Jean Charles Joseph, Count of Merode,

Marquess of Deynze A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman w ...

was a noble of the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands nl, Oostenrijkse Nederlanden; french: Pays-Bas Autrichiens; german: Österreichische Niederlande; la, Belgium Austriacum. was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The p ...

, born in the

Prince-Bishopric of Liège The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial State, Imperial Estate, so the List of ...

. He was Lieutenant-

Feldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...

of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

, Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece.

Biography

He was born in the family castle of Ham-sur-Heure,

on 3 December 1719. He was the second and eldest surviving son of Joachim Maximilien of Mérode, Marquess of Deynze by his first wife and 2nd cousin, Thérèse-Jeanne, countess of Mérode-

Nalinnes Ham-sur-Heure-Nalinnes (; wa, Han-so-Eure-Nålene) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Ham-sur-Heure-Nalinnes had a total population of 13,529. The land area is , which gives a populatio ...

. His elder brother, Maximilien Louis being dead in 1728 and his father having left no will when he died in 1740, he inherited his whole succession, as the surviving eldest son. He married, on 12 January 1744 in

Heverlee Heverlee () is a town in Belgium. It is a borough of the city of Leuven. Heverlee is bordered by Herent, Bertem, Oud Heverlee and several other municipalities that are part of Leuven (including Leuven proper and Kessel-Lo). The town is the loca ...

Arenberg Castle Arenberg Castle ( nl, Kasteel van Arenberg, french: Château d'Arenberg) is a château in Heverlee close to Leuven in Belgium. It is surrounded by a park. History The site had been the castle of the lords of Heverlee since the 12th century ...

, Marie Flore Charlotte Thérèse, princess of Arenberg, 3rd daughter of

Léopold Philippe d'Arenberg Leopold may refer to: People * Leopold (given name) * Leopold (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters * Leopold (''The Simpsons''), Superintendent Chalmers' assistant on ''The Simpsons'' * Leopold Bloom, the protagonist o ...

, 4th

Duke of Arenberg The House of Arenberg is an aristocratic lineage that is constituted by three successive families that took their name from Arenberg, a small territory of the Holy Roman Empire in the Eifel region. The inheritance of the House of Croÿ-Aarschot m ...

, Dame of the

Order of the Starry Cross The Order of the Starry Cross (or Order of the Star Cross/Star Cross Order; German: ''Sternkreuz-Orden'') is an imperial Austrian dynastic order for Catholic noble ladies, founded in 1668. The order still exists under the House of Habsburg-Lorraine ...

but had no descent. He was appointed Colonel (Commander-in-Chief) of the Regiment of Los Rios (1745-1751), General-major (1751),Histoire du régiment austro-belge de Los Rios-Clerfayt, page 41-42. Lieutenant-

of the

Histoire du théâtre français à Bruxelles au XVIIe et au XVIIIe siècle
Page 181-182 He was Grand

Bailiff A bailiff (from Middle English baillif, Old French ''baillis'', ''bail'' "custody") is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. Bailiffs are of various kinds and their offi ...

of the Quarter of Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse of the

His Regiment of Los Rios participated in the Battle of Rocourt and covered the retreat of the Dutch infantry. It participated in the

Battle of Lauffeld The Battle of Lauffeld, variously known as Lafelt, Laffeld, Lawfeld, Lawfeldt, Maastricht, or Val, took place on 2 July 1747, between Tongeren in modern Belgium, and the Dutch city of Maastricht. Part of the War of the Austrian Succession, a Fr ...

. With the same Regiment, he defended the city of

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

, during the

Siege of Maastricht (1748) The siege of Maastricht took place in April–May 1748 during the War of the Austrian Succession. A French force under the overall command of Maurice de Saxe besieged and captured the Dutch barrier fortress of Maastricht in the final few months ...

, led by the ''Maréchal of France''

Maurice de Saxe Maurice, Count of Saxony (german: Hermann Moritz von Sachsen, french: Maurice de Saxe; 28 October 1696 – 20 November 1750) was a notable soldier, officer and a famed military commander of the 18th century. The illegitimate son of Augustus I ...

. It caused heavy losses to the French army during the heroic night of 1–2 May 1748. He was also a co-director and financial supporter (1750-1752) of the Théatre de la Monnaie in Brussels, together with his father-in-law and th
Duke of Ursel
See ''

List of directors of the Théâtre de la Monnaie This page is a list of directors and ballet masters of the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. After 1981, La Monnaie ceased to have Ballet masters, but took on choreographers in residence. After 2007, La Monnaie ceased to take on choreogra ...

'' His half-brother Balthazar-Philippe of Mérode, Lord of

Rixensart Rixensart (; wa, Ricsinsåt) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. On January 1, 2018, Rixensart had a total population of 22,401. The total area is 17.54 km² which gives a population density of ...

inherited his lordships when he died in

Ham-sur-Heure Castle Ham-sur-Heure Castle (french: Château d'Ham-sur-Heure) is a castle in Ham-sur-Heure, a village in the municipality of Ham-sur-Heure-Nalinnes, province of Hainaut, Wallonia, Belgium. From 1491 to 1941 it belonged to the de Mérode family, and fr ...

on 10 August 1774.

Honours

* : 785th Knight of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriage ...

(Austrian Branch)
( appointed in 1765, by

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

)
The jewel of his Golden Fleece is inserted into the Grand Ostensoir (Monstrance) of Saint Martin Church in Ham-sur-Heure. * (Austrian Netherlands) : Chamberlain of TT.II.& RR. Majesties.

Titles

* Count of Mérode, of Montfort * Viscount of Wavremont * Baron of

Duffel Duffel () is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises only the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2020, Duffel had a total population of 17,664. The total area is 22.71 km² which gives a population dens ...

* Lord of Crupet, Ham-sur-Heure,

Groesbeek Groesbeek () is a town and former municipality in the province of Gelderland, the Netherlands. In January 2015 the former municipality merged with Millingen aan de Rijn and Ubbergen. The larger area was known as Groesbeek until January 2016, when ...

, Morialmé, Sautour, Solre-sur-Sambre * Hereditary ''Haut-Avoué'' of

Fosses-la-Ville Fosses-la-Ville (; wa, Fosse-li-Veye) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Namur, Belgium. On January 1, 2018, Fosses-la-Ville had a total population of 10,449. The total area is 63.24 km² which gives a popul ...

Ancestors

His ancestry shows a high level of members of his own

House of Mérode The House of Merode is one of the most prominent families of the Belgian nobility. The House of Merode originates from the village of Merode (today in the municipality of Langerwehe, Germany). Over the last five centuries different branches b ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merode-Deinze, Jean Charles Joseph Field marshals of Austria Je Knights of the Golden Fleece Nobility of the Austrian Netherlands 1719 births 1774 deaths 18th-century Austrian people