s***@optusnet.com.au
2013-05-25 00:21:29 UTC
Longtime readers of rec.heraldry might remember postings about Prince William I of Alabona Ostrogjsk, his Order of the Noble Companions of the Swan, and his various other orders.
It appears that Prince William I, as he styled himself, has passed away. His profession in mundane life, contrary to reports that he was a lawyer, was that of auto upholsterer.
To quote from an obituary found online:
William A. Maszer, Jr. died Monday, April 8, 2013 at JFK Medical Center in Edison after a brief but courageous battle. He was 71. Born in New Brunswick he had lived in Edison and New Brunswick before moving to North Brunswick in 1971. He was an auto upholsterer at Maszer's Auto Tops and Seat Covers, a family owned business started in 1926 in New Brunswick, where he worked for over 40 years before his retirement in 2009. He was a communicant of the Old Holy Roman Catholic Church. He was Grand Master of The Order of the Noble Companions of the Swan. He was also National Vice Chairman of Young Republicans.
He was apparently still coferring people to the Swan Order as recently as December 2012.
I wonder what will happen to the various orders now?
Regards
Stephen Michael Szabo
rec.heraldry ›
A look at the legitimacy of the House of Alabona Ostrogojsk
Ben Breeck
6/16/00
I suppose that this essay is wasted effort, but it seems like something that
must needs be done. If Mr. Guy Stair Sainty had written a more complete
entry on it on his web site (under _Fantasy_Royalty_) this work wouldn't
have had to be written.
The proper surname of the alleged house, as given at
http://www.geocities.com/swanorder/alabhist.html is Maszer, which is
(uncommonly) found in Poland and Hungary. As far as this author has found,
there are no known nobility title holders in Europe with that surname, nor
heirs to any lapsed titles.
The "prince's" first title, and the only one he seems to claim by right of
birth, is Duke of Moreda. There are actually two duchies with that name.
The Moreda in Italy was an independent duchy ruled a succession of dynasties
based on a semi-sallic law, the last two being a cadet branch of the
DeMedicis and then a cadet branch of the Hapsburgs, and owing (theoretical)
fealty to the Pope. The last seated (Italian) Duke of Moreda(Carlo Amadeo
II) lost his lands, throne, and life in 1870, when the Kingdom of Savoy
invaded, on its way to Rome to unite Italy. He died childless, and there is
a dispute to the latter day succession to the position due to interpretation
of the succession law. The two candidates to the throne (neither candidate
ever put himself up) are Archduke Otto von Hapsburg and Carl, Duke of
Württemberg.
The Duchy of Moreda in Spain is in Andalusia, and was founded by Enrique II
of Castille in 1272 to reward its first Duke, Miguel Teodoro, for his valor
against the Moors. The current (and 35th) Duke is Grandeza Don Gonzalo
Antonio Mario de Moreda y Avila, and none of his brothers or cousins is
named Guillermo or surnamed Laszer. Other than the names, which are based
on ancient Roman originals, the two duchies of Moreda share nothing in
common.
The first principality, that of Alabona, was settled on this "prince" by the
"Royal House of Cantabria." There is no principality of Alabona, but there
is a Barony thereof. It is in southern Portugal and was a subsidiary title
to the throne of Portugal during the reign of the house of Aviz, held by the
Heir Apparent, and by the Monarch if there only was an Heir Presumptive.
Currently, it is in dispute by five claimants in three Houses. Both the
Miguelist (Duarte III) and Constitutionalist (Rosario I Joao) claimants to
the throne of Portugal and the headship of the house of Braganza call it
their own to name, as do Juan Carlos and Don Alfonso Borbon. While it was
still in power in Austria, the Hapsburgs claimed it along with Grand Mastery
of the Golden Fleece after the War of Spanish Succession, though Otto von
Hapsburg does not.
There once was a Kingdom of Cantabria in Northern Iberia, but it was
eventually carved up by Leon, Castille, and Portugal, its kings losing all
their lands and titles. There are at least as many descendants of the
former kings and queens of Cantabria as there are descendants of the Polish
house of Piast through the female line, even legitimate, but even during the
civil war by which Portugal won its independence, and even Navarre and
Aragon revolted, there was never an attempt to revive Cantabria as a nation.
As it was nowhere near either Moreda, nor Alabona, no king of Cantabria
(even when the thrones to all of Iberia were united in one person, the kings
of Spain never styled themselves "King of Cantabria") could ever be owed
fealty to a duke of Moreda or settle Alabona to anyone.
The second principality settled on this "prince" is Ostrogojsk, by the "HIRM
Pascal I of Balta-Gothia." Ostrogojsk is a small village near Nizhni
Novgorod. Its lord (when it had one) never rated above Boyar. This title
has been abeyant since the Russian Revolution, and is possibly extinct. If
that is the case, the title can only be resettled by either Grand Duchess
Maria Vladimirivicha Rommanova, or Grand Duke Nikolai Rommanoff. In Russian
usage, prince refers to a chief and head of name and arms of a cadet branch
of either the house of Holstein-Rommanoff or Rurik (the "Princes
Rommanovsky"). In theory, no one may be styled prince or settled with
princely lands unless one can prove descent from a Tsar or Tsarina.
"Balta-Gothia" is a totally fictional country. Balta is another name, along
with Courland and Livonia, for Latvia. It was founded when the Grand Master
of the Knights of the Sword broke with the Catholic Church and Established a
Grand Duchy, theoretically subservient to Poland. It was conquered by
Gustavus Adolfus, and then Russia, but the original line lives to this day.
Of course, one could easily make the argument that it was never legitimate
in the first place. Gothia either refers to the island of Gothland in the
Baltic Sea, or The 4th Century A.D. Gothic kingdom in the Ukraine, whose
last king was Ermannaric. If it referred to Gothland, it was always subject
to the king of Sweden. It was a Duchy with its own line until the Kalmar
Union. After the rise of the House of Vasa, it became a subsidiary of the
Swedish throne.
The next principality settled on "Prince William" is Manisa, by "HIRH Prince
Amerigo Corneo," who seems to be one of the endless Italian pretenders to
the
throne of the Byzantine Empire. The fact that they refer to it as the
Byzantine, and not the Autocratorata Rhomankia throne should say something
about the authenticity of their claims. Just as well: Manisa, in Epirus,
was destroyed by the Frankish invaders during the establishment of the Latin
Empire for the last time and was never rebuilt anytime since.
The last principality settled on "Prince William" is Garama by "His Royal
and Imperial Highness, Dominus Saul III Caesar Augustus, Duke of Carthage,
Porphyrogenitus of the Holy Roman Empire." No Holy Roman Emperor was ever
named Saul, and the last one to bear the title "Duke of Carthage" was Karl V
and Carlos I of Spain, whose son was Phillip I. The title was abandoned by
the kings of Spain during the Congress of Vienna, and never claimed by the
(Austrian) House of Hapsburg. The title of Holy Roman Emperor lapsed
because Franz II feared losing an election to Napoleon, and so created an
empire of Austria. Franz's current heir is, of course, Dr. Otto von
Hapsburg. No Spanish army ever penetrated far enough into Tunisia to occupy
(and therefore grant) Garama. France did, under the reigns of Charles X,
Louis-Phillippe, and Napoleon III, but none of them granted any titles of
nobility anywhere in Africa that this author is aware of.
This concludes this essay examening the titles of William of House Laszer,
"Prince of Alabona, Ostrogojsk, Manisa, and Garama, and Duke of Moreda,
among other titles." They seem to be quite inauthentic and illegitimate.
While this author can never be too sure, he thinks that they would have much
weight in any court at all, except maybe SCA royal courts and "Common Law
Courts."
Comments? Opinions?
It appears that Prince William I, as he styled himself, has passed away. His profession in mundane life, contrary to reports that he was a lawyer, was that of auto upholsterer.
To quote from an obituary found online:
William A. Maszer, Jr. died Monday, April 8, 2013 at JFK Medical Center in Edison after a brief but courageous battle. He was 71. Born in New Brunswick he had lived in Edison and New Brunswick before moving to North Brunswick in 1971. He was an auto upholsterer at Maszer's Auto Tops and Seat Covers, a family owned business started in 1926 in New Brunswick, where he worked for over 40 years before his retirement in 2009. He was a communicant of the Old Holy Roman Catholic Church. He was Grand Master of The Order of the Noble Companions of the Swan. He was also National Vice Chairman of Young Republicans.
He was apparently still coferring people to the Swan Order as recently as December 2012.
I wonder what will happen to the various orders now?
Regards
Stephen Michael Szabo
rec.heraldry ›
A look at the legitimacy of the House of Alabona Ostrogojsk
Ben Breeck
6/16/00
I suppose that this essay is wasted effort, but it seems like something that
must needs be done. If Mr. Guy Stair Sainty had written a more complete
entry on it on his web site (under _Fantasy_Royalty_) this work wouldn't
have had to be written.
The proper surname of the alleged house, as given at
http://www.geocities.com/swanorder/alabhist.html is Maszer, which is
(uncommonly) found in Poland and Hungary. As far as this author has found,
there are no known nobility title holders in Europe with that surname, nor
heirs to any lapsed titles.
The "prince's" first title, and the only one he seems to claim by right of
birth, is Duke of Moreda. There are actually two duchies with that name.
The Moreda in Italy was an independent duchy ruled a succession of dynasties
based on a semi-sallic law, the last two being a cadet branch of the
DeMedicis and then a cadet branch of the Hapsburgs, and owing (theoretical)
fealty to the Pope. The last seated (Italian) Duke of Moreda(Carlo Amadeo
II) lost his lands, throne, and life in 1870, when the Kingdom of Savoy
invaded, on its way to Rome to unite Italy. He died childless, and there is
a dispute to the latter day succession to the position due to interpretation
of the succession law. The two candidates to the throne (neither candidate
ever put himself up) are Archduke Otto von Hapsburg and Carl, Duke of
Württemberg.
The Duchy of Moreda in Spain is in Andalusia, and was founded by Enrique II
of Castille in 1272 to reward its first Duke, Miguel Teodoro, for his valor
against the Moors. The current (and 35th) Duke is Grandeza Don Gonzalo
Antonio Mario de Moreda y Avila, and none of his brothers or cousins is
named Guillermo or surnamed Laszer. Other than the names, which are based
on ancient Roman originals, the two duchies of Moreda share nothing in
common.
The first principality, that of Alabona, was settled on this "prince" by the
"Royal House of Cantabria." There is no principality of Alabona, but there
is a Barony thereof. It is in southern Portugal and was a subsidiary title
to the throne of Portugal during the reign of the house of Aviz, held by the
Heir Apparent, and by the Monarch if there only was an Heir Presumptive.
Currently, it is in dispute by five claimants in three Houses. Both the
Miguelist (Duarte III) and Constitutionalist (Rosario I Joao) claimants to
the throne of Portugal and the headship of the house of Braganza call it
their own to name, as do Juan Carlos and Don Alfonso Borbon. While it was
still in power in Austria, the Hapsburgs claimed it along with Grand Mastery
of the Golden Fleece after the War of Spanish Succession, though Otto von
Hapsburg does not.
There once was a Kingdom of Cantabria in Northern Iberia, but it was
eventually carved up by Leon, Castille, and Portugal, its kings losing all
their lands and titles. There are at least as many descendants of the
former kings and queens of Cantabria as there are descendants of the Polish
house of Piast through the female line, even legitimate, but even during the
civil war by which Portugal won its independence, and even Navarre and
Aragon revolted, there was never an attempt to revive Cantabria as a nation.
As it was nowhere near either Moreda, nor Alabona, no king of Cantabria
(even when the thrones to all of Iberia were united in one person, the kings
of Spain never styled themselves "King of Cantabria") could ever be owed
fealty to a duke of Moreda or settle Alabona to anyone.
The second principality settled on this "prince" is Ostrogojsk, by the "HIRM
Pascal I of Balta-Gothia." Ostrogojsk is a small village near Nizhni
Novgorod. Its lord (when it had one) never rated above Boyar. This title
has been abeyant since the Russian Revolution, and is possibly extinct. If
that is the case, the title can only be resettled by either Grand Duchess
Maria Vladimirivicha Rommanova, or Grand Duke Nikolai Rommanoff. In Russian
usage, prince refers to a chief and head of name and arms of a cadet branch
of either the house of Holstein-Rommanoff or Rurik (the "Princes
Rommanovsky"). In theory, no one may be styled prince or settled with
princely lands unless one can prove descent from a Tsar or Tsarina.
"Balta-Gothia" is a totally fictional country. Balta is another name, along
with Courland and Livonia, for Latvia. It was founded when the Grand Master
of the Knights of the Sword broke with the Catholic Church and Established a
Grand Duchy, theoretically subservient to Poland. It was conquered by
Gustavus Adolfus, and then Russia, but the original line lives to this day.
Of course, one could easily make the argument that it was never legitimate
in the first place. Gothia either refers to the island of Gothland in the
Baltic Sea, or The 4th Century A.D. Gothic kingdom in the Ukraine, whose
last king was Ermannaric. If it referred to Gothland, it was always subject
to the king of Sweden. It was a Duchy with its own line until the Kalmar
Union. After the rise of the House of Vasa, it became a subsidiary of the
Swedish throne.
The next principality settled on "Prince William" is Manisa, by "HIRH Prince
Amerigo Corneo," who seems to be one of the endless Italian pretenders to
the
throne of the Byzantine Empire. The fact that they refer to it as the
Byzantine, and not the Autocratorata Rhomankia throne should say something
about the authenticity of their claims. Just as well: Manisa, in Epirus,
was destroyed by the Frankish invaders during the establishment of the Latin
Empire for the last time and was never rebuilt anytime since.
The last principality settled on "Prince William" is Garama by "His Royal
and Imperial Highness, Dominus Saul III Caesar Augustus, Duke of Carthage,
Porphyrogenitus of the Holy Roman Empire." No Holy Roman Emperor was ever
named Saul, and the last one to bear the title "Duke of Carthage" was Karl V
and Carlos I of Spain, whose son was Phillip I. The title was abandoned by
the kings of Spain during the Congress of Vienna, and never claimed by the
(Austrian) House of Hapsburg. The title of Holy Roman Emperor lapsed
because Franz II feared losing an election to Napoleon, and so created an
empire of Austria. Franz's current heir is, of course, Dr. Otto von
Hapsburg. No Spanish army ever penetrated far enough into Tunisia to occupy
(and therefore grant) Garama. France did, under the reigns of Charles X,
Louis-Phillippe, and Napoleon III, but none of them granted any titles of
nobility anywhere in Africa that this author is aware of.
This concludes this essay examening the titles of William of House Laszer,
"Prince of Alabona, Ostrogojsk, Manisa, and Garama, and Duke of Moreda,
among other titles." They seem to be quite inauthentic and illegitimate.
While this author can never be too sure, he thinks that they would have much
weight in any court at all, except maybe SCA royal courts and "Common Law
Courts."
Comments? Opinions?