Nassau-Corroy

Nassau-Corroy
Parent houseHouse of Nassau
Founded16th century
FounderAlexis of Nassau-Corroy
TitlesCount of Corroy
Count of Zwevegem
Baron of Warcoing
Lord of Frasnes-lez-Gosselies
Estate(s)Castle of Corroy-le-Château
Zwevegem Castle
Dissolution1832 (1832)

Nassau-Corroy was the name of an illegitimate branch of the House of Nassau.[1] Unlike the main branch of the House of Nassau, the branch of Nassau-Corroy was Roman Catholic and faithful to the king of Spain.[2]

History

Castle of Corroy-le-Château

The history of the branch of Nassau-Corroy was started by the marriage between Otto II of Nassau-Siegen and Adelaide of Vianden. The counts of Vianden had built the Castle of Corroy-le-Château in the 13th century. Thus, the ancestors of Henry III of Nassau-Breda already possessed the rights of the castle in Corroy.[3]

The branch of Nassau-Corroy was founded by Alexis of Nassau-Corroy, the bastard son of Henry III of Nassau-Breda and his mistress Elisabeth Claire van Rosenbach. In 1530, Alexis was recognised by emperor Charles V.[4] In 1540, René of Chalon gave the full rights of Corroy to his half-brother. In 1545, the branch was openly recognised by the Prince of Orange.[5]

In 1693, Charles II of Spain granted Joseph-Ignace the title of Count of Corroy. In 1717, the Counts of Corroy added Zwevegem to their possessions and were the last feudal lords in Zwevegem.[2] The familial arms are still the official coat of arms of the municipality of Zwevegem.[6]

Lords and Counts of Corroy

Alexis I of Nassau-Corroy: legitimised bastard in 1530.[3]
Married to Wilhelmina of Bronkhorst Batenburg (1526 - 1601)

    1. René of Nassau-Corroy
      1. Alexis II of Nassau-Corroy
        1. Maximilien of Nassau-Corroy
          1. Joseph-Ignace de Nassau, 1st Count of Corroy;
            acquired the castle of Zwevegem and the title of Count of Zwevegem;[2]
            married to Marrie-Anne, daughter of Philippe I Alexandre de Ghistelles, 2nd Marquess of Saint-Floris.
            1. Guillaume-Adrien-Joseph de Nassau, Count of Corroy
              son of Joseph-Ignace, succeeded his father in 1740
              1. Alexandre-Constantin-Joseph de Nassau, Count of Corroy (1738-1804)
                son of Guillaume-Adrien; he was the last count of Zwevegem[2]

Others

Notes

  1. ^ Félix Victor Goethals, Dictionnaire généalogique et héraldique des familles nobles du royaume de Belgique, Volume 4 (Polack-Duvivier, 1852)
  2. ^ a b c d "Biekorf. Jaargang 58 · DBNL".
  3. ^ a b Nes, Emerentia van Heuven-van (2015). Nassau en Oranje in gebrandschilderd glas 1503-2005: Emerentia van Heuven-van Nes , m.m.v. S. Groenveld en D.B.M. Hermans. ISBN 9789087045357.
  4. ^ Olivier de Trazegnies, Un personnage secret: Gillion, 2e marquis de Trazegnies d'Ittre (1772-1847), époux de Constance-Amélie, comtesse de Nassau et de Corroy, in: Le Parchemin, 2012.
  5. ^ Memo from Belgium, Nummers 132-143/Pagina 114
  6. ^ "Over Zwevegem | Zwevegem". www.zwevegem.be. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20.
  7. ^ "Historique". Corroy-le-Château.