazimieras he decided to come personnaly to Vilnius where he arrived in February 1457.

Kazimieras hold meetings with Jonas-2 Gostautas and Toniwid who conforted him and gave him some military supports headed by Chodziewicz to help him in his fights against the Germans.

The next year the disturbance started again and before starting to fight, an embassy was sent to Kazimieras to ask him : to give back to Lithuania the territories of Volhynia and Podolia and also to come himself to Vilnius. Kazimieras answered that he will respond later without giving any precise date.

Lithuanian nobility was at that time in unrest situation and all governors (voiëvodes) were starting to gather troops. King and Grand Duke Kazimieras and his wife rushed to Vilnius. The King as Lithuanian sovereign gave new charter and liberties to Lithuania and Samogitia. Kazimieras and his wife spent all the winter in Vilnius.

During the meeting of the "Nobles Assembly" on Kazimieras order, some senators named Jonas-2 Gostautas as instigator of the plot and of the troops gathering. Kazimieras asked Jonas-2 Gostautas to explain him but the later answered with such violence that all the relationship between him and Kazimieras were definitively broken down.

As the Jonas-2 Gostautas supporters were in majority in the "Assembly" this one has been disolved and Jonas-2 Gostautas ousted from hisVilnius governor position.

As a sign of his unsatisfaction Jonas-2 Gostautas abandonned his polish "Coats of Arms Abdank” (Habdankas) and took back his old family Coats of Arms (Kolumna-Trys Stulpai).

Some time before Prince Alexander, Vladimir son and Algirdas grand son, died in Kiev (1454). His son Simon succeeded to him very successfuly keeping his principalty free after he fought victoriously the Tatars.

Simon married Jonas-2 Gostautas daughter, Marija (1432-1501),

Instead of keeping himself quiet Jonas-2 Gostautas spent a lot of energy for his revenge. With the help of Prince Jurgis d'Ostrog he prepared a new plot against Kazimieras and he was supported by a big number of Lithuanian and Russian nobles.

To avoid that never the Grand Duke of Lithuania will be also King of Poland they decided to never elect on the Lithuanian throne a Jagailo descendant, but a Prince belonging to one branch of the ancient Lithuanian sovereigns. And so they selected Prince Simon.

A lot of catholic "Magnates" were opposed to this decision because Simonas was of orthodox religion. Monowid, a friend of Jonas-2 Gostautas, having a very strong character took the head of the catholic Magnates.

Aware of this new plot Kazimieras took causious measures accordingly. He came again to Vilnius in 1461 where he asked the nobles representatives to meet.

The majority of Deputies asked him to take a firm decision: to stay definitively in Lithuania as the Grand Duke or to allow prince Simonas to be crowned Lithuania Grand Duke. Kazimieras succeeded not to give any answer to this proposal saying he will answer later on.

In 1465 a Lithuanian embassy was sent to Petrokow where the polish Assembly was meeting, to ask "to avoid to poor christian blood" that Volhynia and Podolia were given back to Lithuania. Kazimieras who was attending the meeting succeeded to convince Lithuanians and to solve the conflict «by the way of the right and not by weapons". Then it was decided to gather time to time polono-lithuanian assemblies.

But the plot against Kazimieras still existed. The King knew that Jonas-2 Gostautas was the spirit of the plot so he decided to totaly and definitively disgraced him.

All the possessions that Jonas-2 Gostautas had received from Grand Duke Zygimantas for rendered services to the State were definitively confiscated.

Jonas-2 Gostautas who fought all his life for Lithuania independance died in 1480 leaving one daughter: Marija (1432-1501) and two sons : Stanislovas-Mazun (1442-….) who was in 1494 Samogitia Governor, and Andrius-Miecus (1444-1505) who seems to be the only ancestor of all Gasztold- Gostautas, Gasztowtt, Gosztowtt and Gochtovtt living at the bigining of the third millenium.