Francis Julius of Saxe-Lauenburg

Francis Julius of Saxe-Lauenburg
Spouse(s)	Agnes of Württemberg
Noble family	House of Ascania
Father	Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg
Mother	Maria of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Born	(1584-09-13)13 September 1584 Ratzeburg
Died	Vienna

Duke Francis Julius of Sachsen-Lauenburg (13 September 1584 in Ratzeburg – 8 October 1634 in Vienna) was a prince of Saxe-Lauenburg.

Life

Julius Francis was the eldest son of Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg from his second marriage, Maria of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the daughter of Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. His education and training, like that of his siblings, was patchy and superficial. His older half-brother Augustus succeeded his father in 1619 as Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg. On 4 October 1619 he signed a contract with his brothers. He acknowledged his brother as the ruling Duke and in return he received the Anker Manor as a residence and an annual pension of 2500 thalers.

Julius Francis served as a chamerlain at the imperial court in Vienna and was entrusted with several diplomatic missions by Emperor Ferdinand II.

When his brother Augustus occupied Amt Neuhaus, which was Francis Julius's mother's wittum, Francis Julius objected vehemently. The dispute lasted until Francis Julius's death. Francis Julius also initiated, on behalf of his family, a case before the Aulic Council against the city of Hamburg, about the ownership of the district and castle of Ritzebüttel (today's Cuxhaven).

Francis Julius died in 1634 in Vienna. He probably died of the plague. Since he had outlived his children and did not have an heir, Anker Manor fell back to Augustus.

Marriage and children

On 14 May 1620, Francis Julius married Agnes (1592-1629), the daughter of Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg. They had seven children, who all died young:

• Maria Franciska (1621-1621)
• Maria Sibylla (1622-1623)
• Frederick Francis (1623-1625)
• Julius Francis (1624-1625)
• Johanna Juliane (1626-1626)
• Francis Ferdinand (1628-1629)
• Francis Louis (1629-1629)

Ancestry

Family of Francis Julius of Saxe-Lauenburg

16. John V, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg               8. Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg                       17. Dorothea of Brandenburg               4. Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg                             18. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel) (=#24)               9. Catherine of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)                       19. Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast (=#25)               2. Francis II, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg                                   20. Albert, Duke of Saxony               10. Henry IV the Pious, Duke of Saxe-Freiberg                       21. Sidonie Podiebrad               5. Sybille of Saxe-Freiberg                             22. Magnus II, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin               11. Catherine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       23. Sophia of Pomerania-Wolgast               1. Francis Julius of Saxe-Lauenburg                                         24. Henry IV, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel) (=#18)               12. Henry V, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)                       25. Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast (=#19)               6. Julius, Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburg (Wolfenbüttel)                             26. Henry, Count of Württemberg-Mömpelgard               13. Mary of Württemberg-Mömpelgard                       27. Elisabeth of Zweibrücken-Bitsch               3. Maria of Brunswick-Lüneburg                                   28. Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg               14. Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg                       29. Elizabeth of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden               7. Hedwig of Brandenburg                             30. Sigismund I the Old               15. Hedwig Jagiellon                       31. Barbara Zápolya

References

• Johann Samuel Ersch: Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste in alphabetischer Folge, vol. 48, J. f. Gleditsch, 1848, p. 97 ff, Online