Marriage contract no. 343: Hessen-Homburg - Hessen-Darmstadt

Contract content

Preamble: Purpose of marriage; naming of the marriage partners and parties involved

1 – Mutual promise to marry

2 – Dowry settled: 20,000 guilders, payment settled; bride’s trousseau settled: according to custom in the house; regulations regarding paraphernalia

3 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride regulated; exception in the absence of male heirs; Should the bride’s father die without male heirs, the bride and her sisters are entitled to their mother’s dowry

4 – Morning gift regulated: 6000 guilders, interest regulated, morning gift may be inherited and given away by the bride, reduction of the annually paid sum and redemption of the morning gift possible in the event of remarriage

5 – Donatio propter nuptias of 20,000 guilders; investment in Bingenheim Castle and office; with the consent of the groom’s two brothers; widow’s dower regulated: life annuity regulated: 6,000 guilders without heirs, 4,000 guilders with heirs

6 – Regulations regarding the widow’s dower: rights of use, homage; freedoms of subjects, husband’s reservations, compensation for damage, delivery of goods in kind, prohibition of sale and pledging of the dower

7 – Should the husband’s mother die, the bride’s dower shall be changed to the now vacant dower

8 – Deaths regulated, husband dies before wife: Guardianship regulated, widow’s dower guaranteed if widowhood remains unchanged, commencement of widow’s dower and trousseau of widow’s residence regulated, redemption of widow’s dower in the event of remarriage regulated, inheritance of marriage property and donatio propter nuptias with and without children regulated; death of the wife before the husband: husband’s usufruct of marriage property and dowry

9 – Inheritance of silver tableware mutually gifted during the consummation of the marriage 10 – Regulations regarding debts

11 – Nullity of the contract in the event of the death of one of the two marriage partners before the consummation of the marriage

12 – Promise to abide by the contract

13 – Seal of both parties

Regulations on inheritance law

3 – Renunciation of inheritance by the bride regulated; exception if there are no male heirs; if the bride’s father dies without male heirs, the bride and her sisters are entitled to their mother’s dowry

8 – Inheritance of dowry and donatio propter nuptias with and without children regulated

9 – Inheritance of silver tableware mutually gifted during the consummation of the marriage

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

13 – Seals of both parties

References

• Archive copy: HStAD, D 4, 218/4; HStAD, B 1, 402
• Contract language archive copy: German
• Digitalized archive copy: https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/digitalMediaViewer.action?archivalDescriptionId=2406024&selectId=2064288; HStAD, D 4, 218/4 (from page 94 in the digital copy); https://dfg-viewer.de/show/?set[mets]=https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/mets?detailid=v5532036

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 343. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/343.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 343},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/343.html}
}