Marriage contract no. 6: Sachsen-Eisenach - Hessen-Kassel

Contract content

Preamble: Advice and involvement in the marriage contract by Johann Ernst’s brother, Johann Casimir of Saxe-Coburg, mentioned.

Article 1: Marriage is agreed, dowry set at 20,000 guilders, the guilder being 15 batzen or 27 albus, plus clothes, jewellery, silverware, etc.; Johann Ernst is to receive the marriage settlement within one year of the wedding, Christine’s renunciation of inheritance is settled: should the Hessian line die out, the will of Wilhelm IV and the fraternal inheritance agreement shall take effect, Christine shall continue to renounce her inheritance. Her share of the inheritance is to be settled; she continues to be entitled to her share of her mother’s dowry and to the inheritance of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg, Wilhelm IV’s brother-in-law.

Article 2: Morning gift of 6,000 guilders in principal and 300 guilders annually; Christine shall receive an additional 25 guilders per quarter; the donatio propter nuptias is set at 20,000 guilders; Christine’s widow’s dower is set according to a comparative supplement. Christine shall receive her salary from the offices of Creuzburg and Beritenbach; if these offices do not yield 4,000 guilders annually, Christine shall receive this money from other offices.

Article 3: Officials and subjects shall swear an oath to Christine, even after Johann Ernst’s death, if Christine receives her dower, the oath shall remain valid, Christine is obliged to respect the spiritual and secular freedoms of her subjects

Article 4: Johann Ernst reserves the right to appeal in the town, castle and offices. Debts shall not be settled with Christine’s property; if they are, she shall be compensated by settlement. Christine shall be supplied with construction timber and firewood after receiving her dower.

Article 5: Christine shall also be provided with sufficient game if the forests do not yield enough.

Article 6: Johann Ernst or his heirs undertake to protect Christine’s dower residence. Christine may not make any changes to the dower residence, but is also not obliged to maintain the castle structurally. Johann Ernst’s debts shall not be borne by Christine.

Article 7: Should Johann Ernst and Christine die and leave behind heirs who are still minors, they shall be assigned a guardian, as is customary in the princely house of Saxony. In the event of Johann Ernst’s death, Christine shall move into her dower residence with the agreed funds. She may keep all her possessions, including jewellery, clothing, silverware, etc.

Article 8: If supplies, household goods or other items are lacking, Christine shall receive them from Johann Ernst or his heirs; the dowry residence shall be furnished and supplied in a manner befitting her status.

Article 9: Should Creuzburg Castle suffer damage, Christine shall be compensated or receive an appropriate sum of money.

Article 10: Should Christine remarry, Johann Ernst’s successors shall pay her 20,000 guilders, and she shall receive 2,000 guilders annually instead of the dower. Should Christine die, this money shall go to her heirs, but Christine shall henceforth have no further power of disposal over the dower residence.

Article 11: Should Christine die and there also be children from the other marriage, the marriage money and her other possessions shall be divided equally among all her children.

Article 12: Should there be no heirs, the marriage money shall be repaid to Moritz and the dower shall revert to Johann Ernst or his heirs. Christine’s remaining possessions shall pass to her next of kin, and whatever else is available shall be divided: the next of kin shall receive one part, and Johann Ernst or his heirs shall receive the other. The dower estate shall be considered a pledge until the 20,000 guilders of the dowry have been repaid to Moritz, during which time the subjects shall be obedient to Moritz.

Article 13: Should Christine die before Johann Ernst without leaving any heirs, Johann Ernst may continue to dispose of the 20,000 guilders dowry; if he also dies, the 20,000 guilders shall pass to Moritz and Johann Ernst’s heirs.

Article 14: In addition to the 300 guilders paid annually, Christine shall also receive 75 guilders from the treasurer every quarter. Should Christine transfer the 6,000 guilders dowry to her children or anyone else, Johann Ernst or his heirs shall receive the money back after Christine’s death.

Article 15: Christine is exempt from all debts, but if Christine incurs debts after receiving her widow’s dower, these shall be paid off by her next heir.

Article 16: Should either of the two die before consummating the marriage, the marriage contract shall be deemed null and void. Johann Ernst, Johann Casimir and Moritz vow to abide by what has been agreed.

Confessional regulations

Article 3: […] Christine is obliged to respect the spiritual and secular freedoms of her subjects

Regulations on inheritance law

Article 1: […] Christine’s renunciation of inheritance is regulated: should the Hessian line die out, the will of William IV and the fraternal inheritance agreement shall take effect, and Christine shall continue to renounce her inheritance. Her share of the inheritance shall be settled; she shall continue to be entitled to her share of her mother’s dowry and to the inheritance of Duke Ludwig of Württemberg, William IV’s brother-in-law.

Article 7: Should Johann Ernst and Christine die and leave behind minor heirs, they shall be assigned a guardian, as is customary in the princely house of Saxony. In the event of Johann Ernst’s death, Christine shall move into her widow’s residence with the agreed funds. She may keep all her possessions, including jewellery, clothing, silverware, etc.

Article 10: Should Christine remarry, Johann Ernst’s successors shall pay her 20,000 guilders, and she shall receive 2,000 guilders annually instead of the dowry. Should Christine die, this money shall go to the heirs, but Christine shall henceforth have no further power of disposal over the dower residence.

Article 11: Should Christine die and there also be children from her other marriage, the dowry and her other possessions shall be divided equally among all her children.

Article 12: Should there be no heirs, the dowry shall be repaid to Moritz and the dower shall revert to Johann Ernst or his heirs. Christine’s remaining possessions shall pass to her next of kin, and whatever else is available shall be divided: the next of kin shall receive one part, and Johann Ernst or his heirs shall receive the other. The dower estate shall be considered a pledge until the 20,000 guilders of the dowry have been repaid to Moritz. During this time, the subjects shall be obedient to Moritz. Article 13: Should Christine die before Johann Ernst without leaving any heirs, Johann Ernst may continue to dispose of the 20,000 guilders dowry; if he also dies, the 20,000 guilders shall fall to Moritz and Johann Ernst’s heirs.

External authorities involved

Preamble: Advice and participation in the marriage contract by Johann Ernst’s brother, Johann Casimir of Saxony (Thuringia)-Coburg <(http://d-nb.info/gnd/118883151)>, mentioned.

Article 16: Should either of the two die before consummating the marriage, this marriage contract shall be deemed null and void. Johann Ernst, Johann Casimir and Moritz vow to abide by what has been agreed.

Ratifications, confirmations, approvals

Approvals by Johann Casimir of Saxe-Coburg and Ludwig of Hesse-Marburg mentioned.

References

• Archive copy: HStAM, Urk. 3, Nr. 229
• Contract language archive copy: German

Recommended citation

Dynastische Eheverträge der frühen Neuzeit. Contract No. 6. Philipps University of Marburg. Available online at https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/6.html.

@misc{ Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit, 
title = {Dynastische Ehevertr{“a}ge der fr{”u}hen Neuzeit: Contract No. 6},
 url = {https://dynastische-ehevertraege.online.uni-marburg.de/en/vertraege/6.html}
}