Sophia von Mengden (c. 1760 — 1848) was a major

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

landowner. Born Sophie Elisabeth von Plettenberg, she was the daughter of George Friedrich von Plettenberg and Elisabeth Benigna von Hohen-Astenberg. In 1779 she married Gotthard Johann von (1752 — 1786). After the death of her spouse, she became a major landholder with residence in

Mitau Jelgava () is a state city in central Latvia. It is located about southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the Semigallia region of Latvia. Jelgava was the capital of the united Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1578–1795) and was the ad ...

. She is regarded to have been one of the more significant landowners in Latvia of her time. She moved to London in 1813. Even before

abolition of serfdom in Livonia Livonian Peasants' Laws were laws introduced in the 19th century for Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire. About the same time similar laws has been enacted in all Baltic governorates and Duchy of Courland and Semigallia. These laws chang ...

in 1816, in her capacity as the owner of Linde Manor Sophia von Mengden published three law books for her people, namely, "Duties, Works and Hearings of Linde and Birzgale Parishes" (1796), "Soldiers 'or Recruits' Messli" (1805) and "Linde and Birzgale Farmer's or Parish Court" (1805). Arveds Švābe. Rights of Kurzeme Manor (1931)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mengden, Sophia von 1760 births 1848 deaths 18th-century Latvian people 18th-century Latvian women Baltic-German people from the Russian Empire Latvian nobility Sophia von Mengden 18th-century landowners 18th-century women landowners

See also

References