Welcome to the Metternich Page
Metternich.....sometimes von Metternich.....it all means the same thing.
Metternich is a noble name all through out European history. The Princes von Metternich gave their
name to both a region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the people who lived there. Today there are
more than a thousand Metternichs living in Germany and Austria, and over a hundred living here in
the United States. There is even a vineyard in Johannisberg,
Germany which makes the
Fürst von Metternich wine.
For information on the wine please
email me
for the website (which is
all in German) or for Hank Metternich's
email address (he knows how to
order it).
The most famous of the Princes von Metternich is Prince Klemens Wenzel Lothar Graf von
Metternich, born in Coblenz, May 15, 1773. An actual political leader of Austria, he dominated
central Europe from 1815 to 1848.
He was called the "coachman of Europe" by those who respected his far-flung power. He was the son of
Count Georg, Austrian envoy of the Court of Vienna at Coblenz, and Maria Beatrix, the Countess von
Kageneck. He died in Vienna June 11, 1859.
There are many ways to spell Metternich.....Metternick, Metternik, Metternic....which makes
the search for our ancestors all the more difficult. Many Metternichs seem to have settle in the
Midwest, particulary in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. The majority of the Metternichs descend
from Casper Metternich. Unfortunately to this day I have been unable to link Casper with Andreas
Metternich, our patriarch.
We are not only Metternichs, however. In fact we are more Anglo-Saxon than we would have
imagined. Henry Coleman Metternich, my grandfather, was 1/2 German (Metternich), 1/4 Irish (
O'Malia) and 1/4 English (Jillson). But that was just the surface. The Gilson/Jillson line was a mix of the
finest founding fathers of New England. While researching the Jillson line I came across names
such as Whitman, Carpenter, Ballou, and Arnold. In fact, Major General Benedict Arnold is my
3rd cousin 9 times removed. The Ballou line begins with Maturin Ballou, an exiled french
Huguenot who came to America from Devonshire, England. He helped Roger Williams found
the colony of Rhode Island in 1636.
The Metternich Page highlights a few of our most beloved ancestors. I uploaded photographs
and documents wherever possible. If you have anything to share please do not hesitate to
email me. Click on the links below to
further explore each link of the Metternich Tree. Enjoy!
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