Przecław Lanckoroński

Przecław Lanckoroński of Brzezie of Zadora Coat of Arms (died June 10, 1531) was a notable member of the Polish szlachta, a knight and a supposed first hetman of the Cossacks in service of Poland, as well as a landowner and starost of Chmielnik.

Biography

He was born in Brzezie, to a family of Stanisław Lanckoroński and Anna née Kurozwęcka. In his youth he was sent abroad by his parents and travelled through France, Italy, Hungary, German states, as well as to Holy Land, where he was awarded the title of Knight of Christ's Grave. Upon his return to Poland he joined the Polish Army, where he served under Konstanty Ostrogski. Awarded the title of starost of Chmielnik in modern Ukraine, together with his fellow starost of Cherkassy he organized several units out of local Zaporozhan Cossacks and lead them to various wars against the Ottoman Empire and Crimean Khanate. He gained much fame as one of the last knights and a hero who reached Belgrade in 1516 and Ochakov in 1528. Although never awarded the title of hetman, he is sometimes mistakenly treated as the first hetman of the Ukrainian Cossacks. He died in Kraków.

See also

* Hetmans of Ukrainian Cossacks