Nicolay (family)
Encyclopedia
The Marquis
al, Count
al 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 beginning of the Florentine Renaissance. The Nicolay family was originally associated with the French noble classes of the Nobles of the Robe
and the Nobles of the Sword
. It is well documented that members of the House of Nicolay became highly influential in the spheres of national government, law, the church, academia, military and diplomatic service, as well as the arts.
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, 4 April 1910.
The earliest known reference to the family de 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 Poitiers
. 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 married Jeanne de Barjac. Their son was Guy III who married Antoinette de Casteljau who bore 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
.
(1502), Count Antoine de Nicolaï who became Marshal of France
in 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 Chamber of 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.
Other notable members of the family included Nicolas de Nicolay
, Aimar-Charles-Marie de Nicolaï
, Count
François de Nicolay
. Nicolas de Nicolay
served for a time as Geographer-in-Ordinary to Henry II of France
and spent most of his adult life traveling throughout Europe and the Turkish Empire. In 1568, Nicolay published an account of his travels under the title, 'Quatre Premiers Livres des Navigations. The work appeared in several editions including an Italian translation by Francesco Flori published in 1577.
. He, his wife Joanna Sapphira and their two sons arrived in England from the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
(now in the area of 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 (the elder) and Christian Frederick de Nicolay (the 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 Christian VII of Denmark
and Caroline Matilda of Wales
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. Frederick's 6th child was Charles Grenfell Nicolay; clergyman, geographer and geologist and (with F. D. Maurice) founder of Queen's College, London
, the first institution for higher education of women in England.
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.
- Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer. Otto Nicolai - conductor, composer and founder of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. 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.
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
9. 'Racines & Histoire' by Etienne Pattou
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
al, Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
al 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
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
at the beginning of the Florentine Renaissance. The Nicolay family was originally associated with the French noble classes of the Nobles of the Robe
Nobles of the Robe
Under the Old Regime, the Nobles of the Robe or Nobles of the Gown were French aristocrats who owed their rank to judicial or administrative posts — often bought outright for high sums. As a rule, these positions did not grant the holder with a title , but were honorary positions almost always...
and the Nobles of the Sword
Nobles of the Sword
The Nobles of the Sword refers to the class of traditional or old nobility in France during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods. This class was heir to a militaristic ideology of professional chivalry...
. It is well documented that members of the House of Nicolay became highly influential in the spheres of national government, law, the church, academia, military and diplomatic service, as well as the arts.
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, 4 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' and 'von' (indicating nobility in France and Germany respectively), would appear to be later additions .The earliest known reference to the family de Nicolay begins with Guy (also known as Guglielmo) who was born close to Florence, Italy and accompanied Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
in around 1305, when the Papacy was first established in Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
. His son, Guy (II) (who had married Jaqueline de Baroncelli) followed his father to France and settled in the town of Bourg-Saint-Andéol
Bourg-Saint-Andéol
Bourg-Saint-Andéol is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Rhône Valley in southern France.-Geography:It lies directly along the Rhône River at the southeast end of the department south of the smaller see of Viviers, from Pierrelatte eastwards across the river in the département Drôme and ...
in the Province of Vivarais
Vivarais
Vivarais is a traditional region in the south-east of France, covering the département of Ardèche, named after its capital Viviers on the river Rhône...
(now the Ardèche
Ardèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
). 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 married Jeanne de Barjac. Their son was Guy III who married Antoinette de Casteljau who bore 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
Goussainville, Val-d'Oise
Goussainville is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located north-northeast from the center of Paris , near Charles de Gaulle International Airport....
and Raymond de Nicolay became the author of the branch of the Baronnie de Sabran
Sabran
Sabran is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
.
The House of Nicolay in France
The growth of the House of Nicolay over the centuries meant that many members rose to positions of national responsibility, including Chancellor to the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
(1502), Count Antoine de Nicolaï who became Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
in 1775, a General Lieutenant of the Grand Master of Artillery
Grand Master of Artillery
The Grand Master of Artillery or Grand Maître de l'artillerie was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France during the Ancien Régime....
(under the reign of King Louis XIII) several Generals, several Colonels of the Regiment of Nicolay Dragoons, four Bishops, a Vice-Legate of Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, Cahors
Cahors
Cahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
, Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
and Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
; 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
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
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 Chamber of Accounts, which from 1506 until 1794, followed one another without interruption.
By Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
of 1645, Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
, wanting to reward the services rendered by several generations of the House of Nicolay, set the grounds of Goussainville
Goussainville, Val-d'Oise
Goussainville is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located north-northeast from the center of Paris , near Charles de Gaulle International Airport....
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
Ardèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
and the other, The Marquis de Goussainville, in the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (province)
The province of Île-de-France or Isle de France is an historical province of France, and the one at the centre of power during most of French history...
. 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.
Other notable members of the family included Nicolas de Nicolay
Nicolas de Nicolay
-Biography:Born at la Grave in Oisans, in the Dauphiné, he left France in 1542 to participate in the siege of Perpignan which was then held by Emperor Charles V of Austria....
, Aimar-Charles-Marie de Nicolaï
Aimar-Charles-Marie de Nicolaï
Aimar-Charles-Marie Nicolaï was a French magistrate in the Ancien Régime of France. He was the first president of the Chambre des Comptes, and the seventh member elected to occupy seat 2 of the Académie française in 1788....
, Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
François de Nicolay
François de Nicolay
Count François de Nicolay was a member of the House of Nicolay in France who was a farm manager, arboriculturist, and a politician who was elected to the Senate of France....
. Nicolas de Nicolay
Nicolas de Nicolay
-Biography:Born at la Grave in Oisans, in the Dauphiné, he left France in 1542 to participate in the siege of Perpignan which was then held by Emperor Charles V of Austria....
served for a time as Geographer-in-Ordinary to Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
and spent most of his adult life traveling throughout Europe and the Turkish Empire. In 1568, Nicolay published an account of his travels under the title, 'Quatre Premiers Livres des Navigations. The work appeared in several editions including an Italian translation by Francesco Flori published in 1577.
The House of Nicolay in England
Gaspard de Nicolay (recorded as Caspar Nicolay in record of death) was a member of the Court of Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-AltenburgFrederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg , was a duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.-Biography:He was the eldest son of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst....
. He, his wife Joanna Sapphira and their two sons arrived in England from the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was a duchy ruled by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in today's Thuringia, Germany.It was nominally created in 1672 when Frederick William III, the last duke of Saxe-Altenburg, died and Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha , inherited the major part of his possessions...
(now in the area of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany) in 1736. Gaspard was Attendant and Page to Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was Princess of Wales between 1736 and 1751, and Dowager Princess of Wales thereafter. She was one of only three Princesses of Wales who never became queen consort...
and the Nicolay family accompanied her to London, where she was to marry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
. 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 (the elder) and Christian Frederick de Nicolay (the 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
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was the Queen consort of the United Kingdom as the wife of King George III...
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
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
. 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
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
on the 16th May 1809
Frederick's three sons were: George Louisa, named after Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII of Denmark
Christian VII was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein from 1766 until his death. He was the son of Danish King Frederick V and his first consort Louisa, daughter of King George II of Great Britain....
and Caroline Matilda of Wales
Caroline Matilda of Wales
Caroline Matilda of Great Britain was Queen of Denmark and Norway from 1766 to 1772 and a member of the British Royal Family.-Early life:...
who were his sponsors, Frederick and William. Reverend George Louisa Nicolay became Rector of St Michael Paternoster Royal in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
and Chaplain to Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
Frederick became Chief Clerk to the British Treasury. Frederick's 6th child was Charles Grenfell Nicolay; clergyman, geographer and geologist and (with F. D. Maurice) founder of Queen's College, London
Queen's College, London
Queen's College is an independent school for girls aged 11–18. It is located in central London at numbers 43-49, Harley Street. Founded in 1848 by F. D. Maurice, Professor of English Literature and History at King's College London along with a committee of patrons, the College was the first...
, the first institution for higher education of women in England.
Lieutenant-General Sir William Nicolay
William Nicolay
Lieutenant General Sir William Nicolay KCH, CB was the third son of Frederick de Nicolay, Principal Page to Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III. He was born at St. James's Palace on the 14th April 1771 and was a member of the British branch of the Nicolay family.He...
K.C.H., C.B. (B.1771) became a distinguished army officer in The Royal Artillery, Royal Staff Corps
Royal Staff Corps
The Royal Staff Corps was a corps of the British Army which was founded in c.1800 and disbanded in c.1837. It was generally responsible for short-term military engineering works, with the Royal Engineers and Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners remaining responsible for permanent works, but the...
, Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
and the King's German Legion
King's German Legion
The King's German Legion was a British Army unit of expatriate German personnel, 1803–16. The Legion achieved the distinction of being the only German force to fight without interruption against the French during the Napoleonic Wars....
. He was present at a number of significant battles and was decorated for his exemplary command of 5 companies of the Royal Staff Corps
Royal Staff Corps
The Royal Staff Corps was a corps of the British Army which was founded in c.1800 and disbanded in c.1837. It was generally responsible for short-term military engineering works, with the Royal Engineers and Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners remaining responsible for permanent works, but the...
at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. Sir William went on to become Governor of St Kitts, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
& Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
and was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Guelphic Order
Royal Guelphic Order
The Royal Guelphic Order, sometimes also referred to as the Hanoverian Guelphic Order, is a Hanoverian order of chivalry instituted on 28 April 1815 by the Prince Regent . It has not been conferred by the British Crown since the death of King William IV in 1837, when the personal union of the...
(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
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was Princess of Wales between 1736 and 1751, and Dowager Princess of Wales thereafter. She was one of only three Princesses of Wales who never became queen consort...
, 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
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen consort of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III...
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
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
. Lt-Colonel Sir Frederick Lewis was killed at Ootacamund
Ootacamund
Ootacamund , is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills...
, 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
Second Anglo-Burmese War
The Second Anglo-Burmese War was the second of the three wars fought between the Burmese and the British Empire during the 19th century, with the outcome of the gradual extinction of Burmese sovereignty and independence....
. Lieutenant Christian William was a member of the 28th Madras Native Infantry (refer to: Madras Army
Madras Army
The Madras Army was the army of the Presidency of Madras, one of the three presidencies of the British India within the British Empire.The presidency armies, like the presidencies themselves, belonged to the East India Company until the Government of India Act 1858 transferred all three...
) before being pensioned through Lord Clive's Fund. He died in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
in 1848.
The House of Nicolay in Germany
There were many notable members of the German branch of the House of Nicolay, including Philipp NicolaiPhilipp Nicolai
Philipp Nicolai was a German Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer, author of two famous hymns: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme and Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern...
- Lutheran pastor, poet, and composer. Otto Nicolai - conductor, composer and founder of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolai
Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolai
Ludwig Heinrich von Nicolai was a poet of the Enlightenment, librarian, secretary, academician and the President of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.- Biography :...
- Private tutor of Emperor Paul I of Russia
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
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)
Mon Repos (Vyborg)
Mon Repos or "Monrepos" is a manor house and landscaped English park in Vyborg.The park lies along the shoreline of the Zashchitnaya inlet of the Vyborg Bay in Vyborg, Russia, about from St. Petersburg and occupies about of land...
from 1788-1943.
External links
- The House of Nicolay - Study resource and archive
- 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
- Seigneurie de Saint Victor la Coste
- Hotel De Nicolai, Paris
- Monrepos Park Official Website
- Armorial Général de la France By Louis-Pierre d'Hozier
- Charles Grenfell Nicolay
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
9. 'Racines & Histoire' by Etienne Pattou