Lineage
(For intermediate generations see preceeding chart pedigree.)
WITTEKIND THE GREAT, 1st Duke of Saxony, A.D. 789, carried on war with Charlemagne; his 2nd wife was Svatana, of Bohemia; he (1. 807. 1118 descendant,
DIETRICUS OR THEODORIC II. Count of Wettin and Landsberg, d. 1034; he m. Matilda, dau. of Echard, Margrave of Misnia or Meissen, by whom the fam1ly became Margraves. of Meissen. His descendant,
DIETRICH on THEODORE, Margrave of Meissen, Count of Weissenfels, d. 1222; he m. Judith, dau. of Heman I. Landgrave of Thuringia 1215, and when of her brother Henry (12th in descent from Charlemagne). Sixth in descent was
FREDERICK I. AND IV. surnamed the Warlike, b. 1367; reigned jointly with his brothers-as Margrave, and with them purchased Saalfeld of the Counts of Schwartzburg. On the Ascanian line of the Electors of Saxony becoming extinct, 1422, the Duchy of Upper Saxony and the dignity of Elector and Archmarshal of the Roman Empire attached to it, devolved on Frederick IV.; he d. 1428, having m. Catherine, dau. of Frederick, Duke of Brunswick; she d. 1422, having had a son,
Frederick II. Elector of Saxony, surnamed the Gentle; b. 24 Au . 1411; d. 7 Sept. 1464, having m. 1431, Margaret, dau. of Ernest I. Ironside, Archduke of Austria, and had 2 sons,
(1) Ernest, Elector of Saxony, of whom presently. .
(2) Albert, Margrave of Meissen, surnamed the Courageous, founder of the Albertine line; d. 12 Sept. 1500, leaving 2 sons, George and Henry; from the younger son, Henry, the Kings of Saxony descended. This line received the Electorate in 1547, when John Frederick I. was deprived of it.
ERNEST, Elector of Saxony, governed jointly with his brother Albert for 20 years, and then divided their territories; Ernest got Thuringia, with the Electoral dignity, and Albert became owner of Meissen. This partition originated the distinctions of the Ernestine and Albertine lines, observed in the House of Saxony; b. 25 Mar. 1441; d. 26 Aug. 1486, having m. Elizabeth, dau. of Albert III. Duke of Bavaria. Fifth in descent was
ERNEST, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, surnamed the Pious, founder of the modern house of Saxe-Gotha, divided his dominions amongst his 7 sons (9th son of John, Duke of Weimar); b. 25 Dec. 1601; d. 26 Mar. 1675, having m. 24 Oct. 1636, Elizabeth Sophia, only dau. of John Philip, Duke of Altenbnrgh; she d. 20 Dee. 1680, having bad 7 sons,
(1) Frederick I. of Saxe-Gotha (extinct 11 Feb. 1825).
(2) Albert, of Saxe-Coburg, d. s. p. s. 6 Aug. 1699.
(3) Bernard, of Saxe-Meiningen, ancestor of that house.
(4) Henry, of Saxe-Romhild, d. s. p. 13 May, 1710.
(5) Christian, of Saxe-Eisenberg, d. 28 April, 1707, leaving an only dau.
(6) Ernest, of Saxe-Hildburghausen, ancestor of Saxe-Altenburg line.
(7) John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld, b. 22 Aug. 1658; d. 24 Feb. 1729, having m. lst—18 Feb. 1680, Sophia Hedwig, dau. of Christian, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg; she d. 2 Aug. 1686 (having had a son, Duke Christian Ernest, who m. and d. s. p. 1745). He m. 2ndly—1 Dec. 1690, Charlotte Joanna, dau. of Josias, Prince of Waldeck; she d. 1 Feb. 1699, leaving a son.
FRANCIS JOSIAS, Duke or Saxe-Saalfeld and Coburg which was received from Saxe-Meiningen in 1735; reigned jointly with his brother until 1745, introduced the law of prinmgeniture into his family 1746; b. 25 Sept. 1697; d. 16 Sept. 1764, having m. 2 Jan. 1723, Anne Sophia, dau. of Lewis Frederick I. Prince of Sehwartzbnrg Rudolstadt; she d. 11 Dec. 17 80, having had issue. Their grandson, viz.—
FRANCIS FREDERICK ANTHONY, reigning Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Saalfeld, s. his father, Duke Ernest Frederick, 8 Sept. 1800; b. 15 July, 1750; d. 9 Dec. 1806, having m. 1st—6 Mar. 1776, Ernestina Frederica Sophia, dau. of Ernest Frederick Charles, Duke of Saxe Hildburghausen; she d. 28 Oct. following. He m. 2ndly—13 June, 1777, Augusta Caroline Sophia, eldest dau. of Henry, 24th Count Reuss d’Ebersdorf; she d. 16 Nov. 1831, having had 4 sons and 5 daus.
[1] Ernest, late reigning Duke, of whom presently.
[2] Duke Ferdinand George Augustus, Duke of Saxe-Coburg, b. 28 Mar. 1785; d. 27 Aug. 1851, having m. 2 Jan. 1816, Princess Maria Antoinette Gabriella, only child and heir of Francis Joseph, Prince of Kohary, in Hungary ; she d. 25 Sept. 1862, having had 3 sons and a dau.
(1) Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony, Duke of Saxony, Regent of Portugal, Field-Marshal; b. 29 Oct. 1816; m. 9 April, 1836, Maria II. da Gloria Jane Charlotte Laopoldina Isidora da Cruz Frances Xaviera da Paula Michaela Gabriela Raphaela Louisa Gonzaga, QUEEN OF PORTUGAL; she was b. 4 April, 1819, and succeeded to the throne of Portugal on the abdication of her father, Don Pedro I. Emperor of Brazil and King of Portugal, 2 May, 1826; d. 15 Nov. 1853 (having m. 1st—26 Jan. 1835, to Augustus Charles Eugene Napoleon de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg; b. 9 Dec. 1810; d. s. p. 28 Mar. 1835). By her 2nd marriage with Prince Ferdinand of Saxe Coburg-Gotha the Queen had 5 sons and 3 daus.
