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Lot Essay
For a short biography of Salomon de Charrière de Sévery, see the preceding lot. More detailed information may be found in W. de Sévery, La vie de société dans le pays de Vaud à la fin du XVIIIe siècle , Lausanne/Paris, 1911, reprint Genève, 1978.
William IX (1743-1821) was on of the most controversial figures of European 18th Century history. The eldest son of Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Cassel and his wife Princess Mary of England, he was neglected by his father but worshipped by his mother who used to call him `dear, dear, dear, charming angel Billy'. Billy became Count of Hanau in 1760 and succeeded his father as Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel in 1785. In 1803, he was styled Elector of Hesse under the name of William I. His opposition against Emperor Napoleon led to his deposition in 1806. During the bloodstained reign in Cassel of Napoleon's brother Jerome Bonaparte, ephemeral King of Westphalia, William was exiled to Schleswig and to Prague. After Napoleon's fall, William returned to his lands, assumed the title of Grand-Duke of Fulda in 1816 and died at the age of 78. He was married to his first cousin Princess Wilhelmine-Caroline of Denmark (see preceding lot), with whom he had two daughters and two sons, including the future Elector William II of Hesse.
William was fond of women, splendour and magnificence at his court and encouraged the arts, notably architecture. The castle of Wilhelmshöhe is one of his best-known monuments of his reign. As early as 1776 William, legendary for his greed, became notorious for his ingenious means to fill his treasury: the trade with human beings. He lent men as soldiers to his cousin King George III to use them as cannon fodder in the war against the American rebels. In his 5 February 1776 contract with George III, he lent 668 men from Hanau for a price of 30 Crowns per head plus the English salary. Each killed man was equally worth 30 Crowns and 30 Crowns were reimbursed per three wounded men. A yearly bonus of 25,050 Crowns was paid to William until a year after the return of the troops. Two similar contracts were signed by William in April 1776 and February 1777. Due to further contracts with England in April and August 1793, 12,000 of William's subjects were sent to fight for England against the French troops. The ruthlessness of Landgrave William's press-gangs was notorious and became an epitomy for the tyrannical absolutism of the smaller German princes in pre-revolutionary Europe. In compensation for their lost happiness, the parents and wives of the sold men were exempt from taxes. Among William's charitable actions was the creation of the orphanage of Hanau.
William IX (1743-1821) was on of the most controversial figures of European 18th Century history. The eldest son of Landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Cassel and his wife Princess Mary of England, he was neglected by his father but worshipped by his mother who used to call him `dear, dear, dear, charming angel Billy'. Billy became Count of Hanau in 1760 and succeeded his father as Landgrave of Hesse-Cassel in 1785. In 1803, he was styled Elector of Hesse under the name of William I. His opposition against Emperor Napoleon led to his deposition in 1806. During the bloodstained reign in Cassel of Napoleon's brother Jerome Bonaparte, ephemeral King of Westphalia, William was exiled to Schleswig and to Prague. After Napoleon's fall, William returned to his lands, assumed the title of Grand-Duke of Fulda in 1816 and died at the age of 78. He was married to his first cousin Princess Wilhelmine-Caroline of Denmark (see preceding lot), with whom he had two daughters and two sons, including the future Elector William II of Hesse.
William was fond of women, splendour and magnificence at his court and encouraged the arts, notably architecture. The castle of Wilhelmshöhe is one of his best-known monuments of his reign. As early as 1776 William, legendary for his greed, became notorious for his ingenious means to fill his treasury: the trade with human beings. He lent men as soldiers to his cousin King George III to use them as cannon fodder in the war against the American rebels. In his 5 February 1776 contract with George III, he lent 668 men from Hanau for a price of 30 Crowns per head plus the English salary. Each killed man was equally worth 30 Crowns and 30 Crowns were reimbursed per three wounded men. A yearly bonus of 25,050 Crowns was paid to William until a year after the return of the troops. Two similar contracts were signed by William in April 1776 and February 1777. Due to further contracts with England in April and August 1793, 12,000 of William's subjects were sent to fight for England against the French troops. The ruthlessness of Landgrave William's press-gangs was notorious and became an epitomy for the tyrannical absolutism of the smaller German princes in pre-revolutionary Europe. In compensation for their lost happiness, the parents and wives of the sold men were exempt from taxes. Among William's charitable actions was the creation of the orphanage of Hanau.