SPENS, JACOB [SSNE 11]
- Surname
- SPENS, SPENCE
- First name
- JACOB, JAMES
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- WORMISTON, FIFE
- Social status
- NOBILITY
- Religion
- CALVANIST
Text source
James Spens jnr. was the first son of James Spens [SSNE 1642] and his wife Agnes Durie [SSNE 6249]. It is not known when or where he was born (most likely in Scotland), but he certainly served in the Swedish army. He had two brothers, David and William [SSNE 3553], and three sisters, Cecilia [SSNE 6129], Isabella [SSNE 6263] and one other. He also had two half brothers, Axel [SSNE 1643] and Jacob [SSNE 3549]. He was listed as a sergeant in Colonel Spens' regiment in 1624. He was also authorised throughout 1623-1624 by the Scottish Privy Council to recruit and arm a 1,200 strong force of Scottish soldiers for Sweden and remained in England or Scotland for some time. It was apparently for this regiment that Chancellor Oxenstierna supplied wool shirts, socks, shoes and cloth to make coats out of in late 1625. He became an ensign with James Ramsay's [SSNE 3315]recruited regiment in 1628 and a lieutenant in 1629. There is a pass dated June 1628 for a lieutenant James Spens to travel to Britain to recruit more soldiers. He transferred to his father's regiment in 1629 and later also served in George Crawford's [SSNE 2086] recruited infantry regiment at a time when Spens snr was on embassy in London and his son remained with the Spens Regiment. He died sometime in 1631
Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1628/6-11,14,15;1629/5-10,12,16,18-20; 1630/24,26,28-32; Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, vol. XII, 1622-1625, p.478, 30 March 1624; T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907), p.218; G. Elgenstierna, Svenska Adelns Ättartavlor, vol. 7, p.429; Swedish Riksarkiv, Riksarkivets Ämbetsarkiv, Huvudarkivet FV a:31-32 Ang. Skottar i svensk tjänst, notes compiled by Hammerskjöld, marked from Svenska Registraturet; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, first series, III, pp.272, 310.
Service record
- SWEDEN,
- Arrived 1623-01-01, as SERGEANT
- Departed 1631-12-31, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY