William Wirich, Count of Daun-Falkenstein

Count William Wirich of Daun-Falkenstein (1 June 1613 – 26 August 1682) was a German nobleman. By descent, he was a Count of Falkenstein; by inheritance, he was Lord of Broich and Bürgel.

William Wirich, Count of Daun-Falkenstein
William Wirich, Count of Daun-Falkenstein
Born	(1613-06-01)1 June 1613
Died	26 August 1682(1682-08-26) (aged 69)
Noble family	Counts of Falkenstein
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth of Waldeck-Wildungen Agnes Catherine of Limburg-Styrum
Father	John Adolph, Count of Daun-Falkenstein
Mother	Anna Maria of Nassau-Siegen

Life

Born into an old German nobility, which ruled the County of Falkenstein, William Wirich was a third child and second son of Count John Adolph (1582–1623) and Countess Anna Maria of Nassau-Siegen (1589–1620), a daughter of Count John VII of Nassau-Siegen and Countess Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen (1558-1599).

On 28 October 1634, he married at Waldeck Castle to his cousin Elisabeth of Waldeck-Wildungen (1610-1647), the daughter of Christian, Count of Waldeck-Wildungen (1585.-1637) and Countess Elisabeth of Nassau-Siegen (1584-1661).

In 1636, he inherited the County of Falkenstein from his third cousin once removed, Count Francis Christopher of Daun-Falkenstein-Oberstein (1603-1636), who was killed during the Thirty Years' War.^[1]

Charles Alexander was his only son who survived into adulthood. However, he was shot by Count Moritz of Limburg-Stirum during a fight on 7 October 1659.

William Wirich remarried to Countess Agnes Catherine of Limburg-Styrum (1629-1686), the daughter of Count Bernhard Albrech of Limburg-Bronckhorst (1597-1637) and Countess Anna Maria of Berg (d. 1653).

However, this marriage remained childless, so when he died, the Daun-Falkenstein branch died out in the male line.

The impoverished count sold the county of Falkenstein to the Duke Charles IV of Lorraine in 1667. The Lordships of Broich and Bürgel were inherited by his third cousin once removed, Count Emich Christian of Leiningen-Dagsburg.

Marriage and issue

On 28 November 1634 at Waldeck Castle, he married his cousin Elizabeth (1610–1647), the daughter of Count Christian of Waldeck-Wildungen. They had the following children:

• Anna Elizabeth (9 January 1636 – 1685), married:

1. in 1658 to George William (1636-1672), the son of Count Emich XIII of Leiningen-Dagsburg (1612-1658) and Christiane of Solms-Laubach (1607-1638)
2. in 1673 to George Frederick, the son of Wild- and Rhinegrave John Casimir of Salm-Kyrburg (1577-1651) and Dorothea of Solms-Laubach (1579-1631)

• Ferdinand Christian (25 December 1636 – 29 March 1642)
• Charlotte Auguste (30 December 1637 – 1713)

married Rev. A. Siebel

• Amalie Sibylle (b. 27 January 1639)

married on 22 August 1664 (renounced 1674), John Louis (1643-1687), the son of Count Emich XIII of Leiningen-Dagsburg and Dorothea of Waldeck-Wildungen

• Christine Louise (18 July 1640 – December 1717)

married on 17 July 1664 to Count Emich Christian (1642-1702), another son of Count Emich XIII of Leiningen-Dagsburg and Dorothea of Waldeck-Wildungen

• Charles Alexander (23 February 1643 – 7 October 1659)
• William (23 July 1644 – 4 October 1653)

In 1663, he remarried, to Agnes Catherine (1629–1686), the daughter of Count Bernard Albert of Limburg-Styrum (1597–1637) and Countess Maria Anna of Berg (1600–1653). This marriage remained childless.

Ancestors

Ancestors of William Wirich, Count of Daun-Falkenstein

16. Wirich V, Count of Daun-Falkenstein c. 1473 – end of 1546 8. Philip II, Count of Daun-Falkenstein c. 1514 – spring 1554 17. Irmgard of Sayn-Wittgenstein d. 27 August 1551 4. Wirich VI, Count of Daun-Falkenstein c. 1542 – 11 October 1598 18. Arnold of Holtey 9. Maria Caspara of Holtey 1520 – 14 January 1558 19. Hermanna Sobecke 2. John Adolf, Count of Daun-Falkenstein 5 June 1582 – 3 March 1623 20. John I of Manderscheid-Blankenheim 1446 – 9 January 1524 10. Arnold I of Manderscheid-Blankenheim 14 November 1500 – 6 May 1548 21. Margaret of La Marck-Arenberg 1460 – 27 June 1542 5. Elisabeth of Manderscheid-Blankenheim 3 April 1544 – 3 September 1586 22. John III, Count of Wied-Runkel 1485 – 18 May 1533 11. Margaret of Wied 1516 – 15 August 1571 23. Elisabeth of Nassau-Siegen 1488 – 3 June 1559 1. William Wirich of Daun-Falkenstein 1 June 1613 – 22 August 1682 24. William I, Count of Nassau-Siegen 10 April 1487 – 6 October 1559 12. John VI, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg 22 November 1536 – 28 October 1606 25. Juliana of Stolberg 15 February 1506 – 18 June 1580 6. John VII, Count of Nassau-Siegen 7 June 1561 – 27 September 1623 26. George III, Landgrave of Leuchtenberg 13 December 1502 – 21 May 1555 13. Elisabeth of Leuchtenberg March 1537 – 6 July 1579 27. Barbara of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach 24 September 1495 – 23 September 1552 3. Anna Maria of Nassau-Siegen 3 March 1589 – 22 February 1620 28. Henry VIII, Count of Waldeck 1465 – 28 May 1513 14. Philip IV, Count of Waldeck 1493 – 30 November 1574 29. Anastasia of Wied-Runkel 1470 – before 1502 7. Magdalene of Waldeck-Wildungen 1558 – 9 September 1599 30. Salentin VI, Count of Isenburg-Neumagen c. 1462 – 14 November 1536 15. Jutta of Isenburg-Grenzau 1520 – 28 July 1564 31. Elisabeth of Hunolstein c. 1475 – 11 November 1536