William Gunn (1603 - 1661)

Born 1603 in Westgarty, Sutherland Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Anna Margaretha (von Freyburg) Gunn — married 5 Jun 1640 in Ulm, Holy Roman Empire

Descendants

Died 1661 at about age 58 in Vienna, Holy Roman Empire

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Janet Gunn [send private message]

Biography

William was born in 1603. He was the son of John Robson. He passed away in 1661.

William Gun was a younger son of the Robson Gun Chief. After his father's death in 1618, he, with his siblings, were wards of Robert Gordon, uncle and tutor of the 13th Earl of Sutherland. In 1626 William joined the Scots Brigade of Lord Reay, and left Scotland to fight in the Thirty Years War (even though he was a Catholic) under Christian IV of Denmark, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, Ladislaus, King of Poland and Duke Radziwill fighting against the Imperial forces of the Holy Roman Empire.

In 1639 he returned to Scotland, where he fought for Charles I, under Viscount Aboyne, at the battle of the Brig of Dee, in the Bishop's War. He was then knighted by Charles I.

In 1640 he handed a letter of recommendation from H. M. in Great Britain to the Magistrates and Council of Ulm, and received permission to reside in the city. On June 5th he invited the Town Councillors to his wedding to the baroness Anna Margaretha von Freiberg (born 1609), and the banquet at the "White Ox" Inn. The town gave him a silver-gilt cup. He bought her family's Castle Staufeneck (in the town of Salach in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg), in 1642.

She was the daughter of Georg Ludwig von Freyberg, Freiherr von Freyberg-Justingen (1574-1631) and Barbara von Eberstein, Countess von Eberstein-Rixingen (born approx. 1572).

He joined the army of the Catholic Emperor, and was created a Baron of the Holy Roman Empire in 1646. He was promoted to the rank of Major-General of the Imperial Army.

In 1650 he moved to Vienna, where he retired as Major General in 1655. He is estimated to have died about 1661.

His daughter Anna Barbara (1640-1681) married Franz von Weltz Freiherrn zu Eberstein [July 23, 1635-1674]. In the marriage contract Anna Barbara described herself as belonging to the Reformed religion. His descendants include three kings of the Belgians, two Princes of Lichtenstein, and a Grand-Duke of Luxembourg.

Research Notes

There is a Wikipedia entry for his grand daughter, Barbara Franziska (or Franziska Barbara) of Welz-Wilmersdorf^{[1] [2]}

which contains information about her two husbands ( Count Wolfgang Julius of Hohenlohe-Neuenstein and Count Philip Ernest of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst ) and her daughter Caroline Juliane of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst (1706–1758), who married Christian Otto of Limburg-Styrum (1694–1749). It also mentions Caroline Juliane's son Philip Ferdinand of Limburg-Styrum, who has his own Wikipedia entry ^[3]. His entry says that he was the fifth son, and mentions his brother, Ernst Maria.

There is a Wikipedia article for Christian Otto of Limburg ^[4] which says that he and Carolina zu Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst (his third wife) had 7 children:

• Philipp Ferdinand, born in 1734, died in 1794. He became sovereign lord of Oberstein and Styrum at his brother's death in 1760, until his own death in 1794;
• Ernst Maria Johann Nepomuk, born in 1736 and died in 1809. He married in 1783 Sophie Charlotte von Humbracht (born 1762, died 1805). He succeeded his brother in the immediate lordship of Oberstein in 1794, but lost it at the Treaty of Lunéville in 1801. He was never compensated by the Final Recess in 1803;
• Polyxena Alexandrina, born in 1737, died in 1737 or 1738;
• Frederika Polyxena, born in 1738, died in 1798; she married in 1757 Ludwig Leopold, Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Bartenstein (died 1799);
• Sophie Therese, born in 1740, died in 1769. She married in 1758 count Franz * Xaver von Montfort-Tettnang (died in 1780);
• Franz Karl Joseph Englebert, born and died in 1741;
• Johanna Maximiliana Franziska, born in 1744, died in 1772, she married in 1766 count Johann Wilhelm von Manderscheid-Blankenheim (died 1772).
  • Karoline Felicitas Engelberte, born in 1768, died in 1831, she married in 1783 to prince Alois I of Liechtenstein (died 1805).

Both Karoline ^[5] and Alois^[6] have Wikipedia entries. They had no children.

The father of Alois, Franz Joseph I, aka Franz de Paula Josef Johann Nepomuk Andreas (19 November 1726 – 18 August 1781), has a Wikipedia entry ^[7] and is on Wikitree as Liechtenstein-26 .

Sources

1. ↑ Barbara Franziska of Welz-Wilmersdorf
2. ↑ Franziska Barbara von Weltz – Wikipedia (German)
3. ↑ Philipp Ferdinand of Limburg-Stirum
4. ↑ Christian Otto of Limburg
5. ↑ Karoline von Manderscheid-Blankenheim
6. ↑ Aloys I, Prince of Liechtenstein
7. ↑ Franz Joseph I, Prince of Liechtenstein

• Staufeneck Castle
• Gunn (Guin, Gwynn, Gwin, Guon, Gunne, Guyn), William (Wilhelm) Freiherr von ; Sergeant General (approx. 1604 West Garty, Scotland-before November 1660)
• Yellacat Ranch Gunn By Justin Swanstrom January 1, 2000
• Institute of Scottish Historical Research GUNN, WILLIAM (SSNE 159)
• Identities and Contacts: Scots and their Relations with Scandinavia, 1500-1700 by Thomas Brochard pg 10 - 12
• Electric Scotland - The Scots in Germany - The Army (Part 2)
• SCOTTISH MERCENARIES IN THE SERVICE OF DENMARK AND SWEDEN 1623 - 1632 by James A. Fallon Ph. D. University of Glasgow_ 1972
• Wikipedia Scotland and the Thirty Years' War
• The Gunns by Thomas Sinclair pg 201