The Farkas de Boldogfa family (; ) were a Hungarian noble family. Their members were landowners that occupied diverse roles in the political, administrative, and jurisdictional life in the county of Zala, located in the former Kingdom of Hungary, throughout the last 400 years. Amongst other roles, they held offices as vice-ispáns () of the county of Zala, acted as prothonotary of the county of Zala, were members of the Hungarian Parliament, chief magistrates of the county's districts (), and served as Hussars.
The family's origins Their early ancestors were Roman Catholic border guards that lived in the towns of Unterwart () and Oberwart () in the Vas county of Hungary, in the small region known as Upper Őrség; they received nobility privileges during the reign of the King Béla IV of Hungary in the 13th century, after the Mongol invasion of 1241. These privileges were confirmed by the Kings Stephen V of Hungary and Ladislaus IV of Hungary. On July 1 1327, King Charles I of Hungary granted nobility to the Farkas family, and to all the border guards that lived in these two towns. The noble family possessed small lands through the end of the Medieval period and lost a considerable amount of wealth during the Turkish invasions in the 16th century.A 57 – Magyar Kancelláriai Levéltár – Libri regii – 6. kötet – 272a. oldal On February 18 1582, Rudolf II, Holy Romar, King of Hungary, gave them the states of Unterwart and Oberwart. This donation was confirmed by Matthias, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, on 16 February 1611.
Their descendant, the nobleman János Farkas de Alsóeőr, who lived at the start of the 17th century, was a landowner in Kančevci (), located in Vas county. János Farkas de Alsóeőr had two sons: Lukács Farkas de Alsóeőr and Péter Farkas de Alsóeőr (fl. 1656). Péter Farkas rented a small estate in Pórszombat, located in the County of Zala. Péter's son, Mihály Farkas de Alsóeőr (fl. 1656–1664), who fought against the Turkish invaders, bought the states in Zalaboldogfa (Boldogfa), in Zala county during the second half of the 17th century. Mihály Farkas married a local noblewoman, Éva Péter de Ságod, who gave birth to three sons: János Farkas de Boldogfa, Péter Farkas de Boldogfa and István Farkas de Boldogfa. This branch of this Farkas family later used the nobiliary particle of "de Boldogfa", as they received a royal donation of the state of Boldogfa from Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, on 22 March 1716.A 57 – Magyar Kancelláriai Levéltár – Libri regii – 31. kötet – 147 – 155. oldal The descendants of Lukács Farkas used the nobiliary particle "de Alsóeőr", in honor of original state the family originally hailed from. On April 2 1690, the noble Farkas family that lived in Kančevci received the donation of a coat of arms from the King Leopold I of Hungary; this coat of arms was used by both the Farkas de Boldogfa and the Farkas de Alsóőeőr.ZML. XIII. 10. Farkas család iratai. 7. doboz. 271., 272. pallium.Boldogfai Farkas Ákos András. A boldogfai Farkas család. (In: Szerk: Gudenus János József. Nobilitas 2017. XIII. Évfolyam. Budapest. 56. o.)
Farkas de Boldogfa
The youngest son of Mihály Farkas and Éva Péter de Ságod was János Farkas de Boldogfa (d.1724), who became a jurist and had lands in Andráshida, Boldogfa and Alibánfa. He occupied the office of chief magistrate of the district of Zalaegerszeg between 1712 and 1721, and he was the first one who used the nobiliary particle "de Boldogfa".Archives of the Hungarian Chancellary – A 57 – Magyar Kancelláriai Levéltár – Libri regii – 31. kötet – 147 – 155. oldal János Farkas de Boldogfa married Dorottya Sidy de Sid (1693–1775), the daughter of Mihály Sidy de Sid (fl. 1672–1711), landowner and vice-captain of the castle of Egervár, and the noblewoman Maria Terjék de Szenterzsébet (fl. 1688–1692). The only son of János Farkas and Dorottya Sidy was Ferenc Farkas de Boldogfa (1713–1770), also a renowned jurist in Zala county. Aside from the states he received from his father's patrimony, he also inherited states in Teskánd and Salomvár from his mother's side. Ferenc Farkas held the office of vice-ispán () of the county of Zala between 1761 and 1769, and was one of the wealthiest landlords in the Zala county during Empress Maria Theresa's era, having in total 70 families of serfs throughout his lands.Fónagy Zoltán. (2013). A Nemesi Birtokviszonyok az Úrbérendezés Korában. Adattár II. MTA. Budapest. (927–928. o.)Zala megye helytörténeti lexikona. Kéziratos regesztagyűjtemény. (Zalaszentmárton-Zovajka). Zél (Ma: Zalaszentgyörgy része) 26.522. 23 His fortune increased considerably with his marriage to lady Anna Mária Rosty de Barkócz (1722–1784), who was the daughter of László Rosty de Barkócz, chief magistrate () of Vas county and Mária Csapody de Zalalövő. Her maternal grandparents were István Csapody de Zalalövő (fl. 1663–1702), landowner and captain of the fortress of Zalalövő, and Zsófia Perneszy de Osztopán (fl. 1651–1702), member of the ancient Hungarian noble family Perneszy de Osztopán. The illustrious noble family Rosty de Barkócz was well known, wealthy and took part in the politics and arts in the last centuries. Ferenc Farkas de Boldogfa inherited several states in Zala through his wife which originally belonged during the Medieval Times to the ancient and prestigious families Pogány de Cséb, Perneszy de Osztopán, Batthyány, and Both de Bajna, all ancestors of the noble lady Anna Rosty de Barkócz. After the War of the Austrian Succession began, in 1741 the Hungarian nobility assisted in fight Maria Theresa of Austria: Ferenc Farkas helped in the coordination of the Hungarian noblemen's organization within the county of Zala for this occasion. Ferenc Farkas de Boldogfa refurbished and expanded the Roman Catholic church of Zalaboldogfa also donating constantly to the local parish; he also built the Roman Catholic family burial chapel in his state of on Zélpuszta, also located in the county of Zala. Ferenc Farkas de Boldogfa's brother in law was Ferenc Rosty de Barkócz (1718–1790), royal counselor of Queen Maria Theresa, vice-ispán of the Vas county, and a wealthy landowner (Ferenc Rosty was the great-grandfather of Pál Rosty de Barkócz and also of Ágnes Rosty de Barkócz, who was the mother of the baron Loránd Eötvös).
Among the children of Ferenc Farkas de Boldogfa and Anna Rosty, two became priests: Ferenc Farkas de Boldogfa (1742–1807), a Jesuit priest, who was the master canon of the Diocese of Veszprém, and József Farkas de Boldogfa (1752–1809) Piarist priest, rector of the Piarist convent of Kolozsvár. Another of their children was János Farkas de Boldogfa (1741–1788), jurist, lawyer, landowner, Prothonotary of the county of Zala between 1773 and 1786. During the reign of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, also King of Hungary, he started several legal modifications in the structure of the counties in Hungary. He separated the administrative and judicial office of (chief deputy of the county), and created a new post that will administrate the judicial matters in the whole county. The new office was called "President of the Judiciary See of Zala county" () and when it was created in 1787 János Farkas de Boldogfa was appointed to it. He held it only until 1788 when he died. János Farkas de Boldogfa is the common ancestor of the family's two branches that exist until the present time. János Farkas' wife was the noble lady Judith Sümeghy de Lovász et Szentmargit (1754–1820), daughter of Ferenc Sümeghy and Marianna Póka de Pókafalva (1728–1797), a wealthy landowrd in Zala county, who was descendant on mother side of a branch of the Nádasdy family, Csányi family, Tarródy family, Meszlény family, and several other illustrious Hungarian noble families. The brother in law of János Farkas de Boldogfa was József Sümeghy de Lovász et Szentmargita (1757–1832), royal counselor of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor; József Sümeghy was vice-ispán of the county of Zala between 1797 and 1815, and also a wealthy landowner.
János' branch
The other son of János Farkas de Boldogfa and Judit Sümeghy de Lovász et Szentmargita was János Nepomuk Farkas de Boldogfa (1774–1847), jurist, landowner and vice-ispán of the county of Zala, who married the Hungarian noble lady Angéla Cecilia Skublics Besenyő et Velike (1775–1839). Their oldest son was Imre Farkas de Boldogfa (1811–1876), jurist, landowner and chief magistrate of the district of Zalaegerszeg. He married very late to Alojzia Horváth with which he had three children. One of the sons of Imre Farkas de Boldogfa and Alojzia Horváth was József Farkas de Boldogfa (1857–1951), jurist, landowner and politician. József Farkas de Boldogfa was elected as representative in the Hungarian Parliament for 4 terms: 1896–1901, 1901–1905, 1905–1906, and 1906–1910. József Farkas de Boldogfa was very active in the Hungarian politics since the 1890s, working along with count Aladár Zichy, and count Nándor Zichy within the newly created Hungarian (Catholic People's Party). He served as his only representative in Zala county and he was one of his greatest supporters.
József Farkas de Boldogfa married the noble lady Rozália Sümeghy de Lovász et Szentmargitha (1857–1924), who gave birth to three sons. One of them was Tibor Farkas de Boldogfa (1883–1940), who finished his general studies of school and high-school with particular teachers and in the Theresianum in Vienna. Later Tibor studied law in Wien and in Budapest, where he obtained his PhD degree and passed his lawyer exam in 1910. Then he traveled to England and studied law at Cambridge University for 3 years. He also taught law in the London School of Economics. During World War I, Tibor Farkas fought in the front as a Hussar Captain. After the end of the war, he became one of the most energetic defenders of the Monarchy and of the House of Habsburg in Zala county and Hungary itself. Tibor had a close friendship with the Marquis György Pallavicini, the Count Antal Sigray and Count János Zichy, who were the most relevant legitimist politicians between the two World Wars in Hungary.Képviselőházi napló, 1931. XIII. kötet • 1933. január 20. – 1931. március 02.Ülésnapok1931-151 He was elected two times as a representative in the Hungarian Parliament: 1922–1926, and 1931–1935. He strongly criticized the government of prime minister count István Bethlen and the high cult of regent Miklós Horthy, considering that these demonstrations of honor and respect actually belonged to the Hungarian King, who was not sitting in the throne for that time. Tibor Farkas also was against all Nazi politics; his only goal was to reestablish continuity and see the Habsburgs in the Hungarian throne, and ensure the healthy development and growing of Hungarian agriculturists' way of life.Zalamegyei Ujság, 1940. január-március (23. évfolyam, 1–72. szám)1940-03-26 / 68. szám The youngest son of József Farkas and Rozália Sümeghy was Dénes Farkas de Boldogfa (1884–1973), landowner, politician, member of the Hungarian Parliament, who took part of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Ferenc's branch