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Francis Josias
Francis Josias
	Portrait of Francis Josias wearing the Polish Order of the White Eagle
Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Reign	4 September 1745 –; 16 September 1764
Predecessor	Christian Ernest
Successor	Ernest Frederick
Born	25 September 1697; Saalfeld, Saxe-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire
Died	16 September 1764 (aged 66); Rodach, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire
Spouse	Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Issue	Ernest Frederick ; Prince Johann Wilhelm ; Princess Anna Sophie ; Prince Christian Franz ; Charlotte Sophie, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin ; Princess Fredericka Magdalene ; Princess Fredericka Caroline ; Prince Josias
House	Wettin
Father	John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Mother	Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen
Religion	Lutheranism

Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (25 September 1697–16 September 1764) was a duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

Biography

He was the fourth living son of Johann Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the third born by his father's second wife Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen.

During his youth, Francis Josias served in the Imperial Army.

The death of his two older brothers Wilhelm Frederick (d. 28 July 1720) and Charles Ernest (d. 30 December 1720) made him the second in line in the succession of the duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, preceded only by his older half-brother, Christian Ernest.

When Christian Ernest married unequally in 1724, Francis Josias claimed the sole inheritance of the duchy. His father's will (1729), however, compelled him to rule jointly with his brother. In 1735, the support of the line of Saxe-Meiningen allowed him to effectively rule over Coburg on his own right, and Christian Ernest's death in 1745 made him the sole Duke. Already in 1733 he proclaimed primogeniture in the duchy, which, however, was confirmed by the Emperor only in 1747. From 1750 to 1755, he was regent of the duchy of Saxe-Weimar on behalf of Ernest Augustus II Konstantin.

Issue

In Rudolstadt on 2 January 1723 Franz Josias married Princess Anna Sophie of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. They had eight children:

Ernest Frederick (b. Saalfeld, 8 March 1724 – d. Coburg, 8 September 1800)
Johann Wilhelm (b. Coburg, 11 May 1726 – killed in battle, Hohenfriedberg, 4 June 1745) died aged 19 unmarried with no issue.
Anna Sophie (b. Coburg, 3 September 1727 – d. Coburg, 10 November 1728) died in infancy.
Christian Franz (b. Coburg, 25 January 1730 – d. Coburg, 18 September 1797) died unmarried and without issue.
Charlotte Sophie (b. Coburg, 24 September 1731 – d. Schwerin, 2 August 1810), married on 13 May 1755 to Ludwig of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
Fredericka Magdalene (b. Coburg, 21 August 1733 – d. Coburg, 29 March 1734) died in infancy.
Frederica Caroline (b. Coburg, 24 June 1735 – d. Schloß Schwaningen, 18 February 1791), married on 22 November 1754 to Karl Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
Frederick Josias (b. Ehrenburg Palace, Coburg, 26 December 1737 – d. Coburg, 26 February 1815)

Ancestry

Ancestors of Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

8. Johann II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar

4. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Altenburg

9. Dorothea Maria of Anhalt

2. John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

10. Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg

5. Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg

11. Elisabeth of Brünswick-Wolfenbüttel

1. Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

12. Philip VII, Count of Waldeck-Wildungen

6. Josias II, Count of Waldeck-Wildungen

13. Anna Catherine of Sayn-Wittgenstein

3. Charlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Wildungen

14. William, Count of Nassau-Siegen

7. Wilhelmine Christine of Nassau-Siegen

15. Christiane of Erbach

References

August Beck: Franz Josias, Herzog von Sachsen-Koburg-Saalfeld. En: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Band 7, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1877, S. 296.
Das herzogliche Haus Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha. Seine Geschichte und gegenwärtige Stellung in Europa. C. Macklot, 1842, S. 234 ff. (Digitalisat)

External links

Pedigree at the Wayback Machine (archived October 26, 2009)
WW-Person: A database of the higher nobility in Europe. Archived 2013-06-16 at the Wayback Machine

Regnal titles
Francis Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld House of Wettin Born: 25 September 1697 Died: 16 September 1764
Preceded by Christian Ernest	Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld 1745–1764	Succeeded by Ernest Frederick