John Francis Desideratus (Nozeroy

Nozeroy

Nozeroy is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-Demographics:As of the census of 1999, the population was 422.The estimate for 2005 was 398.-References:*...

, July 28, 1627 – Roermond

Roermond

Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...

, December 17, 1699) was count of Nassau-Siegen and stadtholder of Limburg

Limburg

Limburg may refer to:A province divided between Belgium and the Netherlands as consequence of the Treaty of London* Province of Limburg , a former province of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...

 and Upper Guelders

Upper Guelders

Upper Guelders or Spanish Guelders was one of the four quarters in the Imperial Duchy of Guelders. In the Dutch Revolt, it was the only quarter that did not secede from the Habsburg Monarchy to become part of the Seven United Netherlands, but remained under Spanish rule during the Eighty Years'...

.

Leven

John Francis Desideratus was the only son of the to Catholism converted Count John VIII of Nassau-Siegen and Ernestine Yolande de Ligne

Ligne

The ligne is a unit of length that was in use prior to the French adoption of the metric system in the late 18th century, and is still used by French and Swiss wristwatch makers to measure the size of a watch movement.- Watchmakers' use :There are 12 lignes to one French inch...

 D'amblise. He succeeded his father in 1638 as count of Nassau-Siegen, but hat to cede in 1648 a part of the County to the Protestant branch of the family. He kept fighting his Protestant neighbours and suppressing the Calvinists in his territory. His reign was marked by bad management and debts.

John Francis Desideratus was as his father a general in Spanish service. In 1652 he became a Lord and in 1661 a Knight in the Order of the Golden Fleece

Order of the Golden Fleece

The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...

. From 1665 to 1684 he was Spanish stadtholder

Stadtholder

A Stadtholder A Stadtholder A Stadtholder (Dutch: stadhouder [], "steward" or "lieutenant", literally place holder, holding someones place, possibly a calque of German Statthalter, French lieutenant, or Middle Latin locum tenens...

 of Limburg and from 1680 to 1699 of Upper Guelders

Upper Guelders

Upper Guelders or Spanish Guelders was one of the four quarters in the Imperial Duchy of Guelders. In the Dutch Revolt, it was the only quarter that did not secede from the Habsburg Monarchy to become part of the Seven United Netherlands, but remained under Spanish rule during the Eighty Years'...

. He lived a large part of his life in Roermond

Roermond

Roermond is a city, a municipality, and a diocese in the southeastern part of the Netherlands.The city of Roermond is a historically important town, on the lower Roer at the east bank of the Meuse river. It received city rights in 1231...

, where he also died in 1699. Als Lord of Nassau-Siegen, he was succeeded by his son William Hyacinth of Nassau-Siegen.

Marriage and children

Johan Frans Desideratus married 3 times and had 12 children:

• in 1651 he married Johanna Claudia of Königsegg-Rotenfels-Aulendorf (1632–1663), and had one daughter
• in 1665 he married Eleonore Sophie of Baden (1641–1668), and had one son, his successor William Hyacinth of Nassau-Siegen.
• In 1669 he married Isabella Clara du Puget de la Serre (1651–1714), and had 10 children.