Stephen III Báthory

Stephen III Báthory (Báthory István) (died 11 November 1444, Varna) was a Hungarian nobleman and commander. His most prestigious position was Palatine of Hungary.

Stephen belonged to the Ecsed branch of the Báthory family. His parents were John V Báthory and Catherine, daughter of John Zanti. His older brother Bartholomew I Báthory fell in 1432 fighting against the Hussites. Stephen first appears in 1419 as dapiferorum regalium magister (master of the royal stewards), and later as a judge royal.

In 1435 he was appointed Palatine of Hungary by King Sigismund. Sigismund's short-lived successor, King Albert of Habsburg awarded him with the castle Bujak.

In 1444 he was the flag-bearer of Władysław, King of Poland and Hungary, in the Battle of Varna, in which he fell alongside his King.

Stephen was married twice:
 * 1) Ursula, daughter of George de Kis Tapolcsa
 * 2) Barbara, widowed Csapy

After his death, his second wife Barbara went to court against Christine, the widow of Stephen's younger brother Thomas, with which she disputed a mill's revenue.

Stephen fathered nine children:
 * Catherine, who married George of Marczal
 * Ladislaus (d. 1474), supreme count of the counties Szatmár and Szarand
 * Andrew III Báthory (d. 1495), who was confirmed in his possession of Bujak. He is the only one among Stephen's son to produce male issue.
 * Stephen V Báthory (d. 1493), served first as royal judge, excelled as a military commander and was made Voivod of Transylvania, the first of a long line of Báthory rulers of that country.
 * Peter Báthory
 * Thomas II Báthory, whose daughter married into the Zanoler family
 * Paul I Báthory, surnamed the Mute
 * Nicolaus III Báthory (d. 1506) was bishop first of Syrmia and after 1474 of Vác, renaissance scholar and advisor to King Matthias Corvinus
 * Margaretha, who married first Nucgaek Szilággi, and then Paul Banfi.