In the first part of these series, we took a look at a usual Hungarian nobility grant from the times of the Ottoman wars, specifically one granted by Rudolf II of Hungary in 1598, written in Latin. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, Hungarian nobility grants started being written in Hungarian. By this time, all grants were also published in the King's Books (Libri Regii in Latin, or Királyi Könyvek in Hungarian), the digitized version of which we will use here to translate a newer grant from Hungarian to English.
II. Hungarian grants
For this translation, I specifically chose a grant for a family that is still well-known, and which still prospers today - the Törley family. The recipient of this grant was József Törley (1858-1907) who founded a sparkling wine factory in Budafok in 1882. The business quickly grew into one of the most prominent sparkling wine factories in the region, and they are still in operation today. While the original grant was bestowed upon the aforementioned József in 1896, the grantee had no children to inherit his factory and title after his death in 1907. Therefore, his brother, Gyula Törley, and the children of their late brother, Antal Törley received separate grants with the same coat of arms in 1908. The official announcement of the original 1896 grant of József is found here.
The translation of the full entry in the Libri Regii (note that the document can be translated differently due to the convoluted phrasing; also note that the coat of arm's blazon mismatches the arms depicted with regards to the grapes, which are said to be golden):
The granting of Hungarian nobility with the prename "of Csantavér" to József Törley, sparkling wine factory owner in Budapest, and landowner.
We, Franz Joseph I., by the favorable grace of God Emperor of Austria, Apostolic King of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Lodomeria, Rama, Serbia, Cumania and Bulgaria, likewise King of Illyria and Jerusalem, etc., Archduke of Austria, Grand Prince of Tuscany and Krakow, Prince of Lotharingia, Salzburg, Steyer, Carinthia, Carniola and Bukovina, Grand Prince of Transylvania, Margrave of Moravia, Prince of Upper and Lower Silesia, Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Guastalla, Auschwitz and Zator, etc., Count of Habsburg, Tyrol, Kyburg, Goritz and Gradiska, Prince of Trient and Brixen, Margrave of Upper and Lower Lusatia, and of Istria, Count of Hohenems, Feldkirch, Bregenz, Sonnenberg, etc., Lord of the Margrave of Triest, Cattaro and Slavonia, etc.
We recommend to memory and assure by these present letters to all whom it may concern; That We, through the supplication by our Minister besides the King, taking into gracious consideration the continuous faithful services of our faithful subject, József Törley, landowner and sparkling wine factory owner in Budapest, which he rendered unto our Majesty and our Majestic Royal Dynasty, and taking into consideration his industrial and economic achievements, furthermore, considering that he established the renown of Hungarian sparkling wine, in such a way that His sparkling wine today contends with foreign ones, through persistent and diligent work after the foundation of his sparkling wine factory in Budafok in 1882, established based on the French model; furthermore, considering that as the result of the quality of the factory's products, they have been awarded numerous diplomas and gold medals at various local and foreign trade fairs; lastly, considering that he has established a new, prospering field of industry in the country through his distinguished expertise;
For his aforementioned achievements, by our royal grace, following the example of our Predecessors, the late Kings of Hungary, as we are wont to reward and encourage with a lasting insignia of reward those who have gained merit by means of great, noble deeds for our Majesty, our Majestic Royal Dynasty, and for the Sacred Crown of our Kingdom of Hungary, and to those who strive to follow the path of virtue; we deemed it fitting to admit the aforementioned József Törley, and his future children to be born by the grace of God from his wife, Irén Sacelláry into the ranks of true, ancient, and undoubted nobles of our Kingdom of Hungary, and of the subject territories with the usage of the prename "of Csantavér"; graciously permitting by the power of our supreme royal will that henceforth until eternity, the aforementioned József Törley and his legitimate descendants shall live, under the usage of the prename "of Csantavér", with all rights and customs that the true, ancient, and undoubted nobles of our aforementioned Kingdom of Hungary have hitherto enjoyed and lived with according to law or ancient custom, or enjoy and live with today.
Whereby as further testimony of our supreme royal grace expressed towards him, and as an everlasting insignia of true and undoubted nobility, we grant the following coat of arms, or noble insignia to Him and his legitimate successors of both sexes: an upright military shield divided into two, in the upper blue field of which a bent, armored arm rests his elbow on three green hills, holding a curved sword with a golden handle in its hand; a golden shooting star in the shield's upper dexter corner, and a green-leafed, golden cluster of grapes in the upper sinister corner. The shield's lower, red field shows a white, right-angled beam facing upward, with a severed Turkish head with a waving mustache in a turban underneath. An open, crowned knightly helmet rests on top of the shield with blue and golden mantles on its dexter, and red and silver mantles on its sinister side. An identical arm, as described in the shield, emerges from the crown.
Graciously deciding and permitting the aforementioned, henceforth noble József Törley de Csantavér, and all of his legitimate descendants and successors of both sexes to use this coat of arms or noble insignia under the same rights and ancient customs as the true, ancient, and undoubted nobles of our Kingdom of Hungary and its subject territories have enjoyed and lived with, or enjoy and live with today; Furthermore we not only desire, but graciously command that He and his legitimate descendants and successors of both sexes be recognized with these privileges by all persons of all orders, conditions, offices, dignities, and countenances. In memory, and as a perpetual token of which, we have graciously deemed it necessary to issue and publish this present letters patent, confirmed by our Apostolic Royal Hungarian Seal, to the said József Törley de Csantavér, and to all his legitimate descendants and successors of both sexes.
Published by the hands of Our sincerely beloved, illustrious Baron Sámuel Jósika of Branyicska, our secret councilor, chancellor, and knight of our Order of Leopold etc. and our Minister besides the King, on the first day of the month of Saint George*, in the year one thousand eight hundred ninety six of our Lord, and the forty eighth of Our reign.
Franz Joseph
Baron Sámuel Jósika
*The month of Saint George in old Hungarian refers to April