Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/127

Rh FEMALE ORDER OF THE ST. ANN INSTITUTION AT WURZBURG.

By the will of the Countess Anne Maria of Dernbach, born Baroness Voit of Rieneck, in 1683, her estates were, in case her Consort should die without issue, to be applied to the foundation of an establishment for unmarried ladies of the Franconian nobility. It happened, that Count Dernbach died 1714, without direct heirs, and the Prince Bishop of Wurzburg, John Philip, therefore acted up to this disposition in the Countess's will. He founded the establishment, and fixed the number of the members at six, including the Abbess. They were bound to live under one roof, while the indispensable conditions of their admissibility were, the Catholic religion, descent of sixteen noble generations, i. e. eight on each of the parent's sides (the Franconian race in preference), and an age varying from twelve to sixteen years, Adoration of God, celebration of the memory of the founder, and education in all noble virtues and spiritual sciences, were the objects of the establishment. The Prince Bishop Frederick Charles confirmed these statutes 1793, while a considerable donation made in 1756 by Count Ostein, permitted an increase of the members to seven, including the Abbess.

When, at the beginning of the present century, the ancient relations of the German empire ceased to exist, and the principality of Wurzburg, like many other petty states, lost its independance, and became incorporated with Bavaria, the Elector Max-Joseph LV. abolished this institution, (4th April, 1803) but united it, after a few months, with the one at Munich, allowing from its revenues the pensions of twelve members,