Anthony Erdélyi

Anthony (I) Erdélyi
Vice-ispán of Sáros
Reign 1406–1408
Predecessor John Pányi
Successor Nicholas Kellőc
Born early 1370s
Died 1429 or 1430
Noble family House of Erdélyi
Spouse(s) 1, Margaret Antimus
2, Klara N
Issue
(1) Gelét
(1) John I
(1) Nicholas I
(1) Barbara
(1) Catherine
(2) Ladislaus I
(2) Stephen I
Father Nicholas Somkeréki
Mother Elizabeth Méhesi

Anthony (I) Erdélyi de Somkerék (Hungarian: somkeréki Erdélyi (I.) Antal; died 1429 or 1430) was a Hungarian nobleman and loyal courtier of King Sigismund of Luxembourg. He was familiaris of Nicholas Garai, Palatine of Hungary. Initially known as Anthony of Somkerék (Hungarian: Somkeréki Antal), he was the founder of the distinguished Erdélyi de Somkerék noble family.

Family

Anthony was born in the early 1370s[1] into the Somkeréki family, which had landholdings and estates in Transylvania. The kinship originated from the gens (clan) Becsegergely, thus his distant relatives were the Bethlen and Apafi families, future royal houses of the Principality of Transylvania. His earliest known ancestor is comes Ant in the late 12th century.[2] Anthony was one of the three children of Nicholas Somkeréki (fl. 1360–92), a member of the Nemegye branch of the kindred, and Elizabeth Méhesi. Anthony's siblings were John (fl. 1391–1410), whose two sons died without male descendants, and Catherine (fl. 1408–10), who married vice-voivode Peter Sztrigyi.[3] When Anthony resided abroad for years to service his king, or held positions outside the region of Transylvania, he was considered as a foreigner and as a result he was called Erdélyi ("from Transylvania"), as referring to his place of origin. After his death, it became surname of the family.[4][5]

His first wife was Margaret Antimus, a daughter of vice-palatine John Antimus, who also served the Garai family. She was mentioned by a single charter dated around 1402 or 1403, and died before 1415.[3] Their marriage produced three sons and two daughters. The eldest child Gelét (or Gregory) was referred to as a royal familiaris in 1430.[6] John I did not survive childhood,[7] while Nicholas I simultaneously functioned as vice-voivode and ispán of Torda County in 1448.[8] The two daughters Barbara and Catherine married Stephen Tuzsoni ("the Bulgarian") and vice-voivode Nicholas Vízaknai, respectively.[3] After Margaret's death, Anthony married his second spouse Klara from an unidentified family. She was mentioned by a papal document in 1415. They had two sons: Ladislaus I, who died in infancy, and Stephen I, probably the most illustrious member of the family. The 16th-century members of the Erdélyi family descended from Stephen's branch.[9]

Career

Erdélyi is first mentioned by name in December 1391 during a land division agreement within the family.[1] He appeared in a same context in the next year. It is possible that his father died in that year, becoming Anthony and his brother John Somkeréki as joint heads of the household in Somkerék (today Șintereag, Romania).[10] He entered royal service by 1396, when participated in the Battle of Nicopolis. After the defeat, Erdélyi and other lords kept the ships ready, when Sigismund and his escort fled the battlefield and managed to escape with Venetian ships in the Danube.[1] According to historian Elemér Mályusz, Erdélyi then already belonged to Nicholas Garai's accompaniment (considering that, Garai and his banderium was entrusted to secure Sigismund's withdrawal in the 1395 Wallachian campaign too).[5] Erdélyi was made castellan of Knin Fortress by 1401 (when his lord Garai held the dignity of Ban of Croatia and his father-in-law John Antimus functioned as vice-ban).[11] In that capacity, he successfully defended the castle against Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, the partisan of claimant Ladislaus of Naples, who besieged Knin in that year. When Garai was appointed Palatine of Hungary, Erdélyi also left Croatia.[5]

For his courageous engagement in Knin, while Sigismund was imprisoned, Erdélyi was granted the villages of Harina, Bilak (Herina and Domnești in Romania, respectively) and the uninhabited Nécs in July 1402.[12] In that year, he participated in Sigismund's military expedition to Kingdom of Bohemia, when the king captured his brother Wenceslaus IV and ruled Bohemia for nineteen months. Erdélyi stayed in Bohemia until the next year, when Sigismund had to abadon his claim temporarily due to Ladislaus of Naples' invasion to Southern Hungary.[13] Returning home, Erdélyi was donated the confiscated lands, fields, meadows and mill of the disloyal John Kolman for his Bohemian military service in May 1403. He received huge land donations in June 1405: Gernyeszeg, Sáromberke, Sárpatak, Unoka and Körtekapu (today Gornești, Dumbrăvioara, Șapartoc, Onuca and Poarta, respectively) became properties of the Erdélyi family. His territorial seat was Sáromberke, which also granted the right to collect custom and to host market.[12]

Erdélyi was frequently mentioned as castellan of Somló between 1405 and 1411.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Weisz 2012a, p. 263.
  2. ↑ Engel: Genealógia (Genus Becsegergely, 4. Erdélyi (somkeréki) branch)
  3. 1 2 3 Weisz 2012a, p. 265.
  4. ↑ Weisz 2012b, p. 417.
  5. 1 2 3 Mályusz 1984, p. 136.
  6. ↑ Engel 1996, p. 505.
  7. ↑ Weisz 2012b, p. 424.
  8. ↑ Engel 1996, pp. 15, 251.
  9. ↑ Weisz 2012b, p. 420.
  10. ↑ Weisz 2012a, p. 266.
  11. ↑ Engel 1996, p. 343.
  12. 1 2 Weisz 2012a, p. 267.
  13. ↑ Weisz 2012a, p. 264.
  14. ↑ Engel 1996, p. 415.

Sources

  • Engel, Pál (1996). Magyarország világi archontológiája, 1301–1457, I. [Secular Archontology of Hungary, 1301–1457, Volume I] (in Hungarian). História, MTA Történettudományi Intézete. ISBN 963-8312-44-0.
  • Mályusz, Elemér (1984). Zsigmond király uralma Magyarországon, 1387–1437 [The Rule of King Sigismund in Hungary, 1387–1437] (in Hungarian). Gondolat. ISBN 963-281-414-2.
  • Weisz, Szidónia (2012a). "Egy erdélyi nemes Luxemburgi Zsigmond szolgálatában. Somkeréki Erdélyi Antal élettörténete [A Transylvanian Noble in the Service of Sigismund of Luxembourg. The Life of Anthony Erdélyi de Somkerék]". In Pál-Antal, Sándor; Simon, Zsolt. A Maros megyei magyarság történtéből. III. kötet (in Hungarian). Mentor Kiadó. pp. 261–273. ISBN 978-973-599-570-6.
  • Weisz, Szidónia (2012b). "Erdélyi Miklós és István (Két alvajda életpályája a késő középkorból) [Nicholas and Stephen Erdélyi: The Careers of Two Vice-Voivodes From the Late Middle Ages]". In Pál-Antal, Sándor; Sigmirean, Cornel; Simon, Zsolt. A történetíró elhivatottsága – Vocaţia istoricului. Emlékkönyv Szabó Miklós születésének 80. évfordulójára (in Hungarian). Mentor Kiadó. pp. 416–433. ISBN 978-973-599-571-3.
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