- This article is about the 18th century Hetman. See also Jan Klemens Branicki, starosta chęciński, who died in 1657 and Jan Klemens Branicki, marszałek trybunału koronnego, who died in 1673
Jan Klemens Branicki | ||
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Noble Family | Branicki | |
Coat of Arms | Gryf | |
Parents | Stefan Mikołaj Branicki Katarzyna Scholastyka Sapieha | |
Consorts | Katarzyna Barbara Radziwiłł Barbara Szembek Izabella Poniatowska | |
Children | with Katarzyna Barbara Radziwiłł Krystyna Branicka | |
Date of Birth | September 21, 1689 | |
Place of Birth | Tykocin or Bialystok, Poland | |
Date of Death | October 9, 1771 | |
Place of Death | Białystok, Poland |
Jan Klemens Branicki (1689-1771) was a Polish noble (szlachcic), magnate, Field Crown Hetman of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth since 1735-1752, Great Crown Hetman since 1752-1771.
Son of voivode of Podlasie Voivodship Stefan Mikołaj Branicki and Katarzyna Scholastyka Sapieha, the daughter of Hetman Kazimierz Jan Sapieha. Jan had three wives. The first one was the daughter of Court and Grand Marshal Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł, Princess Katarzyna Barbara Radziwiłł, that he married on October 1, 1720 in Biała.
His second wife was Barbara Szembek since 1732, the marriage ended in a divorce. His last wife was the daughter of the magnate Stanisław Poniatowski, Izabella Poniatowska, that he married in 1748.
He was Podczaszy of Lithuania since 1723, Great Chorąży of the Crown since 1724, commander of an infantry regiment in 1726, Artillery General of the Crown since 1728, voivode of Kraków Voivodship since 1746 and castellan of Kraków since 1762. Starost of Brańsk, Bielsko-Biała, Mościsk, Janów Lubelski, Bohusław, Złotoria, Krośno and Jezierzysk.
Branicki was one of the most powerful and influential magnates in Poland of the 18th century. He was leader of the magnates party. Connected with the Radziwiłł and Potocki families and an opponent of the "Familia".
He sympatized with confederates of the Radom Confederation and the Confederation of Bar. Branicki was owner of Bialystok. At that time Białystok began to develop. In 1745 he established a military and engineer school and a theatre.
In 1763-1764 he started in the election of the King of Poland, but was beaten by his brother-in-law Stanisław Poniatowski.
Awards
- Knight of the Order of the White Eagle, awarded in 1726.