Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

Prince John August
Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Born	17 February 1704 Gotha
Died	8 May 1767 (aged 63) Stadtroda
Spouse	Luise Reuss of Schleiz
Issue	Augusta, Princess of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Louise, Duchess of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
House	House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Father	Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Mother	Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst

Johann August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (b. Gotha, 17 February 1704 – d. Stadtroda, 8 May 1767), was a German prince, member of the House of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

He was the fifth but second surviving son of Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg and Magdalene Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst.

Life

In 1725 he entered in the Imperial army and fought in Italy and Hungary. In the Battle of Grocka he was wounded and then spent some time in Altenburg to recover. Later he reasumed his military duties and fought in the War of the Austrian Succession in Silesia, Bohemia, Bavaria and the Rhine. He eventually became Imperial Field Marshal and received his own dragoon regiment.

He lived with his family in Stadtroda, where shortly before his death received a visit of King Frederick the Great of Prussia. He was awarded with the Polish Order of the White Eagle.

Marriage and Issue

In Stadtroda on 6 January 1752, Johann August married Luise Reuss of Schleiz (b. Staffelstein, 3 July 1726 - d. Stadtroda, 28 May 1773), widow of his younger brother, Christian Wilhelm. They had four children:

• Augusta Louise Fredericka (b. Stadtroda, 30 November 1752 – d. Rudolstadt, 28 May 1805), married on 28 November 1780 to Frederick Charles, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt.
• stillborn son (Stadtroda, 11 November 1753).
• stillborn son (Stadtroda, 27 December 1754).
• Louise (b. Stadtroda, 9 March 1756 – d. Ludwigslust, 1 January 1808), married on 1 June 1775 to Frederick Francis I, Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Grand Duke since 1815). She was a direct ancestress of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, later Prince Consort of the United Kingdom, and, through him, a direct ancestress of the present British Royal Family.

Ancestors

Ancestors of Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg

16. John II, Duke of Saxe-Weimar               8. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha                       17. Dorothea Maria of Anhalt               4. Frederick I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg                             18. Johann Philipp, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg               9. Princess Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg                       19. Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel               2. Frederick II, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg                                   20. Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony               10. August, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels                       21. Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia               5. Magdalena Sibylle of Saxe-Weissenfels                             22. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg               11. Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin                       23. Anna Maria of Ostfriesland               1. Prince John August of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg                                         24. Rudolph, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst               12. John VI, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst                       25. Magdalene of Oldenburg               6. Prince Charles of Anhalt-Zerbst                             26. Frederick III, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp               13. Sophie Augusta of Holstein-Gottorp                       27. Maria Elisabeth of Saxony               3. Princess Magdalena Augusta of Anhalt-Zerbst                                   28. Johann Georg I, Elector of Saxony (= 20)               14. August, Duke of Saxe-Weissenfels (= 10)                       29. Magdalene Sibylle of Prussia (= 21)               7. Sophie of Saxe-Weissenfels                             30. Adolf Frederick I, Duke of Mecklenburg (= 22)               15. Anna Maria of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (= 11)                       31. Anna Maria of Ostfriesland (= 23)

References

• August Beck: Johann August, Prinz von Sachsen-Gotha. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). vol. 14, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1881, p. 376.
• Johann Samuel Ersch (Hrsg): Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste, 2. Sektion, Leipzig, 1842, p. 240 online [retrieved 25 September 2014].