Scottish mercenaries circa. late 17th century

[SPW]

Hello,

I am just wondering if anybody could direct me towards any research materials, containing information about Scottish mercenaries that went over to Sweden, during the late 17th century.

This is part of an undergraduate project about the fall of the Swedish empire, and I am examining the changes made within the army.

Any guidance will be appreciated, thanks.

[Montrose Budie]

Interesting, there's not many people, especially Swedes, who realise that there was a Swedish empire, and it's completely non-PC to raise the subject in Sweden today !

At its peak, during the reign of Gustav den Andra Adolf, 1594 – 1632 (aka Gustavus Adolphus) as you probably already know, the Swedish army, in its Gröna Brigad and other elements, had around 50,000 Scots, but I'm unsure what the position was in the late 1600s, - I never got that far.

Some years ago, 10 or more, I was put in touch with a Swedish academic researcher who was writing a book on mercenaries in Sweden, 15 or 16 chapters from memory, one of which would deal with Scots. He wasn't prepared to share any info with me until the book was published. I've no idea if the book was eventually published, as thereafter, neither I or my Swedish mate got any further reply from him when seeking an update so that, to some extent, I lost interest in the subject of Scots in Swedish service.

BTW the Scots in Swedish service were regarded as a category higher than pure mercenaries, being known as hjälpsoldater.

I haven't followed up that lead for many years now, and have no idea if publication ever happened, or if the language was English or Swedish. A Google might get his name, - I seem to recall he lived in Göteborg or Helsingborg. or was it Malmö?, ........ i alla fall någonstans på Västkusten.

It is certain that there is substantial info in Riksarkivet in Stockholm and other Stockholm archives, such as Kungliga Biblioteket, Kungliga Armémuseum, maybe even Kungahuset's Arkiv. By all means contact them, but I can tell you that their reply will be that they don't think or don't know if they have any info, but you are very welcome to visit !

The only way to get round that is to visit Stockholm, but you'll need to be fluent in Swedish not just in present day terms, but in the classical Swedish of the 17th century, - the grammar and spelling is a wee bit different !

There's a fair amount of detail on Scottish individuals in Swedish service, but mainly high level, i.e. some of the 3 field marshals and 110 colonels and other prominent officers.

Then there's the group that was at Aberdeen U that moved to St Andrew's U a few years ago that specialised in building a database on Scots in N Europe; never mind the recently set up institute at Edinburgh University that will focus on Scottish emigration to Europe.

Although it's never been proven I believe that a fair proportion of the Scots in Swedish military service were not native born Scots but were second or later generation Scots from The Scotch Brigade in Dutch service. This came into being in the late 1500s and many Scots who served in the 3 battalions married locally and remained in The Netherlands. There's a lot of material on The Scotch Brigade, but, guess what?, it's in Dutch!, but a Swedish speaker can read a fair amount of Dutch !

Om du vill, är du mycket välkom till skicka mig en 'PM', och så kan vi fortsätta genom email.

Orraverybest, eller, som man skriver i Sverige, med vänligt hälsning !!

mb

[Currie]

Hello SPW,

Try a search in Google Books http://www.google.com.au/books?hl=en for "scottish mercenaries""sweden" or for "scottish""sweden""soldiers" and you’ll see a number of books there that may give you an idea of what’s available and some with limited previews etc that may give some useful information in particular in the footnotes as to sources.

Possibly some of those books have been digitised by the Internet archive. Try a google search for exactly this "scottish mercenaries""sweden" site:http://www.archive.org and variations and there’s about a dozen results that may or may not be relevant. Here’s one: “The Scots in Sweden” – Fischer 1907 http://www.archive.org/details/scotsins ... 00fiscuoft

Another digitised book “Scots in Sweden” – Berg 1962
http://www.electricscotland.com/history ... /index.htm

Also see the footnotes etc of “Scottish Mercenaries in Europe 1570-1640”
http://www.criticalimprov.com/index.php ... e/635/1056

Hope that’s useful,
Alan

[theKiwi]

Here's a link I was alerted to in regard to this recently also

http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/ssne/

I maintain the Clan Moffat Society genealogy database and have had some correspondence with a researcher who is descended from a Robert Moffat who was a soldier in Sweden in the mid 1600s.

Roger

[paddyscar]

National Library of Scotland http://www.nls.uk/

Scots mercenary forces in Ireland (1565-1603), an account of their service during that period, of the reaction, of their activities on Scottish affairs, and of the effect of their presence in Ireland, together with an examination of the gallóglaigh or galloglas, by Gerard A. Hayes-McCoy. With in introduction by Professor Eoin MacNeill.
Authors: Hayes-McCoy, Gerard Anthony.
Note: Bibliography: p. 361-371.
Year: 1937
Subject: Scotch in Ireland.
Galloglasses.
Ireland -- History -- To 1603.
Great Britain -- Foreign relations -- Ireland.
Ireland -- Foreign relations -- Great Britain.
England -- Foreign relations -- Scotland.
Scotland -- Foreign relations -- England.
Publisher: Dublin,London, Burns, Oates & Washbourne, ltd.,
Size: xxi, 391 p. front. (port.) II maps, III fold. geneal. tab. 22 cm.


Club: Spottiswoode Society
Published: Edinburgh, 1845
Series/Item: 39.4
List of the Scotish officers under Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden. [From a pamphlet of 1714.]

Also many other references in rare books collection at NLS


British National Library

FMT BK
Author: Grant, James, of the 62nd Regiment, |d 1822-87.
Title: The Scottish soldiers of fortune : their adventures and achievements in the armies of Europe / |c James Grant of the 62nd Regiment.
260 |a [S.l.] : |b [s.n.], |c 1889.
300 |b illus.
85241 |a British Library |b DSC |j W16/5217
SYS 010858412

FMT BK
Author: Miller, James,
Title: Swords for hire : the Scottish mercenary / |c James Miller.
260 |a Edinburgh : |b Birlinn, |c 2007.
300 |a xvi, [10], 292 p., [16] plates : |b ill., maps, ports. ; |c 24 cm.
504 |a Includes bibliographical references (p. [283]-286) and index.
650 0 |a Soldiers of fortune |z Scotland |x History |y 17th century.
650 0 |a Mercenary troops |z Europe |x History |y 17th century.
650 0 |a Scots |z Europe |x History |y 17th century.
650 0 |a Scots |z Foreign countries |x History |y 17th century.

FMT BK
Author: Angell, H.
Title: Skotteferdi : |b eit 300 aars minne 1612-1912 / |c H. Angell.
260 |a [Lillehammer] : |b Dølaringen boklag, |c 1980.
500 |a Facsimile reprint of ed. originally published: Kristiania : Aschehoug, 1912.
653 |a Swedish military forces |a Scottish mercenaries |a to date

Also search for materials on Battle of Kringen - massacre of Scottish mercenaries in Norway, as they travelled to Sweden and also the Battle of Kircholm in the Polish-Swedish War 1600-1611

http://www.scotwars.com/html/narra_army_of_gustavus.htm

www.historylearningsite.co.uk/gustavus_adolphus.htm

Searching on Yahoo UK using Scottish soldiers of fortune / Scottish mercenaries / Gustavus Adolphus will provide several other links

Likely to be information in Scottish military history books or sites.

Paddyscar

[Ted]

Hi Everyone

Whilst not directly relative to the dates etc on this thread - my GGG Grandfather John Gordon was a lad from Turriff who joined the Royal Horse Artillery in 1808. Whilst researching him I discovered that he and some of his unit were seconded as mercenaries to the Crown Prince of Sweden and fought for the Swedish Army against Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813 - he was part of an elite Rocket Troop. He got a campaign medal for his involvement with that battle.

He was also at the Battle of Corunna in Spain in 1809 where the British were soundy cuffed by the French. He also fought at Waterloo in Captain Winyates famous Rocket Troop which routed a French attack during the battle, hailed as the first successful use of rocket artillery by the British Army in a major battle. He as wounded at Waterloo and later discharged in 1818. I got his service record from Kew.

I am sure it was all very different from his life in Turriff when he was a boy.

Ted

[SPW]

Well first of all I'd like to say thanks, this sure is an active forum. This is my first visit.

Unfortunately, my knowledge of the Swedish language is limited, '*curses British state education.* Depending on how much I get into this research however, I may begin to learn it. I thought I would get around the language barrier by maybe looking at some British archives, otherwise I pretty much have to rely on a historian called Michael Roberts. Pretty much the doyen of Swedish history written in English, but he has done some useful translations and works of synthesis.

I will work through the resources everybody has given me, anymore would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Montrose Budie]

Thanks to theKiwi for the link to the group at St Andrew's Yoonie led by Dr Steve Murdoch at http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history/ssne/ .

This gives access to a database of several thousand Scots known to have been active, in military and commercial terms in Northern Europe.

Steve's group was previously based at Aberdeen Yoonie.

Steve and his co-researchers have contributed to, and edited many quite fascinating books on this theme, mainly involving commercial links, published by the Dutch company Brill Academic Publishers.

The book by Jonas Berg and Bo Lagercrantz 'Scots in Sweden' is a fascinating but very general book relating to the history of Scots in Sweden.

If only I'd had all these other various resources in 1987 !

mb