Marriage contract no. 267: Henneberg - Braunschweig-Calenberg

Contract content

Article 1 (fol. 26r-27r): Marriage decided; consent of the bride mentioned

Article 2 (fol. 27v-28r): Dowry of 20,000 guilders arranged by the bride’s mother, the bride’s cousin and the bride’s brother; receipts regarding widow’s pension necessary; payment arrangements specified

Article 4 (fol. 28v-29r): Trousseau appropriate to status (silver tableware, clothes, jewellery, etc.) arranged

Article 5 (fol. 29r): The donation propter nuptias amounts to 20,000 guilders.

yArticle 6 (fol. 29r-30v): The bride’s princely residence is mentioned; the bride receives Schleusingen, Themar and Suhl with all rights of use as a life estate; rights of use specified; the bride receives an annual income of 4,000 guilders, annual gift of 200 guilders as mornig gift regulated; financial arrangements, silver mentioned; the bride remains unaffected by penalties, etc., arrangements regarding officials and subjects; oath and homage of the crew after consummation of the marriage and death of the groom regulated

Article 7 (fol. 30v-31v): Regulations regarding the widow’s dower; after the death of the bride, the widow’s dower falls to the bride’s mother, her son and his male heirs, further regulations regarding the widow’s dower; life estate and mornig gift mentioned; regulations regarding the employment of officials

Article 8 (fol. 31v-32v): Dower, life estate, mornig gift and princely seat of the bride mentioned; in the event of defects or destruction of the dower by fire or lack of annual income: partial reimbursement regulated; protection of the bride on the dower and the life estate promised

Article 9 (fol. 32v-33r): Inspection of the widow’s property regulated, annual income of 4,000 guilders mentioned, 200 guilders per annum mentioned as mornig gift; referral mentioned

Article 10 (fol. 33r-33v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride to all paternal and fraternal inheritance; Claims by Duke Erich and his male descendants excluded; if Duke Erich dies without male heirs, the bride receives her inheritance from her father’s and mother’s estates; letter of renunciation mentioned

Article 11 (fol. 33v-35r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: The groom receives the lifelong right of disposal over the trousseau; an inventory list must be drawn up; after the death of the groom, the trousseau reverts to the bride’s mother, to Duke Erich, his male heirs or to the bride’s next heirs.

Article 12 (fol. 35r-37r): Inheritance of the dowry is regulated: after the death of the bride, the groom receives the lifelong right of disposal over the dowry; after his death, the dowry falls to the heirs and descendants of the bride and groom; if there are no heirs from the marriage, the dowry falls to the bride’s mother, Duke Erich and his male heirs; if he leaves no male heirs, the marriage property passes to the bride’s next heirs; Oaths and vows regulated; Regulations concerning officials and Schultheißen: 2,000 guilders annual use and obedience for the bride’s mother regulated until the marriage property and trousseau have been repaid; Further inheritance regulations; pension mentioned; no renunciation of the maternal inheritance; inventory list mentioned; regulations regarding jewels and jewellery, sale and transfer excluded; inventory list necessary; cash payments specified; inheritance homage regulated.

Article 13 (fol. 37r): If there are joint heirs, they leave no heirs and die during the lifetime of the bride and groom: inheritance regulated differently

Article 14 (fol. 37r-37v): If there are joint heirs: inheritance to descendants regulated

Article 15 (fol. 37v-38v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are or are not descendants from the marriage: The bride receives the dowry, entry and lifelong use of the widow’s dower; use of trousseau and gifts regulated; letter of life estate mentioned; provision also by the heirs and descendants of the groom regulated

Article 16 (fol. 38v-39v): If the bride remarries after the death of the groom: redemption of the widow’s dower with 42,000 guilders regulated; assignment regulated; prescription mentioned

Article 17 (fol. 39v-40v): If there are no biological heirs from the marriage: inheritance of the 20,000 guilders to the groom, his heirs, the bride’s mother regulated; until the sums have been repaid: the bride’s mother receives the right of disposal over the dowry; the donation propter nuptias falls to the groom or his heirs; the mornig gift may be bequeathed by the bride as she sees fit; if she does not specify any heirs, the mornig gift remains with the groom or his heirs.

Article 18 (fol. 40v): Further inheritance regulations

Article 19 (fol. 40v-41r): Office of Schleusing regulated as a fief; Leibgeding letter required

Article 20 (fol. 41r): The bride may not be burdened with any debts incurred by the groom before or during the marriage

Article 21 (fol. 41r): Sale or transfer of the widow’s dower without the consent of the groom’s heirs is prohibited

Article 22 (fol. 41r-41v): Use of the widow’s property, dower and mornig gift by the groom’s heirs is excluded

Article 23 (fol. 41v-42r): Regulations concerning ecclesiastical and secular fiefs on the widow’s property: The bride may grant these; knightly fiefs are excluded from this; regulations concerning vassals; tax regulations mentioned

Article 24 (fol. 42r): The inventory list is to be handed over to the bride’s mother

Article 25 (fol. 42v): Promise to comply with the contract, date and signatures of the parties involved

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 7 (fol. 30v-31v): Regulations concerning the widow’s dower; after the death of the bride, the dower falls to the bride’s mother, her son and his male heirs; further regulations concerning the dower; mention of the widow’s life estate and mornig gift; regulations concerning the appointment of officials

Article 10 (fol. 33r-33v): Renunciation of inheritance by the bride to all paternal and fraternal inheritance; claims by Duke Erich and his male descendants excluded; if Duke Erich dies without male heirs, the bride receives her inheritance from her paternal and maternal inheritance; letter of renunciation mentioned.

Article 11 (fol. 33v-35r): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no joint heirs: the groom receives lifelong right of disposal over the trousseau; an inventory list must be drawn up; after the groom’s death, the trousseau reverts to the bride’s mother, to Duke Erich, his male heirs or to the bride’s next of kin

Article 12 (fol. 35r-37r): Inheritance of the dowry is regulated: after the death of the bride, the groom receives the lifelong right of disposal over the dowry; after his death, the dowry falls to the heirs and descendants of the bride and groom; if there are no heirs from the marriage, the dowry falls to the bride’s mother, Duke Erich and his male heirs; if he leaves no male heirs, the marriage property passes to the bride’s next heirs; Oaths and vows regulated; Regulations concerning officials and mayors: 2,000 guilders annual use and obedience for the bride’s mother regulated until the marriage property and trousseau have been repaid; Further inheritance regulations; pension mentioned; no renunciation of the maternal inheritance; inventory list mentioned; regulations regarding jewels and jewellery, sale and transfer excluded; inventory list necessary; cash payments specified; inheritance homage regulated.

Article 13 (fol. 37r): If there are joint heirs, they leave no heirs and die during the lifetime of the bride and groom: inheritance regulated differently

Article 14 (fol. 37r-37v): If there are joint heirs: inheritance to descendants regulated

Article 15 (fol. 37v-38v): If the groom dies before the bride and there are or are not descendants from the marriage: The bride receives the dowry, the right of inheritance and lifelong use of the widow’s estate; use of trousseau and gifts regulated; letter of life estate mentioned; provision also regulated by the heirs and descendants of the groom

Article 17 (fol. 39v-40v): If there are no heirs from the marriage: inheritance of the 20,000 guilders to the groom, his heirs, the bride’s mother regulated; until the sums have been repaid: the bride’s mother receives the right of disposal of the life estate; the donatio propter nuptias goes to the groom or his heirs; the bride may bequeath the mornig gift as she sees fit; if she does not specify any heirs, the mornig gift remains with the groom or his heirs

Article 18 (fol. 40v): Further provisions relating to inheritance law

Commentary

Original contract not divided into articles

Contract slides numbered retrospectively

References

• Archive copy: Hannover HStA NLA Ha Cal. Br. 22 Nr. 1747 (1543 I 21)-1 Cal. Br. 22 Nr. 1747
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 267. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/267.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 267},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/267.html}
}