Marriage contract no. 125: Hessen-Kassel - Großbritannien

Contract content

Preamble: Names of the parties involved; purpose of the marriage; marriage for the benefit of the Protestant religion; names of the officials conducting the negotiations

1 – Dowry in the amount of 40,000 Reichstalers

2 – Waiver of inheritance rights by the bride

3 – Hand money in the amount of 2,000 Reichstalers for the bride

4 – Life estate of 8,000 Reichstalers; Steinau Castle and office in the County of Hanau as dower; rights to the dower determined; provision of natural produce regulated

5 – If the dower is not sufficient to generate the life annuity, compensation will be provided

6 – Surpluses from the dower estates will be allocated to the chamber

7 – Furnishings and maintenance of the widow’s residence regulated

8 – Homage paid by subjects regulated

9 – Appointment of officials on the widow’s estate regulated

10 – Subjects are to be left in peace with their freedoms and privileges; determination of rights reserved by the groom on the widow’s estate

11 – Regulation of the widow’s entry into the dower; provision for the widow in the first year

12 – If the widow has to temporarily relocate her residence for good reasons, she shall be assisted in doing so

13 – If the dower is changed during the marriage, it may only be replaced by an office of equal value

14 – Prohibition on pledging the dower; use of timber stocks regulated

15 – Regulation regarding debts of the spouses

16 – If the bride dies before the groom, the dowry shall fall to the groom

17 – Groom dies before the bride without common children: The widow has the choice of either having the dowry of 40,000 Reichstalers paid out or taking up the dower.

18 – If there are children from the marriage, they inherit the entire dowry

19 – If one of the spouses dies after consummation of the marriage but before the monetary payments have been made, the contract shall nevertheless be executed; If one of the spouses dies before consummation of the marriage, the contract is void; the spouses may still make gifts to each other by will, codicil or donationis mortis causa, provided that the family contracts are not violated.

20 – Place; date; signatures; LS

Regulations on inheritance law

2 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride

16 – If the bride dies before the groom, the dowry goes to the groom

17 – If the groom dies before the bride without any children together: The widow has the choice of either having the dowry of 40,000 Reichstalers paid out or taking up the widow’s dower

18 – If there are children together, they inherit the entire dowry

References

• Archive copy: HStAM, Urk. 3, 410
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitized archive copy: https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/showArchivalDescriptionDetails.action?archivalDescriptionId=6156252&executionId=W8txwnpS9N

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 125. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/125.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 125},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/125.html}
}