De Nicolay family: Difference between revisions

House of Nicolay (De Goussainville)

House of Nicolay (De Sabran)
Current region	France and former colonies, United Kingdom and former colonies, Germany, Russia, USA, Australia, India, Canada and South Africa.
Place of origin	France

The Marquisal, Countal and Baronial House of Nicolay (De Nicolaÿ/Nicolaï, Von Nicolay/Nicolai) - refer to Nobility particle) is a European noble family of the Ancien Régime with its roots in the south of France at the early part of the 14th Century. There is however, evidence to suggest that its origins stretch further back to the growth of the city state of Florence at the time of the Renaissance. The Nicolay family was originally associated with the old, French noble classes of both the Nobles of the Robe and the Nobles of the Sword and many members of the family became influential across Europe within a number of Royal Houses (see Court (royal).

The migrations of generations of the family throughout the Royal Courts and governments of Europe and beyond, meant that many individuals rose to positions of significant authority. It is well documented that members of the House of Nicolay became highly influential in the spheres of national government, law, the church, academia and military and diplomatic service.

De Nicolaÿ

_{(painted arms description)}

"This most ancient and illustrious Countal and Baronial House belongs to the first nobility of Germany and France and has at different times obtained the highest distinction in the Army, Navy and Diplomatic services".

_{(copied by Colonel Bernard Underwood Nicolay R.A.Gurkhas (adapted from original, family records held by Kathrine Frances Angela Nicolay).}

Written Gorakhpur, India, 4th April 1910.

Origins

The surname Nicolay (with the spellings Nicolai/Nickolay being regional derivatives), seems to have its root in the Greek name Νικολαος (Nikolaos) which means "victory of the people" from Greek νικη (nike) "victory" and λαος (laos) "people" . Furthermore, "laos" or "λαὸς" in Greek, originates from the word root "-las", as found in the word "λα-τομεῑο" meaning "stone" or "rock" . The addition of the particules De/Von/Van (indicating nobility) would appear to be later additions .

The earliest known reference to the family De Nicolay (House of Nicolay) begins with Guy (also known as Guglielmo) who was born close to Florence, Italy and accompanied Pope Clement V in around 1305, when the Papacy was first established in Avignon. His son, Guy (II) (who had married Jaqueline de Baroncelli) followed his father to France and settled in the town of Bourg-Saint-Andéol in the Province of Vivarais (now the Ardèche). Guy & Jaqueline De Nicolay had a son, who they named Ahoult. Ahoult grew to be an influential and accomplished man; exerting the role of Lieutenant of the Bailiff of the King in Vivarais. He died in 1428 leaving two sons, Jean and Raymond. Jean De Nicolay (named the first in the will of his father) became the author of the branch of the House of Nicolay referred to as the Marquis De Goussainville and Raymond De Nicolay became the author of the branch of the Baronnie De Sabran.

The House of Nicolay in France

Over the centuries the De Nicolay family produced a Chancellor to the Kingdom of Naples (1502), a Marshal of France (1775) a General Lieutenant of the Grand Master of Artillery (under the reign of King Louis XIII) several Generals, several Colonels of the Regiment of Nicolay Dragoons, four Bishops, a Vice-Legate of Avignon, Cahors, Béziers and Verdun; this last at the same time as a member of the family was made First Chaplain to Duchess Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, mother of King Louis XVI. In addition, the family produced several Knights of Malta and Saint-Louis, the First President of the Grand Council, a Member of The French Academy, a Chancellor of the Orders of the King (1789) and the first nine Presidents of the Room of the Accounts, which from 1506 until 1794, followed one another without interruption..

By Letters Patent of 1645, Anne of Austria, wanting to reward the services rendered by several generations of the House of Nicolay, set the grounds of Goussainville in Marquisat in favour of Antoine De Nicolay and his descendants. Towards the end of the fifteenth century, the House of Nicolay was divided into two branches, the first known as the Barons De Sabran, established in Ardèche and the other, The Marquis De Goussainville, in the Île-de-France. On May 19, 1815 King Louis XVIII called the House of Nicolay to hereditary peerage in the name of Aymard-Charles-Marie-Theodore Marquis De Nicolay.

Château de Courances. Home of MarquisAymard de Nicolay and his family from 1775-1830.

Chateau du Lude. Home of Count and Countess Louis-Jean de Nicolaÿ

The House of Nicolay in England

Gaspard De Nicolay was a member of the Court of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. He, his wife Joanna Sapphira and their two sons arrived in England from the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha (now Thuringia, Germany) in 1736. Gaspard was Attendant and Page to Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha and the Nicolay family accompanied her to London, where she was to marry Frederick, Prince of Wales. Gaspard became Page of the Presence to Princess Augusta and Prince Frederick from 1736 until 1751 and then Page of the Backstairs from 1751 until 1772..Gaspard and Sapphira's two sons were Frederick De Nicolay (elder) and Christian Frederick De Nicolay (younger).

Elder Branch.

Frederick was introduced to King George III, with whom he became a very great favourite; so much so that when his affianced bride Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was to be married to the King, his Majesty sent Frederick De Nicolay to attend his future Queen. He remained ever after the confidential friend of both their Majesties, as well as of their family, the Princes and Princesses and lived in St. James's Palace. The affection with which the King and Queen held for Frederick was demonstrated in his appointments as a violinist in the Queen's Chamber Band, keeper of the Queens Music Library and the Queen's Principle Page. Frederick married Albinia Lattman and had 13 children; only three of whom lived to maturity. He died at St. James's Palace on the 16th May 1809

Frederick's three sons were: George Louisa, named after the King and Queen of Denmark who were his sponsors, Frederick and William. Reverend George Louisa Nicolay became Rector of St Michael Paternoster Royal in the City of London and Chaplain to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany Frederick became Chief Clerk to the British Treasury. Lieutenant-General Sir William Nicolay K.C.H., C.B. (B.1771) became a distinguished army officer in The Royal Artillery, Royal Staff Corps, Royal Engineers and the King's German Legion. He was present at a number of significant battles and was decorated for his exemplary command of 5 companies of the Royal Staff Corps at the Battle of Waterloo. Sir William went on to become Governor of St Kitts, Mauritius & Dominica and was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order (KCH). He died at Oriel Lodge, Cheltenham, England on the 3rd May 1842.

Younger Branch.

The younger son of Gaspard De Nicolay, Christian Frederick, was brought up in the medical profession. He was private Physician to the Princess Dowager of Wales Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, mother of King George III on whom (with Sir Clifton Wintringham and Dr Pringle) he was in constant attendance for two years. They alone were in the room with H.R.H. at her decease. He also attended her son Prince Frederick of Great Britain. Christian married Miss Turner and had three sons and two daughters, of whom only two survived: Augusta Georgiana Louisa Nicolay; God Daughter to King George IV and also sponsored by the then Queen Consort of Prussia Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Thomas Frederick Nicolay who became a Lieutenant-Colonel, Staff Surgeon to His Majesty's Forces and Deputy Inspector of Hospitals.

Only Thomas Frederick fathered children: Christian William, Frederick Lewis and Thomas Frederick, all of whom were in the service of the East India Company. Lt-Colonel Sir Frederick Lewis was killed at Ootacamund, India in 1855 whilst commanding the Neilgherries of the 29th Mechanised Native Infantry and Captain Thomas Frederick of the 1st Madras European Fusiliers was killed in January 1853 at the storming of the Pegu stockade during the Second Anglo-Burmese War. .Lieutenant Christian William was a member of the 28th Madras Native Infantry {refer to: Madras Army) before being pensioned through Lord Clive's Fund. He died in Brighton in 1848.

The House of Nicolay in Germany

There were many notable members of the German branch of the House of Nicolay, including Baron Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolai - Private tutor of Emperor Paul I of Russia and his son Baron Paul Von Nicolay - Russia's State Council and the Tsarist Ambassador to London, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The family owned and developed the manor and park of Mon_Repos_(Vyborg) from 1788-1943.

Mon Repos Manor House circa 1830

External links

• Jean Gallian - Genealogy for Nicolay/Nicolai
• Notice Historique et Généalogique sur la Maison de Nicolay
• Royal Music Library - Frederick De Nicolay
• Drawings of geographer Nicolas De Nicolay
• Chateau Du Lude
• Domaine Chandon De Brialles
• The History of Mon Repos Park
• Ville De Bourg Saint Andéol

Supportive Reading and Research Material

1. 'Nicolay Fund' Date Range: 13th century – 19th century. 338 paperboards: Public Records (Paris). Deposits 1932-1999. 2. 'Sketch of the Nicolay Family in England - Part 1' (extract) By Augusta Georgiana Louisa Nicolay. 3. 'Armorial général de la France' (Volume 2; Volume 5) By Louis-Pierre d'Hozier 4. 'Chenaye Desbois, T.X, p. 73 and suiv; 5. 'History of the Grand Officers of the Crown' by P. Anselme 6. 'Evidence of The Order of Malta' 7. 'Universal Biography of Michaud' 8. 'French History' by P. Daniel