John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld

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John Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

John Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. Gotha, 22 August 1658 - d. Saalfeld, 17 February 1729) was a duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld.

He was the tenth but seventh surviving son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg.

After the death of his father in 1675, John Ernest initially governed the duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, jointly with his six older brothers, as set out in their father's will. However, in 1680 the brothers concluded a treaty dividing the paternal lands and John Ernest became duke of Saxe-Saalfeld, with the towns of Gräfenthal, Probstzella and Pössneck. As he was the youngest, he kept the smallest portion of the lands; John Ernest and his brother Ernest soon found themselves financially overstretched as a result of the partition (the income of their eldest brother, Frederick, far exceeded the income of John Ernest), and they both made a protest. Over the following years, the controversy continued and increased, as their older brothers Albrecht of Saxe-Coburg, Heinrich of Saxe-Römhild and Christian of Saxe-Eisenberg died without male heirs. During these years, John Ernest took possession of Coburg (in 1699), Römhild and 5/12 of Themar (in 1714).

The "Coburg-Eisenberg-Römhilder Erbstreit" was finally resolved (after repeated intervention and arbitration by the emperor) in 1735, six years after the death of John Ernest. His descendants retained Coburg. The decision was generally accepted, most importantly by the descendants of his older brother Bernhard, who also had a claim to Coburg.

[edit] Ancestors

**John Ernest's ancestors in three generations**
John Ernest IV, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld	Father: Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha	Paternal Grandfather: John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar	Paternal Great-grandfather: Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Dorothea Susanne of Simmern
		Paternal Grandmother: Dorothea Maria of Anhalt	Paternal Great-grandfather: Joachim Ernst of Anhalt
			Paternal Great-grandmother: Eleonore of Württemberg
	Mother: Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg	Maternal Grandfather: Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg	Maternal Great-grandfather: Frederick Wilhelm I, Duke of Saxe-Weimar
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Anna Marie of Bavaria-Neuburg
		Maternal Grandmother: Elizabeth	Maternal Great-grandfather: Henry Julius, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg
			Maternal Great-grandmother: Elizabeth of Denmark

[edit] Issue

In Merseburg on 18 February 1680, Johann Ernst married firstly Sophie Hedwig of Saxe-Merseburg. They had five children:

Christiane Sofie (b. Saalfeld, 14 June 1681 - d. Saalfeld, 3 June 1697).
Stillborn daughter (Saalfeld, 6 May 1682).
Christian Ernst, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. Saalfeld, 18 August 1683 - d. Saalfeld, 4 September 1745).
Charlotte Wilhelmine (b. Saalfeld, 4 May 1685 - d. Hanau, 5 April 1767), married on 26 December 1705 to Philipp Reinhard of Hanau-Lichtenberg.
Stillborn son (Saalfeld, 6 August 1686).

In Maastricht on 2 December 1690 Johann Ernst married secondlyCharlotte Johanna of Waldeck-Pyrmont (b. Arolsen, 13 December 1664, d. Hildburghausen, 1 February 1699). They had eight children:

Wilhelm Frederick (b. Arolsen, 16 August 1691 - d. Saalfeld, 28 July 1720).
Karl Ernst (b. Saalfeld, 12 September 1692 - d. Cremona, 30 December 1720).
Sofie Wilhelmine (b. Saalfeld, 9 August 1693 - d. Rudolstadt, 4 December 1727), married on 8 February 1720 to Frederick Anton of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.
Henriette Albertine (b. Saalfeld, 8 July 1694 - d. Saalfeld, 1 April 1695).
Luise Emilie (b. Saalfeld, 24 August 1695 - d. Coburg, 21 August 1713).
Charlotte (b. Saalfeld, 30 October 1696 - d. Saalfeld, 2 November 1696).
Franz Josias, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (b. Saalfeld, 25 September 1697 - d. Rodach, 16 September 1764).
Henriette Albertine (b. Saalfeld, 20 November 1698 - d. Coburg, 5 February 1728).