If you have involved yourself in Hungarian nobility research, chances are that you have already come across original grants, or their certified copies from the 1700s. If not, let's take a minute and head over to the online database of digitized nobility grants of the Hungarian National Archives and indulge yourself in these intricately ornamented works of art. Alternatively, you can also turn your attention to the King's Books (Libri Regii) - specifically their issues from 1867 onward - which include announcements of new grants in the period, written in Hungarian.
Prior to the 1700s, nobility grants were issued on large-format vellum documents, and written in Latin - the state language of the Kingdom of Hungary at the time. Starting from the 1700s, most newer grants were issued as smaller booklets, however still in Latin. Even following the introduction of Hungarian as an official state language during the 1830s, nobility grants retained their Latin form until a couple of decades later, with the establishment of Austria-Hungary, after which the grants took on Hungarian as their language.
As both Latin and Hungarian documents may be daunting to look at without speaking any of these languages, we take a look at a complete English translation of two characteristic grants in these series - one translated from Latin (discussed here), and the other from Hungarian (discussed in Part II).
I. Latin nobility grants
Between the late 1500s and the early 1700s, most grants were written using the same template with the name of the king or queen, the names of the grantees, the blazon of their coat of arms, and the names and titles of the witnesses being changed out. As such, these documents unfortunately do not describe why certain individuals received their grants. Nevertheless, translating these texts still help us understand the context of the grants a bit more.
With the current example, we take a look at the 1598 nobility grant of my 13th-great grandfather, László Berkó, received from King Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary. A certified copy of the grant from 1727 (currently held at the Pest County Archives in Budapest) is available digitally through FamilySearch here. For some context regarding this copy, the family is said to have originated in Nyitra county (where their 1598 grant was announced). They later moved to the village of Keszihóc - now part of Dacsókeszi, or Kosihovce in Slovakia. Around the turn of the 1600s and 1700s, the family broke off into two main branches - one settling in Tápiószele and the other in Jánoshida, both in Pest-Pilis-Solt county. During these movements, the original grant was lost. The Tápiószele branch secured a new grant from King Leopold I. in 1698, however the Jánoshida branch was left out from this grant, subsequently unable to confirm their nobility, and succumbing to peasanthood until my 8th-great grandfather, János Berkó (†1744) set out to find the original document and brought it back from Poland. The 1727 copy of the 1598 grant, visible on the FamilySearch microfilm image, is the copy commissioned by János upon his return to Jánoshida, after which he was selected as the head councilman of the town.
The English translation of the document (note that due to the elaborate phrasing, there may be different ways of translating these documents):
WE, RUDOLF II, by the grace of God always majestic elected Roman Emperor, and King of Germany, Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Rama, Serbia, Galicia, Lodomeria, Cumania, Bulgaria, etc., Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Margrave of Moravia, Duke of Luxembourg and of Upper and Lower Silesia, Württemberg and Theka, Prince of Swabia, Count of Habsburg, Tyrol, Ferrete, Kyburg and Gorizia, Landgrave of Alsace, Landgrave of the Holy Roman Empire above the river Enns, Burgovia, and of Upper and Lower Lusatia, Lord of the Landgraviate of Slavonia, Port of Naon and Salina, etc.
WE RECOMMEND to memory and assure by these present letters to all whom it may concern that we, having duly considered the most humble supplication made to our Majesty by certain of our faithful subjects, and also having taken into account the loyalty and faithful services of our faithful subject, the agilis* LÁSZLÓ BERKÓ, which he has faithfully exhibited and performed, first to the Sacred Crown of our Kingdom of Hungary, and then to our Majesty, according to the diversity of places and times, and which he is said to continue to exhibit and perform in the future; Therefore, on this account, and also out of our royal grace and generosity, by which we are wont to decree certain memorials of their virtue to those who have deserved well of us and of the Christian commonwealth, following the example of our illustrious predecessors, the Kings of Hungary, and thus incite them to greater achievements, we have decided to elevate, admit, and enroll the said LÁSZLÓ BERKÓ from the state and condition of ignobility, in which he is said to have persisted, by the fullness of our royal power and special grace, among the true and undoubted Nobles of our Kingdom of Hungary and its subject territories. Granting, and from our certain knowledge and deliberate mind, consenting that he, and all his heirs and successors of both sexes henceforth possess, enjoy, and partake of all those favors, honors, privileges, liberties, rights, prerogatives, and immunities, with which the other true and undoubted Nobles of our Kingdom of Hungary and its subject territories have used, enjoyed, and possessed, by right or ancient custom, so that he may use, enjoy, and partake of them, and that all his heirs and posterity of both sexes may have and possess all of them. In testimony of our grace, clemency, and generosity toward him, and as a symbol of true and unquestionable Nobility, we bestow these arms or Noble insignia.
An upright military SHIELD of celestial color, a green field in the background, upon which a royal crown is superimposed, from which a red-clothed human arm extends high, holding in its hand a stem with five red roses on its end. On both sides of the shield, there is a golden star each, and above them, crested moons. Upon the shield is an open helmet, adorned with a royal crown, from which an arm identical to the one described previously emerges. On top of the shield, yellow and blue mantles drop down towards the sides of the shield from one side, and white and red mantles towards the other, nicely adorning it; as it has been depicted by the hand, art, and colors of our painter in the beginning of this letter.
To the same LÁSZLÓ BERKÓ, and through him to the aforementioned persons, their heirs, and descendants of both sexes universally, we have deemed it fitting and appropriate to grant. Granting, and from our certain knowledge and deliberate mind, consenting that he, and all his heirs and successors of both sexes henceforth possess, enjoy, and partake of all those favors, honors, privileges, liberties, rights, prerogatives, and immunities, with which the other true and undoubted Nobles of our Kingdom of Hungary, and its subject territories have used, enjoyed, and possessed, by right or ancient custom, as they are used and enjoyed to this day, anywhere in battles, contests, fights, tournaments, duels, fencing matches, and any other military and noble exercises, as well as in seals, banners, flags, sails, curtains, rings, shields, tents, houses and tombs, generally in any manner of things and expeditions, under the simple title of Nobility, by which they should be declared, named, held, and reputed distinguished and adorned by all men of whatever state, rank, condition or preeminence, and bear and carry them, and use, enjoy, and possess them forever, and that all their heir and posterity of both sexes may have and possess all of them. Moreover, we ennoble, give, and grant by the force of these presents. In memory and perpetual firmness of this matter, our present letters, privileged with our Secret seal, which we use as King of Hungary, are given forth. To the same LÁSZLÓ BERKÓ, and through him to his heirs and descendants of both sexes universally, we have deemed it fitting and appropriate to grant.
PUBLISHED by our sincerely favored follower, the Reverend János Kutassy, Archbishop of Esztergom, Főispán of the same county, Primate of Hungary, Ambassador of the Highest, and Chancellor of the Lieutenancy Council and our advisor, in our Royal Castle of Prague, on the First Day of the Month of March in the year One Thousand Five Hundred Ninety Eight of Our Lord, the Twenty Third year of our reign in the Holy Roman Empire, the Twenty Sixth in Hungary et al., but similarly the Twenty Third in Bohemia. Our Reverend and Venerable Father in Christ, the aforementioned Lord János Kutassy, Archbishop of Esztergom, Demeter Naprágyi, elected Bishop of Transylvania, Márton Pethe de Hetes of Várad, Miklós Zelniczey of Pécs, András Monoszlóy of Veszprém, the same Lord János Kutassy, Administrator of Győr, István Szuhay of Vác, Ferenc Forgách de Ghymes of Nyitra, and Miklós Migazzi of Tinin, favorably governing the Church of God. The seats of the Bishopries of the canonically united Metropolitan Kolozs and Bács, of Eger, Zágrád, Csanád, Szirma, Bosnia, Zeng and Modrus are vacant. Furthermore, the gracious and magnificent Count István Báthori, Judge Royal, János Draskovits de Trakostyán, Ban of Dalmatia, Croatia, and of Sclavonia in our Kingdom, Count György Zrínyi, Master of Treasury, Count Ferenc Nádasdy, Master of the Horse, Miklós Pálffy de Erdőd, Master of the Doorkeepers, Ferenc Révay, Doorkeeper, István Illésházy, Master of the Court, and Simon Forgách de Ghymes, Master of the Cupbearers, the same Miklós Pálffy, Főispán of Pozsony county, and other dignities, governing the counties of our Kingdom.
*agilis is a Latin term to describe an ignoble person who is either the child of an ignoble man and a noble mother, or an ignoble person who is married to a noblewoman.