Merveldt family

[1] The reliable line of descent began with 1227, the date mentioned in documents with “ministerialis beati Pauli” [Latin, “Ministrialis of St. Paul’s”], the office of Hermannus de Mervelde, Ministerial of the Prince-Bishops of Munster.

Dietrich von Merveldt (died 1564), Drost of Wolbeck, undertook in 1532 an unsuccessful attempt to restore the order of a levy on the farmers in the city.

Beginning with his son Dietrich Hermann II von Merveldt (1624–1688), all the hereditary heads of the family were (Obrist-)Hofmarschälle [(Colonel-) Court Marshals], members of the (Secret) Councils and Drosten of Wolbeck, all for the Prince-Bishops of Münster.

Maximilian Friedrich von Merveldt (1764–1815), Austrian Feldmarschall-Leutnant [Lieutenant Field Marshal] and regimental commander, participated in the 1813 Battle of Leipzig and later became an ambassador in London.

Dietrich Hermann von Merveldt (1624–1688), Privy Chamberlain of the Prince-Bishop of Münster and the Drost of Wolbeck, was raised on 17 February 1668 by Emperor Leopold I to the rank of Reichsfreiherr [Imperial Baron].

Goswin Hermann Otto von Merveldt [de] (1661–1727) was, between 1721 and 1727, the Grand Prior of the Order of St. John “in the German lands” and, in this position, also the Reichsfürst [Imperial Prince] of Heitersheim.

On 20 December 1726 was Dietrich Burchard Reichsfreiherr von Merveldt, Councilor and Lord Chamberlain for the Elector of Cologne and the Prince-Bishop of Münster, and all his descendants were raised by Emperor Charles VI to the rank of Reichsgraf [Imperial Count] with the title of Hoch- und Wohlgeboren [“High and Well-Born”] and an upgrade for his coat-of-arms.