Auguste von Senarclens - Grancy

[paola]

Iam searching  information and pictures of Auguste von Senarclens-Grancy (1794-1871). According to some authors he was ( and not Duke Ludwig II of Hesse) the  father of the 3 youngest children of Grand Duchess Wilhelmina of Hesse (1788-1836).  Did he ever marry?Was he a relative of Wilhelmina von Senarclens  - Grancy, the Governess of the Hessian Ducal House?

[Yseult]

Hello, Paola! I wish I could provides you more info that I can...

As far as I know, Grand Duke Ludwig II of Hesse by the Rhine was an ugly man eleven years older than his charming wife Wilhelmine. She never felt happy with the husband, not looker, not kind with her and a great womanizer. They had together three children: Ludwig, later Grand Duke Ludwig III; a stillborn child and Karl. After the birth of Karl, Wilhelmine felt that she had enough and determined to live apart from the husband. So, in 1820 Wilhelmine bought Heiligenberg, where she shared her life with chamberlain August von Senarclens-Grancy. There, the Grand Duchess gave birth to Elisabeth; when Elisabeth was two years old Alexander was born and when Alexander was one year old, Marie was born.

It seems established that the father was the chamberlain August Louis von Senarclens-Grancy. He was a son of baron Cesar August von Senarclens-Crancy (a son of Auguste Victor von Senarclens, seigneur de Grancy, and Jacqueline de Chandieu) and Elisabeth Claudine Marie Rose de Loriol (a daughter of Rodolphe de Loriol and Catherine Tronchin).

Wilhelmine Grand Duchess of Hesse died 27th Janvier 1836, and the same year, the 15th november, August Louis von Senarclens-Grancy married Louise Wilhelmine Camilla, a daughter of Carl Friedrich Stephan, baron von Schönfeld and later count von Otting und Fünfstetten, by his second wife, Wilhelmine Louise Camille of Montperny. The father of Louise Wilhelmine Camille, Carl Friedrich Stephan, was an illegitimate son of Friedrich Michael of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld and Louise Chaveau...So, the father of Louise was half-brother of king Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria!!.

[Prince_Christopher]

Maurice Paleologue, French Ambassador to Russia, wrote:

"About the spring of 1823 the little Court of Darmstadt was astounded to learn that the Grand Duchess was pregnant.  On the 15th of July she gave birth to a third son, Prince Alexander, who was later to found the Battenberg family.  For the honor of his crown and family, Louis II assumed paternity of the child.  But everyone knew the real father; he was so insignificant no one dared to name him.  The following year, on the 8th August 1824, the Grand Duchess was delivered of another child, of the same origin, Princess Marie."

Louis II may have been induced to accept the paternity of Alexander and Marie by Wilhelmina's brother and sisters, the Grand Duke of Baden, the Empress of Russia, the Queens of Bavaria and Sweden, and the Duchess of Brunswick.

Prince von Bulow, Chancellor of Germany, wrote:

"In the Russian royal family the descent of the future Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna and Prince Alexander of Hesse from the handsome Master of the Horse was well-known.  When I was attached to the Embassy of St. Petersburg in 1865 or 1866, I drove with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Vladimir from Tsarkoie Selo to St. Petersburg, the Grand Duke, who had gone to bed late, fell asleep on the way, and his wife called my attention to his fine, almost classical features.  One could see, she said, that her husband was not the grandson of Louis II of Hesse, renowned for his ugliness, but of the handsome Grancy.  As a matter of fact, the Senarclens von Grancy were a good family and came from the Canton Vaud, not far from Lausanne, where the ancestral castle stands."

[Prince_Christopher]

I wonder who took care of Alexander and Marie after their mother died?  They were still fairly young.  I've read that Marie was not very well treated at Darmstadt, and this was one thing that attracted the Tsarevich (future Alexander II) to her.

This is also interesting:

"In 1866, the Empress Marie, during her visit to Darmstadt, drove out to Heiligenberg to visit the grave of an old friend of her childhood, Baroness Marianne von Grancy, who had just died, and to whom she put up a splendid memorial."

[paola]

It is interesting to know Auguste married in the same year Grand Duchess Wilhelmina died. Any descendants from this marriage? Count Egon Corti in his book "Downfall of three dynasties", say a man called Captain Frey took care of Alexander and Marie of Hesse after their mother died. I was in Heiligenberg last year. The castle is now a college for teachers and the Battenberg Mausoleum looks sadly neglected. I din't find the grave or memorial to Marianne von Grancy. The only memorial I saw was the enormous gold cross Alexander of Hesse and his brothers  erected in memory of their mother, Grand Duchess Wilhelmine.

[Emilia]

"In the Russian royal family the descent of the future Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna and Prince Alexander of Hesse from the handsome Master of the Horse was well-known.  When I was attached to the Embassy of St. Petersburg in 1865 or 1866, I drove with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Vladimir from Tsarkoie Selo to St. Petersburg, the Grand Duke, who had gone to bed late, fell asleep on the way, and his wife called my attention to his fine, almost classical features.  One could see, she said, that her husband was not the grandson of Louis II of Hesse, renowned for his ugliness, but of the handsome Grancy.  As a matter of fact, the Senarclens von Grancy were a good family and came from the Canton Vaud, not far from Lausanne, where the ancestral castle stands."

According to Charlotte Zeepvat (in "Romanov Autumn"), this anecdote isn´t true as in  1866, Marie was still a 12-year-old princess living in Mecklenburg... She married Vladimir in 1874.

[Prince_Christopher]

"In the Russian royal family the descent of the future Tsarina Maria Alexandrovna and Prince Alexander of Hesse from the handsome Master of the Horse was well-known.  When I was attached to the Embassy of St. Petersburg in 1865 or 1866, I drove with the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Vladimir from Tsarkoie Selo to St. Petersburg, the Grand Duke, who had gone to bed late, fell asleep on the way, and his wife called my attention to his fine, almost classical features.  One could see, she said, that her husband was not the grandson of Louis II of Hesse, renowned for his ugliness, but of the handsome Grancy.  As a matter of fact, the Senarclens von Grancy were a good family and came from the Canton Vaud, not far from Lausanne, where the ancestral castle stands."

According to Charlotte Zeepvat (in "Romanov Autumn"), this anecdote isn´t true as in  1866, Marie was still a 12-year-old princess living in Mecklenburg... She married Vladimir in 1874.

You may be right about this, however, I guess von Bulow could have gotten the dates wrong, I think he was writing about his career years after the fact.

However, it really doesn't matter, just goes to show that there are many unanswered questions on this subject, questions that will likely remain unanswered.

Louis Mountbatten tried to bury many of the facts concerning his ancestry, and may have somewhat succeeded.

[Emilia]

You may be right about this, however, I guess von Bulow could have gotten the dates wrong, I think he was writing about his career years after the fact.

Nevertheless the anecdote sounds very much like Marie, I can imagine her saying stuff like that... She also said that her family (the Mecklenburgs) very more Slavic than the Romanovs etc.

[Prince_Christopher]

Yes, I agree, LOL.     When I first read the anecdote, I could just SEE Marie saying that....

[VN]

It is interesting to know Auguste married in the same year Grand Duchess Wilhelmina died. Any descendants from this marriage? Count Egon Corti in his book "Downfall of three dynasties", say a man called Captain Frey took care of Alexander and Marie of Hesse after their mother died. I was in Heiligenberg last year. The castle is now a college for teachers and the Battenberg Mausoleum looks sadly neglected. I din't find the grave or memorial to Marianne von Grancy. The only memorial I saw was the enormous gold cross Alexander of Hesse and his brothers  erected in memory of their mother, Grand Duchess Wilhelmine.

Right behind the "Goldene Kreuz" is the Grave of Julie and Alexander. Not in the Memorial Chapel. The tombstone was designed by Kaiserin Friedrich (Vicky). It is true, the place is very neglected. (There are different reasons for that).
In the chapel on the left hand side is a memorial place/commemorative stone for Liko (Heinrich) and on the right hand side the 'memorial side' for Sandro (Alexander von Battenberg/Hartenau.


As far as I know, Ludwig II wasn't intested in Wilhelmine anymore. They where first cousins ( :-/) and after a heir was born they fulfilled their duty.

I have a picture (copy)  of Auguste von Senarclence-Grancy (+ 03.10.1871 in Jugenheim). But unfortunatly I don't have a scanner. I also see a strong ressemblance with Alexander von Hessen.  

[paola]

Even if it looks neglected, one can imagine how lovely Heiligenberg was, like the royals gatherings which had once brought the estate so much glory. I wish someone would write a book about Heiligenberg, with pictures of the interiors and floorplans. Kind of the wonderful book by Petra Tücks about Neues Palais in Darmstadt.
Any information about the descendants of Auguste by his marriage to Louise Otting und Fünfstetten?

[Daniela]

On this link you can find something on Auguste von Senarclens - Grancy's descendants with his wife Louise Otting und Fünfstetten.

Daniela


http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00096511&tree=LEO

[paola]

Daniela,

Thanks for this interesting link. So Baroness Wilhelmine Senarclens Grancy, lady-in-waiting to the four Hessian Princesses (Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene and Alix) was daughter of Auguste Senarclens von Grancy.

[Prince_Christopher]

I wonder if Auguste had a relationship with Alexander and Marie?  He lived until 1871.  I've read that the children grew up somewhat isolated from the Hessian court.  Did the two siblings visit him in his later years?  He must have been somewhat of a father figure to them, if nothing else, with them growing up at Heiligenberg.  

But maybe not, I did read that Alexander and Marie grew up in a little house on the edge of the forest, on the estate.

I wonder why Auguste married so soon after Wilhelmine's death?  Did he sort of abandon Alexander and Marie at that time?  His children from his marriage to Louise seemed to stay in favor.  Did he himself?

Lots of unanswered questions....

[paola]

Indeed lots of unanswered questions. Perhaps the answers are in the archives in Darmstadt or in the Mountbatten archives.

Interesting the descendants of Auguste von Senarclens -Grancy by his marriage to Louise Otting und Fünfstetten are related to many royal houses both by paternal (Hesse, Russia, Sweden, Great Britain, Greece, Spain) and maternal (Bavaria, Austria, Saxony) sides.