Biography

Jan Nicolaas Floris. (1709-1782) (aka. Count Nassau - graaf van Nassau-La Lecq)

Son of Maurits Lodewijk II van Nassau-LaLecq (1670-1740) and Elisabeth Wilhelmina van Nassau-Odijk (1671-1729). Married firstly (1736) Cornelia d'Hangest d'Yvoy (1714-1744) and secondly (1749) to Maria Anna Testas (1715-1795). Floris had at least 5 children. Army Lieutenant in 1732, chief of the Garnison of Doornik (1738). He left the army in 1740. Sometime Grand Bailiff of Utrecht (1755-1779?).

His name is occasionally given as Johann Nikolaus Floris.

Life with James Boswell:

When he arrived in Holland, Boswell had an introduction to Count Nassau from David Dalrymple, who had studied in Utrecht some years earlier. In a letter to Temple (dated September 23, 1763) Boswell writes that "Count Nassau is very polite, and tells me that by and by we shall have fine parties". Although Boswell became more intimate with other branches of the Nassau family, he did see the Grand Bailiff occasionally, i.e. on February 12, 1764, he "waited on Grand Bailiff after prayers and talked long with him and well".

This article was last updated at January 28 2008 13:15:47 CET

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