OSTROWSKI TOMASZ ADAM (1735 - 1817)
Marshal of Sejm (Seym) of the Duchy of Warsaw (10 - 24 March 1809)
Born on 21 December 1735 in Ostrów Mały near Kock, died on 5 February 1817 in Warsaw.
He came from wealthy gentry. Initially linked with the Saxon court party, at the 1764
Election Sejm he declared himself in favour of Stanisław August Poniatowski.
Having got the rank of crown army colonel 1765, nominated royal chamberlain 1767, he was
among the closest collaborators of Stanisław August, participated in 'Thursday dinners'. A
member of the St Stanisław Order 1777 and the White Eagle Order 1780. A deputy of Nur
district 1766 and 1776, Chamberlain of Nur 1773, Castellan of Czersk 1777, in the 1778 and
1780 sejms he was a supporter of a legal reform and Andrzej Zamojski's code. A member of
the Permanent Council 1776, 1778, 1782 and 1786. He chaired a committee managing the
royal treasure 1781. He maintained contacts with the representatives of the reform camp, e.g.
Hugon Kołłątaj and Stanisław Małachowski, tried to win Primate Michał Poniatowski for
those circles. During the Four-Year Sejm an active politician, fought for the royal prerogatives
and the Permanent Council, was among the senators who supported the State Act. Treasurer
of the Crown 1791, a member of the Guardians of the Law. A member- founder of
Zgromadzenie Przyjaciół Konstytucji Rządowej (Society of Friends of State Constitution),
opponent of the king's participation in the Confederation of Targowica. He did not take part
in the Kościuszko Insurrection 1794 and after the downfall of the Commonwealth, he retired
from public life and took to management of his estate. On occupying the Prussian partition
zone by the victorious French army 1806, he rejected Marshal Joachim Marat's proposal to
hold an office in a temporary administration of the country. He came back to politics after the
formation of the Duchy of Warsaw 1807, heading the Main Account Chamber 1808. A deputy
from the Warsaw district 1809, nominated marshal of the first sejm of the Duchy of Warsaw.
Being a moderate opponent, he supported the pro-Napoleon faction in the sphere of foreign
affairs and, as a follower of the Great Sejm tradition, was critical towards new administrative
and legal institutions (the Napoleonic Code). He went into senate as a voivode (provincial
governor) 1810, and after Ludwik Gutakowski's death, he received the post of senate marshal
1811. After Napoleon's defeat in the Russian campaign, he stayed in Warsaw, informally
representing the country to the Russian authorities. He chaired the Civil Organisation
Committee appointed by Tsar Alexander I in 1814, which worked on the new rules for
administering the country. On its dissolving, he headed the Constitutional Committee 1815.
When the Kingdom of Poland (Congress Kingdom) was formed, he received the confirmation
of his senator-voivode and senate marshal offices from Tsar Alexander I in 1817.
Father of
Władysław Tomasz Ostrowski .
Portrait of Tomasz Adam Ostrowski, c. 1817
- Painted by Marcello Bacciarelli
- oil, canvas, 110 x 87 cm
- private property