Josefina of Jerovitz
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Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay née Kortrevich (Common: Josephine Theodosia Irene) (14th of Sun’s Smile, 1876 - 8th of The Grand Harvest, 1971) is the youngest daughter of Nikolai I "The Good" Kortrevich, Count of Jerovitz and Esmée di Oxenstierna. She was the 3rd Princess-Consort of Sutica and the 7th Duchess-Consort of Reinmar. Josefina was the longest surviving child of the Count and Countess-Consort of her five siblings, and is most well-known for her decades-long tenure as High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska, reviving the position that was unable to survive on its own under King Karl III.
Contents
Early Life (1876 - 1895)
Josefina Theodosya Renée Kortrevich was born to Nikolai I ‘The Good’ Mikhail Kortrevich, Count of Jerovitz, and his wife, Esmée di Oxenstierna on the 14th of Sun’s Smile, 1876, within the Viscounty of Krusev. She was extraordinarily close with her siblings, Esfir, Anton, Matviy, Inessa, and Vladrik, though often shy when out in public. Josefina was reportedly rambunctious and playful among her family, closely resembling her father in appearance aside from the green eyes inherited from her mother.
Allegedly, Josefina was an avid reader, having frequently been depicted holding a book in portraits painted during her childhood. She often made use of Jerovitz’s library when her brothers and sisters were away, remaining mainly on Jerovitz soil with her parents until she turned seven years old. She was nicknamed Josie early in her life by her father, a nickname which has persisted to the present day.
She briefly warded under Queen Amadea of Susa before beginning her career in stewardry in 1890.
In 1891, King Karl III bestowed the County of Jerovitz on the House of Kortrevich, and the family keep was redesigned and rebuilt under the name Karov, where Josefina lived until her marriage in 1895.
Marriage
Josefina was married to Wilheim II Konstanz Barclay in the chapel at Wilheburg in 1895, officiated by Venerable Katerina Cardinal Jorenus, three years after they entered into a betrothal. The match repaired relations between Houses Kortrevich and Barclay that the demotion of Barclay had significantly damaged, lobbied for by Jan I "The Envoy", Count of Jerovitz. The pair were well-suited and loving, having known each other for years before a courtship began.
Family Life (1895 - 1971)
Unfortunately, Josefina’s parents passed in 1898, the same year her first son was born. The sudden and unexpected deaths, murder in the case of her mother, deeply affected Josefina. Until the Hanseti-Ruska of Almaris was ultimately abandoned after coming under siege by the Mori’Quessir, Josefina only sparingly visited Jerovitz.
She became close with her sister-in-law, Edith of Reinmar, having learned jewelry-making from her before Edith’s own marriage to the then Crown Prince James of Aaun, Lord of Alba, and her subsequent move to the Heartlands. During Aaun’s continued conflict with the Duchy of Adria, Josefina hosted Princess Adeline, Prince John, and Princess Augusta of Aaun at Reinmar at Edith’s behest, raising them for a time alongside her own children before they returned to New Vienne. Josefina also often spent time with the children of her sister, Queen Esfir of Jerovitz, and her brothers, Matviy and Vladrik, frequently watching over them so their parents could work unbothered.
Josefina continued to share a close relationship with her siblings until their deaths, though she only openly mourned all except Anton, who had been disowned decades prior.
In 1927, Wilheim abdicated his titles, and their son, Manfred, took up the mantle of Prince of Sutica and Duke of Reinmar. Under Manfred, House Barclay began to make plans to gain its independence from Haense, a multi-generational project that ultimately saw success under her grandson, Alfred, in 1960. The endeavor resulted in the founding of the Principality of Reinmar, where Josefina lived until her death in 1971.
High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska (1906 - 1932)
Josefina was appointed High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska by King Georg I in 1906, for her dedication as a steward and as the Kastellan of Stewardry under King Karl III. She was the second longest presiding Seneschal, resigning in 1932 with twenty-six years served in the position.
During her tenure, she introduced the Offices of Immigration and Inspections, meant to stand alongside the Office of Stewardry under the Seneschal to better serve the Haeseni people. The Office of Immigration’s purpose was to aid those wishing to immigrate to the Dual Kingdom, providing lessons on language and assistance in finding work whilst the Office of Inspections assisted the Seneschal in canvassing the city for vandalism, illegal tenants, and crime.
At the time of her retirement, Josefina had spent forty-two years as a steward for the Crown of Hanseti-Ruska.
The Robertine Order of Merit
Josefina was inducted into the Robertine Order of Merit in 1932 by her nephew, King Aleksandr II, after retiring from the position of High Seneschal, for her work in settling the Dual Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska in the Royal City of Valdev after the migration from Almaris to Aevos. She aided in housing hundreds of citizens and fostered a workable administration during the transition, before ultimately stepping back once the city had stabilized, allowing her son Manfred to take her place.
Architectural Works
In her lifetime, Josefina headed the team of architects that both designed and built the Barclay stronghold Sankt Johannsburg, completed in 1940, the plans for which took nearly five years to finish before construction began in 1939.
Later, as House Barclay gained its independence from the kingdoms of Hanseti-Ruska and Aaun and founded the Principality of Reinmar, she was the leading architect designing the capital city of Kretzen alongside her daughter-in-law, Ravenna of Thurant, personally overseeing the construction of the Tempel der Waldenisches Märtyrer, the Temple of Waldenic Martyrs, and the Heidepalast, the Heather Palace. She often said that Kretzen was the most significant task she had ever undertaken, and the one she was most determined to excel at.
Planning began in 1943 after Josefina supposedly woke from a mild fever and insisted her drawing board, abacus, and pencils be brought to her bed, claiming she had been struck by divine inspiration. Ultimately, merely planning what would become Kretzen took both her and her daughter-in-law twenty years, lasting from 1943 to 1963 before the three-year construction began.
Titles, Honors, and Styles
Titles
- 1895 - 1927 Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld
- 1898 - 1906 Kastellan of Stewardry
- 1906 - 1932 High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska
Honors
- 1932 The Robertine Order of Merit (KOM)
Styles
- 1876 - 1890 Her Ladyship, Josefina Theodosya Renée Kortrevich
- 1895 - 1898 Her Princely Grace, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld
- 1898 - 1906 Her Princely Grace, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld, Kastellan of Stewardry
- 1906 - 1927 Her Excellency, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, Princess-Consort of Sutica, Duchess-Consort of Reinmar, Countess-Consort of Freimark and Kretzen, Baroness-Consort of Madvon and Freising, Lady of Wilheburg, Erwinsburg, Freiburg, and Rozenfeld, High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska
- 1927 - 1932 Her Excellency, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, High Seneschal of Hanseti-Ruska
- 1932 - 1971 Her Ladyship, Josefina Theodosya Renée Barclay, KOM
Issue
| Name | Birth | Death | Marriage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manfred II Johann Barclay | 1898 | Alive | Ravenna of Thurant | Firstborn son and heir of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. 4th Prince of Sutica, 8th Duke of Reinmar. |
| Georg Leopold Barclay | 1903 | Alive | Jasmine Barclay | Secondborn son of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. |
| Winifred Clarisse Barclay | 1907 | Alive | Unmarried | Firstborn and only daughter of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. |
| Konstanz Gottfried Barclay | 1908 | Alive | Astrid Barclay | Thirdborn son of Wilheim II Barclay and Josefina. Knight of the Order of the Crow. |
