House of Kęsgaila
Lithuanian noble family / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kęsgaila family (pl. Kęsgailos) was a Lithuanian noble family, one of the largest landowners in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[1] The family descended from the land of Deltuva [lt] and its roots trace to the 14th century (a semi-legendary Buseika (Lithuanian sources: Buška, Polish sources: Buszka) is considered the ancestor of the family).[1] Their seat was in the Samogitia and Trakai regions.[1] Kęsgailos family members had been the Elders of Samogitia from 1412 until 1532.[1]
According to the 1528 census of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the family had to provide the most troops in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[2] The family died out in the 16th century, the last member of the family was Stanislovas, a close friend of Grand Duke Sigismund II Augustus and supporter of his marriage with Barbara Radziwiłł.[1]