Marriage contract no. 255: Nassau-Dillenburg - Stolberg

Contract content

The groom and bride have promised each other marriage; the marriage is to take place according to the rites of the Christian church

The bride’s dowry is set at 8,000 guilders: 4,000 guilders from the dowry that the bride received on the occasion of her first marriage, as well as a further 4,000 guilders (Frankfurt currency) to which she is entitled from the County of Hanau according to the contract of her first marriage; in addition, she brings 600 guilders in life estate and 50 guilders annually from her morning gift; both are also owed to her from the County of Hanau

Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein [grandfather of the bride] has publicly promised of his own free will that the bride or her children from this marriage shall receive 7,350 guilders “Wiederkaufsgulden” (Frankfurt currency) from his outstanding inheritance from his cousin Ludwig II von der Marck-Rochefort [† 1525, maternal uncle of Eberhard IV] in the Ardennes

Donatio propter nuptias was set at: 1. 10,000 guilders in principal for the town, castle and wine cellar in Dietz (widow’s residence), for which she was to receive her own widow’s deed; 2. Income from this amounting to 500 guilders in money, wine and fruit (widow’s use, one Fuder of wine for ten guilders, one Malter of wheat and one Malter of grain for one guilder each, two Malter of oats for one guilder); However, woodcutting, corvée labour, grazing, fishing and similar duties do not count as widow’s use; the groom will acquire what is due to the Trier diocese in advance and make it available to the bride

Morning gift after consummation of the marriage set at 1,000 guilders in principal or 50 guilders annually; a morning gift deed is to be drawn up; the bride may dispose of the morning gift as she sees fit; however, should the bride dispose of the morning gift by will or otherwise, the County of Nassau shall have a right of repurchase

If the groom dies before the bride after consummation of the marriage and there are no heirs by blood: the bride shall have nothing to do with any existing debts; she shall retain her dower residence, dower and morning gift, as well as everything she has received through inheritance, for the rest of her life; she shall receive 2,500 guilders, 20 Fuder of wine, 600 Malter of grain and 500 Malter of oats (Dietz measure) from the movable property; she shall be fully compensated with the dower residence, dower, morning gift and movable property and shall have no claim to any other inheritance of the groom

If the bride dies after the groom: All her inheritances and property shall pass to her next heirs

If the bride dies before the groom and there are no children: the groom may use a suitable portion of her dowry of her first marriage, the 4,000 guilders she brings into the second marriage, 4,000 guilders from her inheritance from Ludwig II von der Marck-Rochefort and everything else she will inherit during the marriage for the rest of his life; after his death, this money shall revert to the dynasties from which it came, in particular the 7,000 guilders to Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein or his heirs

If the groom dies before the bride and there are children, and then one or more of these children die, the groom’s inheritance shall pass to the remaining siblings; if the last of these children dies without heirs by blood, the inheritance shall pass to the bride and she shall receive an annual widow’s pension of 200 guilders for the rest of her life; after her death, the inheritance shall pass to the groom’s next heirs together with the widow’s dower; the bride and her heirs shall have no claim to it, as she has renounced it of her own free will

Two identical copies of this contract have been issued; the contract has been sealed by the parties involved, the bride and groom, as well as Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein and Ludwig of Stolberg-Königstein

Regulations on inheritance law

If the groom dies before the bride after consummation of the marriage and there are no heirs by blood: the bride shall have nothing to do with any existing debts; she shall retain her dower residence, dower and morning gift, as well as everything she has received through inheritance, for the rest of her life; she shall receive 2,500 guilders, 20 Fuder of wine, 600 Malter of grain and 500 Malter of oats (Dietz measure) from the movable property; she shall be fully compensated with the dower residence, dower, morning gift and movable property and shall have no claim to any other inheritance of the groom

If the bride dies after the groom: All her inheritances and property shall pass to her next heirs

If the bride dies before the groom and there are no children: the groom may use a suitable portion of her dowry of her first marriage, the 4,000 guilders she brings into the second marriage, 4,000 guilders from her inheritance from Ludwig II von der Marck-Rochefort and everything else she will inherit during the marriage for the rest of his life; after his death, this money shall revert to the dynasties from which it came, in particular the 7,000 guilders to Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein or his heirs

If the groom dies before the bride and there are children, and then one or more of these children die, the groom’s inheritance shall pass to the remaining siblings; if the last of these children dies without heirs by blood, the inheritance shall pass to the bride and she shall receive an annual widow’s pension of 200 guilders for the rest of her life; after her death, the inheritance shall pass to the groom’s next heirs together with the widow’s dower; the bride and her heirs shall have no claim to it, as she has renounced it of her own free will

External authorities involved

Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein (c. 1474–1535): Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein [grandfather of the bride] has publicly promised of his own free will that the bride or her children from this marriage shall receive 7,350 guilders (Frankfurt currency) in repurchase guilders from his outstanding inheritance from his cousin Ludwig II of Marck-Rochefort [† 1525, maternal uncle of Eberhard IV] in the Ardennes; contract sealed by the parties involved, the bride and groom, as well as Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein and Ludwig of Stolberg-Königstein

Ludwig of Stolberg-Königstein (1505-1574): Contract sealed by the parties involved, the bride and groom, as well as Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein and Ludwig of Stolberg-Königstein

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

the contract has been sealed by the parties involved, the bride and groom, as well as Eberhard IV of Eppstein-Königstein and Ludwig of Stolberg-Königstein

Text reference to past events

Death of Ludwig II von der Marck-Rochefort in 1525

Further contracts between contracting parties

Appointment of guardians for the children of the bride from her first marriage in 1529 [the groom is among the guardians] (HStAM, 255, H 21); morning gift deed for this marriage dated 21 September 1531 (HHStAW, 170 I, U 3466)

References

• Archive copy: HHStAW, 3036, KHA Inv. A 2 Nr. 671
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitized archive copy: https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/digitalMediaViewer.action?archivalDescriptionId=522095

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 255. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/255.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 255},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/255.html}
}