John Ernest IV

John Ernest IV
Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Reign	6 August 1699 – 17 February 1729
Successor	Christian Ernest
Duke of Saxe-Saalfeld
Reign	26 March 1675 – 17 February 1729
Predecessor	Ernest I
Duke of Saxe-Coburg
Reign	6 August 1699 – 17 February 1729
Predecessor	Albert V
Born	(1658-08-22)22 August 1658 Gotha, Saxe-Gotha, Holy Roman Empire
Died	17 February 1729(1729-02-17) (aged 70) Saalfeld, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire
Spouse	Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen
Issue	Princess Christiane Sophie Christian Ernest Princess Charlotte Wilhelmine Prince Wilhelm Frederick Prince Karl Ernst Princess Sophia Wilhelmina Princess Henriette Albertine Princess Louise Emilie Princess Charlotte Francis Josias Princess Henriette Albertine
House	House of Wettin
Father	Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg
Mother	Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg
Religion	Lutheranism

John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (22 August 1658, Gotha – 17 February 1729, Saalfeld) was a reigning duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Life

He was the tenth but seventh surviving son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg.

After the death of his father in 1675, John Ernest initially governed the duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, jointly with his six older brothers, as set out in their father's will. However, in 1680, the brothers concluded a treaty dividing the paternal lands and John Ernest became duke of Saxe-Saalfeld, with the towns of Gräfenthal, Probstzella and Pössneck. As he was the youngest, he kept the smallest portion of the lands.

John Ernest and his brother Ernest soon found themselves financially overstretched as a result of the partition (the income of their eldest brother, Frederick, far exceeded the income of John Ernest), and they both made a protest. Over the following years, the controversy continued and increased, as their older brothers Albert of Saxe-Coburg, Henry of Saxe-Römhild and Christian of Saxe-Eisenberg died without male heirs. During these years, John Ernest took possession of Coburg (in 1699), Römhild and 5/12 of Themar (in 1714).

The "Coburg-Eisenberg-Römhilder Erbstreit" was finally resolved (after repeated intervention and arbitration by the emperor) in 1735, six years after the death of John Ernest. His descendants retained Coburg. The decision was generally accepted, most importantly by the descendants of his older brother Bernhard, who also had a claim to Coburg.

Issue

In Merseburg on 18 February 1680, Johann Ernst married firstly Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg, a daughter of Christian I, Duke of Saxe-Merseburg. They had five children:

1. Christiane Sophie (b. Saalfeld, 14 June 1681 – d. Saalfeld, 3 June 1697).
2. Stillborn daughter (Saalfeld, 6 May 1682).
3. Christian Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. Saalfeld, 18 August 1683 – d. Saalfeld, 4 September 1745).
4. Charlotte Wilhelmine (b. Saalfeld, 4 May 1685 – d. Hanau, 5 April 1767), married on 26 December 1705 to Philip Reinhard, Count of Hanau-Münzenberg.
5. Stillborn son (Saalfeld, 2 August 1686).

In Maastricht on 2 December 1690 Johann Ernst married secondly Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen (b. Arolsen, 13 December 1664, d. Hildburghausen, 1 February 1699). They had eight children:

1. Wilhelm Frederick (b. Arolsen, 16 August 1691 – d. Saalfeld, 28 July 1720).
2. Karl Ernst (b. Saalfeld, 12 September 1692 – d. Cremona, 30 December 1720).
3. Sophia Wilhelmina (b. Saalfeld, 9 August 1693 – d. Rudolstadt, 4 December 1727), married on 8 February 1720 to Frederick Anton, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.
4. Henriette Albertine (b. Saalfeld, 8 July 1694 – d. Saalfeld, 1 April 1695).
5. Louise Emilie (b. Saalfeld, 24 August 1695 – d. Coburg, 21 August 1713).
6. Charlotte (b. Saalfeld, 30 October 1696 – d. Saalfeld, 2 November 1696).
7. Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. Saalfeld, 25 September 1697 – d. Rodach, 16 September 1764).
8. Henriette Albertine (b. Saalfeld, 20 November 1698 – d. Coburg, 5 February 1728).

Ancestry

Family of John Ernest IV

16. John Frederick I, Elector of Saxony 8. Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar 17. Sybille of Cleves 4. John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar 18. Frederick III, Elector Palatine 9. Dorothea Susanne of Simmern 19. Marie of Brandenburg-Kulmbach 2. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha 20. John V, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst 10. Joachim Ernest, Prince of Anhalt 21. Margaret of Brandenburg 5. Dorothea Maria of Anhalt 22. Christoph, Duke of Württemberg 11. Eleonore of Württemberg 23. Anna Maria of Brandenburg-Ansbach 1. John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 24. Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar (= 8) 12. Frederick Wilhelm I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar 25. Dorothea Susanne of Simmern (= 9) 6. Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg 26. Philipp Ludwig of Pfalz-Neuburg 13. Anna Maria of the Palatinate-Neuburg 27. Anna of Cleves 3. Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg 28. Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 14. Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg 29. Hedwig of Brandenburg 7. Elisabeth of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel 30. Frederick II, King of Denmark 15. Elizabeth of Denmark 31. Sofie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin

References

• Carl-Christian Dressel: Die Entwicklung von Verfassung und Verwaltung in Sachsen-Coburg 1800 - 1826 im Vergleich. Duncker & Humblot Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-428-12003-1.
• Ernst Wülcker: Johann Ernst (Herzog von Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld). In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). vol XIV. Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, pp. 372–374.
• Jahrbuch fur Europäische Geschichte 2007, vol. VIII, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag, 2007, p. 104. (Online)
• Johann Samuel Ersch, Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste, section 21, Leipzig, 1842, p. 254. (Online)

External links

• WW-Person: A data base of the higher nobility in Europe, by Herbert Stoyan