Jan Samuel Chrzanowski

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Jan Samuel Chrzanowski (?-1688), Polish soldier, lieutenant colonel.

He was a member of the Polish bourgeois, he began his military career in the regiment of Stanisław Koniecpolski. In 1673 he fought at Chocimem, that same year he gained the rank of captain. From 1674 he served in the regiment of Aleksander Niezabitowski, from 1675 the regiment came under the ownership of Jan Cetner, the starost of Szczurowic.

During the Polish-Turkish war in 1675, a 30,000 strong Turkish army aided by Tartars led by the Sultan Serder's son in law Ibrahim Szyszman, invaded present day Ukraine. After conquering Zbaraż (July 27, 1675) and Podhajec (September 11, 1675) about 10,000 soldiers of the Turkish army arrived in Trembowla. The town of Trembowla was destroyed, but the castle, which was defended by about 80 soldiers, a handful of nobleman and around 200 peasents, all led by Jan Samuel Chrzanowski, withstood the Turkish armies advances for over two weeks. On October 11, 1675 the Turkish army withdrew its forces upon hearing that Polish forces led by the Polish King Jan III Sobieski were nearing. In a camp near Buczacz King Sobieski gave Chrzanowski the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Chrzanowski's acts of bravery became famous in all of Poland, and in 1676 he was asked to stand before the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's Sejm wherein he became nobilitized under the coat of arms of Poraj, while also receiving a reward of 5,000 złoty.

From 1676 he became the commandant of Lwów. From 1682 he was the Podstoli of Mielnic.