Stephen VIII Báthory

For other people of the same name, see Stephen Báthory (disambiguation).

Stephen VIII Báthory (Hungarian: Báthory István) (1477–1534) was a Hungarian noble.

He was a son of Nicholas Báthory (1462–1500) of the Somlyó branch of the Báthory family.

In 1521, he was appointed deputy voivode of Transylvania, serving under the Voivoid John Zápolya. After the battle of Mohacs in 1526, Stephen supported Zápolya's claim to the Kingship of Hungary and in 1529 was made Voivode of Transylvania himself.

With his wife Catherine Telegdi, he fathered eight children:

Nicholas
Catharine
Andrew (died 1563)
Sophia
Anna (1539–1570), who apparently was born well after her father's death, the mother of the "Blood Countess" Elizabeth Báthory.
Elizabeth (1557–1562), who apparently was born well after her father's death
Christopher (1530–1581), who governed Transylvania in the absence of his younger brother Stefan.
Stephen (1533–1586), who became Voivode (and later Prince) of Transylvania and King of Poland.

Literature

Farin, Michael, Heroine des Grauens. Elisabeth Báthory. Munich: P. Kirchheim, 2003. ISBN 3-87410-038-3.
Wertner, Moritz, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbürgen.", in Archiv des Vereins für siebenbürgische Landeskunde. Neue Folge, Bd. 29, Heft 1 (1899), Hermannstadt 1899, pp. 156–235.