Historically, the family was established even before the Principality of Moldova was founded in 1350. They owned the forest on the left bank of the
Sereth river, Panka region, Mihodra river valley and founded Lucavăţ, which was all owned by Luca, member of the family. The family is said to be, along with the House of Dragoș, the oldest in this region. Luca's sons Stan and Șerbco were knights at the court of Prince Alexander I of Moldavia. He officially confirmed their family possessions of Lucavăţ, Panka with Mihodra with hereditary rights for their descendants by the document of February 16, 1428.
The church of Lucavăţ became first seat of Bishopric of Rădăuți, with its pastor, by proclamation of Prince Stephen the Great of Moldavia became its first Bishop on March 15, 1490. Prince Alexandru Lăpușneanu of Moldavia, grandson of Prince Alexander "the Good", not only confirmed the legality of the certificate issued by his grandfather on May 7, 1565, but also subsequently transferred to the family the co-ownership of a large number of villages in northern Moldova which expanded the land they owned. Later, during 17th century, brothers Vasile, Nicolae and Constantin Căzăcescul were again officially confirmed ownership of all their expanded possessions by Prince Illias III of Moldavia on March 12, 1667.[3]
Counts Wassilko von Serecki
Coat of arms of Counts Wassilko von Serecki
Vasile (Basilius) (1631–1701), the eldest of the above mentioned brothers, married in 1654 Candachia Cocoranul (1635–1688), the daughter of the Boyar Isac Cocoranul. He was, as historian Teodor Bălan wrote, the ancestor of the Counts Wassilko von Serecki, who were later one of the largest landowners in Austro-Hungarian Empire and the only family of ethnic Romanian origin to acquire the title of Count throughout the Empire.[4]
Keshko family name
It was first mentioned as such in the 17th century.[1] Constantin the Căzăcescul, younger brother of the above mentioned Vasile (Basilius) (1631–1701) and Nicolae, got confirmed in 1667 his noble status and his possessions in the Principality of Moldova by ruling Prince Illias III. His descendants kept using his nickname as their family name, making him an ancestor of the Keshko (Keșco/Keșcu/Cheșco/Cheșcu) family, which in turn made them collateral branch of Counts Wassilko von Serecki.
Constantin Căzăcescul, whose descendants adopted and used Keșco version of his nickname as their official surname, married Irina Ţica, daughter of Eni Ţica, Great Pitar of Moldavia
Gheorghe Keșco, married Ilinca Stârcea, daughter of Ioan Stârcea
Peter Keșco (died in 1790), married firstly Balasa Vârnav; married secondly Ecaterina Kogălniceanu
Maria Keșco, married Şeptilici
daughter, married Gheorghe, a Captain in Moldavian army
Ioniță Keșco (died in 1817), married firstly NN, daughter of Ilie Criste and Nastasia Keşco; married secondly Tsaritsa Costache (Costaki) (born in 1771), daughter of Manolache Costaki, Great Logothete and Anastasia Hurmuzaki
Another portrait of Queen Natalie by painter Vlaho Bukovac
Bust of Queen Natalie by Hungarian sculptor and artist Alajos Stróbl
Queen Natalie during her exile in Paris with her lady in waiting
Diplomatic passport of Queen Natalie issued on 9 July 1937, at the Royal Yugoslav Consulate in Paris, in the name of Nathalie, Countess of Rudnik stating that she was born in 1859 in Florence, as Nathalie Keshko. The document was signed by King Peter II of Yugoslavia
Ioan Keshko (1860-1877), brother of Queen Natalie,photo taken in 1873
Ioana Ecaterina Keshko (1864-1954), later Princess Ghica, sister of Queen Natalie, photo taken in 1905
Marieta Keshko (1861-1935), later Princess Ghica, sister of Queen Natalie, photo taken in 1905