Marriage contract no. 334: Hessen-Darmstadt - Württemberg

Contract content

Article 1 (p. 02): Marriage decided

Article 2 (p. 02): Consumption of the marriage regulated

Article 3 (pp. 02-04): Deceased spouse of the bride mentioned, 32,000 guilders in dowry and trousseau mentioned; customary waiver as that of the bride’s sisters regulated; Reimbursement of the dowry from the bride’s first marriage regulated, widow’s dower mentioned, other property regulated

Article 4 (p. 04): The donation propter nuptias amounts to 32,000 guilders, the total dowry amounts to 64,000 guilders, household expenses amounting to 20,000 guilders regulated, ?, livelihood regulated

Article 5 (p. 04-05): Widow’s residence, widow’s property and appurtenances regulated; privileges regulated, financial arrangements specified?

Article 6 (p. 05): Annual receipt of 3,200 guilders regulated; corvée labour, interest, game, etc. regulated; widow’s property regulated

Article 7 (p. 05): wood for the widow’s property regulated

Article 8 (p. 05): oath of the officials on the widow’s property regulated, assumption of the widow’s property mentioned, widow’s letter mentioned

Article 9 (p. 05): Obedience and oath of subjects on the widow’s estates regulated

Article 10 (pp. 05-06): Change of widow’s residence possible?, allocation of vacant ecclesiastical fiefs on the widow’s estates regulated

Article 11 (p. 06): Regulation of the granting of knightly fiefs on the widow’s estates

Article 12 (p. 06): The subjects on the widow’s estates shall retain their rights, customs and freedoms

Article 13 (p. 06): The groom and his heirs reserve the right to apply the regulations regarding church order to the aforementioned estates, 5,000 mentioned, land customs mentioned, hereditary homage regulated

Article 14 (p. 06): Opening of the widow’s estates regulated, regulations in case of damage to the widow’s estates mentioned, settlement regulated

Article 15 (pp. 06-07): Protection and guardianship of the widow’s property regulated

Article 16 (p. 07): Opening or allocation of the widow’s property by the bride without the consent of the groom’s heirs excluded

Article 17 (p. 07): Encumbrances on the widow’s property excluded; Maintenance regulated

Article 18 (p. 07): If the property does not generate 3,200 guilders: reimbursement regulated

Article 19 (pp. 07-08): If the property generates more: surplus may be retained by the widow, corvée labour, game, etc. mentioned; trousseau regulated

Article 20 (p. 08): If the groom dies and there are joint heirs: usual house rules mentioned, use of the donation propter nuptias, widow’s dower, etc. regulated by the minor heirs; household goods regulated

Article 21 (p. 08): Trousseau, other possessions and gifts regulated

Article 22 (p. 08): Regulation of the widow’s property

Article 23 (p. 08): Regulation of further maintenance, reimbursements and household goods

Article 24 (p. 09): Regulation of the widow’s residence; regulations for departure or conversion mentioned

Article 25 (p. 09): If the widow remarries: redemption of the widow’s residence with 32,000 guilders regulated; receipt of 1,600 guilders annually instead of the donation propter nuptias regulated

Article 26 (p. 09): If the bride dies: inheritance of the 32,000 guilders and the 1,600 guilders to the joint heirs from the aforementioned marriage, then to the first heirs of the bride from her first marriage, then to the next heirs of the bride; inheritance of the bride’s own property according to her will

Article 27 (p. 10): Redemption and transfer of the widow’s residence is regulated

Article 28 (p. 10): If the bride dies and has legitimate heirs from her third marriage: The 32,000 guilders and the bride’s other possessions shall be distributed equally among the descendants from her first, second and third marriages

Article 29 (p. 10): If there are no common descendants from the marriage of the bride and groom: lifelong use of the widow’s estate by the bride is regulated; after the death of the bride, the 32,000 guilders shall pass to the descendants from the first marriage, and the donation propter nuptias shall pass to the next heirs of the groom

Article 30 (p. 10): Entitlement to inheritance regulated, distribution and inheritance of household goods regulated

Article 31 (p. 10-11): If the bride has no biological heirs: the 32,000 guilders shall go to the Duke of Württemberg and his next heirs; Inheritance of movable property and other possessions regulated in the same way

Article 32 (p. 11): Until the sums have been paid, the heirs shall have power of disposal over the widow’s property; oaths, obedience, homage, court of justice, protection and food regulated

Article 33 (p. 11): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no descendants: The groom receives lifelong right of disposal over the dowry; after the groom’s death, the sum goes to the bride’s next heirs

Article 34 (p. 11): Temporary inheritance regulations mentioned?

Article 35 (p. 11) : Payment of any debts regulated

Article 36 (p. 12): Settlement of the debts of the deceased widow regulated

Article 37 (p. 12): Offspring from the groom’s first marriage mentioned

Article 38 (p. 12): Hope for male offspring from the marriage mentioned

Article 39 (p. 12): Succession between sons from first and second marriages regulated; inheritance regulation in equal parts mentioned; inheritance regulation in accordance with the usual customs of the princely house or in accordance with a will left behind

Article 40 (p. 12): If the bride dies after consummation of the marriage and before payment of the dowry: Provisions of the contract valid

Article 41 (pp. 12-13): If the bride or groom dies before consummation of the marriage: marriage contract invalid

Article 42 (p. 13): Compliance with the contract promised

Article 43 (p. 13): Provision for the bride on the dower regulated

Article 44 (p. 13): Confirmation of her consent by the bride

Article 45 (p. 13): Signatures and sealing regulated

Article 46 (pp. 13-14): Consent of the bride’s brothers regulated, sealing regulated, dating; signatures

Regulations on succession to the throne

Article 39 (p. 12): Succession between sons from first and second marriages regulated; inheritance regulation in equal parts mentioned; inheritance regulation in accordance with the usual customs of the princely house or in accordance with a will left behind

Confessional regulations

Article 10 (pp. 05-06): Change of widow’s residence possible?, allocation of vacant ecclesiastical fiefs on the widow’s estates regulated

Article 13 (p. 06): The groom and his heirs reserve the right to apply the regulations regarding church order to the aforementioned estates, 5,000 mentioned, land customs mentioned, hereditary homage regulated

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 3 (pp. 02-04): Deceased spouse of the bride mentioned, 32,000 guilders in dowry and trousseau mentioned; customary waiver as that of the bride’s sisters regulated; Reimbursement of the dowry from the bride’s first marriage regulated, widow’s dower mentioned, other property regulated

Article 13 (p. 06): The groom and his heirs reserve the right to apply the regulations regarding church order to the aforementioned estates, 5,000 mentioned, land customs mentioned, hereditary homage regulated

Article 20 (p. 08): If the groom dies and there are joint heirs: usual house rules mentioned, use of the donation propter nuptias, widow’s dower, etc. regulated by the minor heirs; household goods regulated

Article 26 (p. 09): If the bride dies: inheritance of the 32,000 guilders and the 1,600 guilders to the joint heirs from the aforementioned marriage, then to the first heirs of the bride from her first marriage, then to the next heirs of the bride; inheritance of the bride’s own property according to her will

Article 28 (p. 10): If the bride dies and has legitimate heirs from her third marriage: The 32,000 guilders and the bride’s other possessions shall be distributed equally among the descendants from her first, second and third marriages

Article 29 (p. 10): If there are no common descendants from the marriage of the bride and groom: lifelong use of the widow’s estate by the bride is regulated; after the death of the bride, the 32,000 guilders shall pass to the descendants from the first marriage, and the donation propter nuptias shall pass to the next heirs of the groom

Article 30 (p. 10): Entitlement to inheritance regulated, distribution and inheritance of household goods regulated

Article 31 (p. 10-11): If the bride has no biological heirs: the 32,000 guilders shall go to the Duke of Württemberg and his next heirs; Inheritance of movable property and other possessions regulated in the same way

Article 32 (p. 11): Until the sums have been paid, the heirs shall have power of disposal over the widow’s property; oaths, obedience, homage, court of justice, protection and food regulated

Article 33 (p. 11): If the bride dies before the groom and there are no descendants: The groom receives lifelong right of disposal over the dowry; after the groom’s death, the sum goes to the bride’s next heirs

Article 34 (p. 11): Temporary inheritance regulations mentioned?

Article 39 (p. 12): Succession between sons from first and second marriages regulated; inheritance regulation in equal parts mentioned; inheritance regulation in accordance with the usual customs of the princely house or in accordance with a will left behind

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Article 44 (p. 13): Confirmation of her consent by the bride

Article 46 (pp. 13-14): Consent of the bride’s brothers regulated, sealing regulated, dating; signatures

Text reference to past events

Article 3 (pp. 02-04): Deceased spouse of the bride mentioned, 32,000 guilders in dowry and trousseau mentioned; customary waiver as that of the bride’s sisters regulated; Reimbursement of the dowry from the bride’s first marriage regulated, widow’s dower mentioned, other property regulated

Article 37 (p. 12): Offspring from the groom’s first marriage mentioned

Commentary

No numbering of contract pages; original contract divided into sections; seals attached; division based on HStAD B 1 No. 142

Literature

References

• Archive copy: HStAD B 1 Nr. 142; HStAD B 1 Nr. 143
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitized archive copy: https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/showArchivalDescriptionDetails.action?archivalDescriptionId=3307751&executionId=2zNKc2i7gn

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 334. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/334.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 334},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/334.html}
}