WILSON, JAMES [SSNE 116]

Surname

WILSON, WILLSON, WOLSE, WILLSEN, WULLSON, WOLDTZEN, WULLFFSEN

First name

JAMES, JACOB

Title/rank

COLONEL

Nationality

SCOT

Social status

OFFICER

Text source

James Wilson joined Danish service in 1627 as a captain of a company in Mackay's regiment. Apparently promoted quickly, Major  Wilson became the commandant of the castle of Pinneberg in Holstein with only two companies of men in 1627 (though Robert Monro in his memoirs explicity states it was Loven/Lauen). He withdrew after making terms with the Count of Tilly whose army outgunned him and outnumbered him about 20:1. He later left Denmark in disgrace, not for giving up the castle, but for handing over the regimental colours for which he had not made any provision in the treaty. This officer has been connected with James Wilson who was appointed Colonel of his own regiment of 1200 infantry in Norway on 26/3/1644 with instructions to muster at Copenhagen within three weeks. He was also in charge of conscripted men from the Båhus region in Norway, and was sent to Danzig for additional recruitment in October 1644. He was paid from 26 March until 20 August. A final pay off was made with two Scottish colonels 'Jacob Wolse' (Wilson) and Andrew Spang [SSNE 3546] on 9 June 1651. 

 

Sources:

National Archives of Scotland, GD 84/165, 9/7/1627; Norwegian Riksarkiv, Danske Kanselli, Skaapsaker II 112201, Skaap 9 - pakke 62A, 4A08326, 9 June 1651, 'Afregning med de 2de skodske oberster Jacob Wolse og Spang'; R. Monro, His Expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mackeyes (London, 1937), I, p.12O; O. Ovenstad, Miltærbiografier: Den Norske Hærs Officerer (Oslo, 1949), vol.2, p.571; T. Riis, Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (Odense, 1988), II, p.132.

Dr Bernd Warlich provided the following references which suggest it was Pinneberg rather than Loven where Wilson fought Tilly in 1627.

KAISER, Michael: Politik und Kriegsführung. Maximilian von Bayern, Tilly und die katholische Liga im Dreißigjährigen Krieg. Schriften der Vereinigung für Neuere Geschichte 28, (Münster 1999), p. 30; KLOPP, Onno: Tilly im dreißigjährigen Kriege. Erster Band bis zur Zeit des Friedensschlusses von Lübeck 1629 (Stuttgart 1861, Leipzig Reprint, 2010), p.372.

Service record

DENMARK-NORWAY, MACKAY'S REGIMENT, STADE

Arrived 1627-07-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1627-09-30, as MAJOR

Capacity OFFICER, COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY

DENMARK-NORWAY, WILLSON REGIMENT, NORWAY

Arrived 1644-03-26, as COLONEL AND CHIEF

Departed 1644-07-31, as COLONEL AND CHIEF

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

DENMARK-NORWAY, DANZIG

Arrived 1644-08-01, as COLONEL

Departed 1644-10-11, as COLONEL

Capacity RECRUITER, purpose MILITARY

DENMARK-NORWAY, BÅHUS REGIMENT, NORWAY

Arrived 1644-10-12, as COLONEL

Departed 1651-06-09, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

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