Count Maurice Frederick of Nassau-Siegen (19 January 1621 – 17 June 1638), german: Moritz Friedrich Graf von Nassau-Siegen, official titles: ''Graf zu Nassau, Katzenelnbogen, Vianden und Diez, Herr zu Beilstein'', was a
count
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
from the
House of Nassau-Siegen
Nassau-Siegen was a principality within the Holy Roman Empire that existed between 1303 and 1328, and again from 1606 to 1743. From 1626 to 1734, it was subdivided into Catholic and Protestant parts. Its capital was the city of Siegen, founde ...
, a
cadet branch
In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, title ...
of the
Ottonian Line of the
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count o ...
. He served as an
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
in the
Dutch States Army
The Dutch States Army ( nl, Staatse leger) was the army of the Dutch Republic. It was usually called this, because it was formally the army of the States-General of the Netherlands, the sovereign power of that federal republic. This mercenary army ...
. In the propaganda for the
House of Orange
The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch language, Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current dynasty, reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the Politics and governm ...
, he is regarded as one of the twelve heroes of the House of Nassau who gave their lives in the
Eighty Years’ War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...
for the freedom of the Dutch people.
Biography
Maurice Frederick was born at
[Aβmann & Menk (1996).] on 19 January 1621
[Huberty, et al. (1981), p. 272.] as the second son of Count
William of Nassau-Siegen and Countess
Christiane of Erbach
Countess Christiane of Erbach (5 June 1596 – 6 July 1646), german: Christiane Gräfin zu Erbach, was a countess from the and through marriage Countess of Nassau-Siegen.
Biography
Christiane was born on 5 June 1596 as the daugh ...
.
Maurice Frederick became a
student
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementar ...
at
Leiden University
Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince o ...
on 3 September 1633,
[Dek (1970), p. 88.][Dek (1968), p. 276.] and on 27 May 1636 he was appointed
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
of a
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
in the Dutch States Army,
where his father was
field marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
.
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
Frederick Henry of Orange
Frederick Henry ( nl, Frederik Hendrik; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1625 until his death in 1647. In the l ...
, who intended to lay
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
to
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, , entrusted Maurice Frederick’s father with an important undertaking in 1638, the occupation of the
levee
A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...
at
Calloo. William conquered the
sconces of
Stabroek
:''Georgetown, Guyana was known as Stabroek prior to 1812.''
Stabroek () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of and Stabroek proper. In 2021, Stabroek had a total population of 18,68 ...
and Calloo and chased off the
Spaniards
Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance peoples, Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of National and regional identity in Spain, national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex Hist ...
, but instead of continuing his march, he reinforced himself on the spot. When he heard the false rumour that the Spaniards were approaching with a greater force than his own, he fled in confusion. On 17 June he suffered a considerable loss of 2,000 men.
[Blok (1911), p. 1572.][Muller (1898), p. 133.][Van der Aa (1877), p. 270.] Maurice Frederick was one of those who fell in this
Battle of Calloo.
[Vorsterman van Oyen (1882), p. 117.] He was buried at
Heusden
Heusden () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands. It is located between the towns of Waalwijk and 's-Hertogenbosch. The municipality of Heusden, including Herpt, Heesbeen, Hedikhuizen, Doeveren, and Oudheusden, merged with ...
.
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
.
Afbeelding en plan van de slag van Kallo in 1638.jpg, The Battle of Calloo. Anonymous etching, 1638.
Ancestors
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
* (1911). "Willem, Wilhelm". In: en (redactie), ''Nieuw Nederlandsch Biografisch Woordenboek'' (in Dutch). Vol. Eerste deel. Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff. p. 1572.
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* (1882). ''Het vorstenhuis Oranje-Nassau. Van de vroegste tijden tot heden'' (in Dutch). Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff/Utrecht: J.L. Beijers.
External links
Nassau In
compiled by Charles Cawley.
In
by Paul Theroff.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nassau-Siegen, Maurice Frederick
1621 births
1638 deaths
German Calvinist and Reformed Christians
German military officers
German people of the Eighty Years' War
Maurice Frederick
Military personnel of the Eighty Years' War
Military personnel from Siegen
17th-century German military personnel