Mathias Franz Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledske

Mathias Franz Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledske[1][2][3][4][5] (in English: Mathias Franz Count of Chorinsky Baron of Ledske; Latin: Mathias Franciscus Comes de Chorinsky Liber Baron de Ledske; Czech: Matyáš František hrabě z Chorinský svobodný pán z Ledské), 4 October 1720 in Patzeslawitz (Pačlavice) – 30 October 1786 in Gurein (Kuřim), Moravia, Holy Roman Empire, was first Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brünn (Brno), Imperial and Royal senior Privy Counsellor (German title k.u.k. Wirklicher Geheimer Rat) of the Imperial and Royal Privy Council of the Habsburg monarchy and with his equally eminent brothers[6] the first Counts of Chorinsky.[1][3][4][7][8]

Mathias Franz
Bishop of Brno, Count of Chorinsky Baron of Ledske
Bishop Mathias Franz, Count of Chorinsky Baron of Ledske
Coat of arms

Personal coat of arms of 1st Bishop of Brno Mathias Franz, shield only represented (main coat of arms are that of the Brno diocese with Chorinsky-Ledske coat of arms shown in the centre.)

Contemporary representation of the original coat of arms borne by house members before 1761.
Full name
German: Mathias Franz Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledske
Czech: Matyáš František hrabě Chorinský svobodný pán z Ledské
Born(1720-10-04)4 October 1720
Pačlavice, Moravia, Habsburg Empire
Died30 October 1786(1786-10-30) (aged 66)
Kuřim, Moravia, Habsburg Empire
BuriedBrno, Moravia, Habsburg Empire
FamilyHouse of Chorinsky (Chorinský)
House of Ledske (Ledské)
FatherFranz Karl, Freiherr von Chorinsky und Ledske (Baron of Chorinsky and Ledske)
MotherMaria Catherina, Freiin Kottulinsky von Kottulin und Krzizkowitz (Baroness Kottulinsky of Kottulin and Krzizkowitz)

Family history and biography

Mathias Franz was a descendant of an eminent and ancient Bohemian-Moravian-Silesian noble house well known in this region since the 15th century, with earlier origins leading from the Piast dynasty of Poland and a Chorynski branch of the "Abdank szlachta" nobility,[1][2][4][9][10][11][12][13] in 1293 two noble Knight’s Babeslaus de Chorinsky and his son Laticus de Chorinsky served at the court of Henry V, Duke of Legnica and Duke of Silesia, seated in the Duchy of Silesia.[1][4]

The earliest known ancestral seat or estate, among many others later acquired across the Bohemian-Moravian-Silesian lands, was Chorin (Choryně) with its dominion in the Zlin region (Zlínský kraj) and Fortress Ledske with its dominion in the Königgrätz region (Hradec Králové Region) where today only remnants of the fortification can be found,[1][9][13][14] today the municipality is named Velká Ledská (Great Ledska) in the present-day Czech Republic.

Already established and recognized for centuries and highly esteemed within the Holy Roman Empire, Mathias Franz together with his equally eminent brothers[6] were each venerated for their own exceptional services to the Bohemian Crown and elevated as the first Counts of Chorinsky on 12 December 1761 by Empress of the Holy Roman Empire and Archduchess Maria Theresa in her sovereignty as Queen regnant of Bohemia.[1][2][3][4][8]

On 3 April 1798 the House of Chorinsky-Ledske were named chief banner-bearers (German Oberst-Erblandpanier-Träger) of the peerage of Bohemia.[1][2][4]

Career

Mathias Franz studied in Olmütz (Olomouc); on 5 April 1743 he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest; later that year he became Canon of the collegiate chapter of St. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Brünn (Brno) and in 1752 the Dean.[1][4][15] On 16 October 1769 Mathias Franz received episcopal consecration as Titular Bishop of Samaria and Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Königgrätz (Hradec Králové), in 1776 Auxiliary Bishop of Olmütz (Olomouc).[1][15] Sponsored and nominated for Bishop of Brünn (Brno) on 18 May 1777 by then Empress regnant Maria Theresia of the Holy Roman Empire,[1][7] Pope Pius VI confirmed his appointment on 5 December 1777 as the first bishop of the newly established Roman Catholic Diocese of Brünn (Brno), and in that same year he was officially installed in that city.[1][15] In 1778 he became a senior privy counsellor (German title k.u.k. Wirklicher Geheimer Rat, roughly "imperial and royal right trusted counsellor") in the Imperial and Royal (German k.u.k.) Privy Council of the Habsburg monarchy.[1][4]

Parents

His parents were Franz Karl Baron of Chorinsky and Ledske (German Franz Karl Freiherr von Chorinsky und Ledske) and first wife Maria Catherina Baroness Kottulinsky of Kottulin and Krzizkowitz (German Maria Catherina Freiin Kottulinsky von Kottulin und Krzizkowitz).[1][4] From his father's first marriage stem four sons and three daughters, and upon the death of his first wife, one son from his father's second marriage to Maria Anna Countess of Hallweil (German Maria Anna Gräfin von Hallweil).[1][4][6] His father was Imperial and Royal Chamberlain (German title k.u.k. Kämmerer) and Counsellor (German k.u.k. Rat) on the Imperial and Royal Council of the Habsburg monarchy, as well as Imperial Governor of the Hradischer Kreis (Hradištský kraj) region in the Margraviate of Moravia, and Lord of the principalities Wesseli (Veselí) and Patschlawitz (Pačlavice).[1][4]

Coat of arms

Blazon, altered and adopted post-1761: Gold (Or) shield, with two bison horns centred within, the right bison horn is black (Sable) with three silver (Argent) crayfish claws attached outwards, the left bison horn is silver (Argent) with three black (Sable) crayfish claws attached outwards, the shield (or mantel surrounding if present) is crowned with a nine pearl count-coronet ranking. The coat of arms is often found with a mantel surrounding; a purple cloak with ermine lining, tasselled and fringed with gold (Or) string, and shield supporters being two human male figures.

Some variations of the coat of arms are also seen with the addition of the bison horns represented again surmounted above a two-pearled leafed crown resting on a front facing barred Knight's helmet with jewelled necklace (a similar blazon as found on the original coat of arms borne prior to addition of the count-coronet ranking post-1761).

Miscellaneous

As name spellings were historically fairly fluid, especially given the different languages used in the region, the main name of "Chorinsky" is also sometimes found in documents as Chorynski, Chorensky, Chorenski, Chorynsky and Chorinska (the last being a female form), and "Ledske" is found as Ledska, Ledetz and Letske.

Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis (née Gräfin von Schönburg-Glauchau), of the German Princely House of Thurn und Taxis, has paternal ancestors from the House of Chorinsky-Ledske. Her paternal great-great-grandfather is Victor Paul Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledske (1883–1901) and her paternal great-grandmother is Franziska (Fanny) Anna Gräfin von Chorinsky Freiin von Ledske (1876–1963).

Veseli Castle

Veseli castle is located at Veseli nad Moravou.

Photos

The castle was once part of the count's family estates. It is a private restoration project supervised by the Czech Heritage Institute. Once a former moated 13th century castle, the castle and its estate were inherited in 1731 by Mathias Franz' father, Franz Karl Baron of Chorinsky and Ledske. It was later occupied by descendants of Mathias Franz' brother Franz Johann until April 1945. The estate was then confiscated by the state of Czechoslovakia, and this branch of the family fled to Austria.

Notes and references
  1. Österreichische Staatsarchiv (ÖStA) (Austrian State Archives (ÖStA)); Allgemeines Adelsarchiv der österreichischen Monarchie (General Archive of Nobility of the Austrian Monarchy), Author: Karl Friedrich Benjamin Leupold, Publisher: Hoffmeister, Wien (Vienne), 1789, Volume 1, Issue 2, Page 179-184, in German.
  2. Adels-Lexikon (Nobility Lexicon), Author: Johann Christian von Hellbach, Publisher: Bernhard Friedrich Voigt, Ilmenau, 1825, Volume 1 A to K, Page 230, in German.
  3. Der Adel der böhmischen Krönländer: ein Verzeichnis derjenigen Wappenbriefe und Adelsdiplome welche in den Böhmischen Saalbüchern der Adelsarchives im k.k. Ministerium des Innern in Wien eingetragen sind (The Nobility of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown: a roster of the coat of arms and letters patent of nobility that are registered in the Bohemian Hall-books of nobility archives at the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Interior in Vienna), Author: August von Doerr, Publisher: Verlag von Fr. Rivnac, Prag (Prague), 1900, Page 196 and 246, in German.
  4. Neues Preussisches Adels-Lexicon (New Prussian Nobility Lexicon), Gebrüder Reichenbach, Leipzig, 1839, Supplement Volume/Vol. 5, Page 100-103, in German.
  5. Der Adel von Böhmen, Mähren und Schlesien: ein alphabetisch geordnetes Verzeichnis..., (The Nobility of Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia: an alphabetical directory...,), Author: Anton Schimon, Publisher: P. Gerzabek, Prag (Prague), 1859, Page 20, in German.
  6. Brothers of Mathias Franz: (1). Franz Johann (b. 24 April 1725), (2). Johann Nepomuk (b. ?), (3). Ignaz Dominic (b. 20 August 1729), (4). Michael Wenzel (b. 4 December 1736); each Graf von Chorinsky Freiherr von Ledske, except brother Johann Nepomuk who died in 1760 (prior to elevation to Counts in 1761) from fatal battle wounds received in the Battle of Torgau, held the hereditary birth name and title Freiherr von Chorinsky und Ledske. Sisters of Mathias Franz: (1) Maria Anna (b. 14 March 1716); (2) Josepha (b. ?); (3) Franziska (b. ?); each held the hereditary birth name and title Freiin von Chorinsky und Ledske.
  7. Geographisches Handbuch von dem östreichischen Staate: Böheim, Mahren, und Schlesien. (Geographical Handbook of the Austrian States: Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia.), Author: Ignaz de Luca, Publisher: J. B. Degen, Wien (Vienne), 1791, Volume 3, Page 66, 165, 219, 236, in German.
  8. Österreichisches Adels-Lexikon: des achtzehnten u. neunzehnten Jahrhunderts (Austrian Nobility Lexicon: of the eighteenth and nineteenth century), Author: Johann Georg Megerle von Mühlenfeld, Publisher: Mörscher and Jasper, Wien (Vienne), 1822, Page 15, in German.
  9. Der Schlesische Adel (The Silesian Nobility), Author: Johannes Sinapius, Publisher: Michael Rohrlach, Leipzig and Breslau, 1728, Volume 2, Page 563, in German.
  10. Orbis Polonus, splendoribus Coeli, Triumphis Mundi, pulcritudine Animantium, decore Aquitilium de condecoratus: in quo antiqua Sarmatarum Gentilia, pervetustæ Nobilitatis Poloniæ Insignia relucent, Author: Simon Okolski, Kraków, 1641–43, Volume 1, Page 722, in Latin.
  11. Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Gräflichen Häuser 1874 (Almanach de Gotha; Gotha’s Genealogical Handbook of noble (count) houses 1874), Author: Justus Perthes, Publisher: Perthes-Verlag, Gotha, Page 164, in German.
  12. Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Deutschen Gräflichen Häuser aus das Jahr 1828 (Almanach de Gotha; Gotha’s Genealogical Handbook of German noble (count) houses from the year 1828), Author: Justus Perthes, Publisher: Perthes-Verlag, Gotha, Page 35, in German.
  13. Die fürstlichen, gräflichen und freiherrlichen Familien des österreichischen Kaiserstaates (The princely, count and baron families of the Austrian Empire), Author: Jacob A. F. Hyrtl, Publisher: Schaumburg & Company, Wien (Vienne), 1852, Volume 2, Page 37-39, in German.
  14. Chronicon Alsatiae (Edelsasser Chronick), Author: Bernhart Hertzogs, Publisher: Johann Fischart, Straßburg (Strasbourg), 1592, in German and Latin.
  15. The Diocese of Brno, official website, in Czech.
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