Re: Info on Surname Matala in mid 1800s in Polany (village near Krempna)

Hi John,
If you mean this Polany: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polany_(wojew%C3%B3dztwo_podkarpackiehttp://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polany_(wojew%C3%B3dztwo_podkarpackie) - we can read this Polany had his own Greek-Catholic church and parish (you have the family ancestral church picture). We have in Poland archival search engine named "Pradziad": http://baza.archiwa.gov.pl/sezam/pradziad.php?l=enhttp://baza.archiwa.gov.pl/sezam/pradziad.php?l=en
After typing Polany you have first 9 lines with different records, clicking on "more" you have the exact local state archive with full address, where you can send the querry in English, the reply would be in Polish, and we can help you in translation.
Good luck,
Tad
Warsaw, Poland
PS. Your family name Matala in Polish is Matala or Matal~a (Mata³a) - derives from old Polish name Mata (noted from 1463) - this from Polish Matka (mother) and/or first name Mateusz, Matyjasz, Maciej, Mathiam, Matham, in the present day Poland we can find only 40 Poles surnamed Matala (Matal~a), here is the surname location map based on Polish 2002 census:
http://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/mata%25C5%2582a.htmlhttp://www.moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/mata%25C5%2582a.html = most from same SE Poland.