Anna van Wassenaer, Lady of Echteld (1788-1854
After the death of her father in 1799 the young Anne van Wassenaer inherited Wijenburg Castle and all the family possessions in Echteld. In one stroke she became one of the most eligible bachelors on the marriage market. Baront Walraven Elias Johan van Balveren (born in 1785) was one of many young men who tried to win her hand in marriage. This cavalry officer who rose to the rank of general-major in de French army, volunteered to take part in Napoleon’s horrible campaign to Russia. In the spring of 1814, a few months after our masked ball, he left his regiment without permission, whereupon he decided to fight on the side of the Dutch in the battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1817 he became the next Lord of Wijenburg Castle when he finally married the 29 year old Anna.
Futher reading: