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Stephen III Báthory

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Stephen III Báthory (Hungarian: Báthory István) (died 11 November 1444, Varna) was a Hungarian nobleman and commander. His most prestigious position was Palatine of Hungary.

Stephen belonged to the Ecsed branch of the Báthory family. His parents were John V Báthory and Catherine, daughter of John Zanti. His older brother Bartholomew I Báthory fell in 1432 fighting against the Hussites. Stephen first appears in 1419 as dapiferorum regalium magister (master of the royal stewards), and later as a judge royal.

In 1435 he was appointed Palatine of Hungary by King Sigismund. Sigismund's short-lived successor, King Albert of Habsburg awarded him with the castle Bujak.

In 1444 he was the flag-bearer of Władysław, King of Poland and Hungary, in the Battle of Varna, in which he fell alongside his King.

Stephen was married twice:

  1. Ursula, daughter of George de Kis Tapolcsa
  2. Barbara, widowed Csapy

After his death, his second wife Barbara went to court against Christine, the widow of Stephen's younger brother Thomas, with which she disputed a mill's revenue.

Stephen fathered nine children:

References

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  • Moritz Wertner, "Urgeschlechter in Siebenbürgen. 10. Gutkeled: a) Báthory", in Archiv des Vereins für siebenbürgische Landeskunde. Neue Folge, Bd. 29, Heft 1 (1899), Hermannstadt 1899 – quoted in Michael Farin, Heroine des Grauens. Elisabeth Báthory. Munich: P. Kirchheim, 2003. ISBN 3-87410-038-3.