LEJONANKAR, GUSTAF FREDRICH [SSNE 7332]

Surname

LEJONANKAR, LEIJONJANCKER, LEIJONANCKER,

First name

GUSTAF FREDRICH

Title/rank

VICE ADMIRAL

Nationality

SCOT & SWEDISH

Region

STOCKHOLM

Text source

Gustaf Fredrich Lejonankar (Leijonancker) was the youngest of the 32 children of Daniel Young till Leijonancker [SSNE 4206]. His mother was Catharina Gyllenhoff, also a Swedish noblewoman. Gustaf Fredrich was born in Stockholm on 9/19 May 1686. From an early age he showed an interest in travel and navigation. In 1702, at the age of 16, he travelled to The Netherlands where he spent six months working in an office learning the Dutch language, as well as something of accounting and trade. He left the Texel on a Dutch ship (sources variously call it a pitate or a privateer) enroute to Italy and the Levant, but the ship was taken by 2 French warships and Leijonancker was imprisoned (16 February 1703). He remained in captivity in Toulon until April, when he took service on a warship of 66 cannons (upgraded to 70). That month they went on a cruise and took five prizes (3 English, 2 Dutch). After leaving this ship soon after, he travelled to La Rochelle and once more to Amsterdam where he joined a Dutch frigate of 24 guns destined for Curacao in the Americas. However, the ship ran aground and he made his way to Medenblick before resuming his journey the following year, at which point he was made Quartermaster at the age of only 18. Soon after, in Comaca Bay, his party were attacked by 70 or 80 Spanish soldiers who killed 5 and wounded 8 others, while the ship fought a five hour battle with a Spaniard four days later. They did eventually reach Curacao however. On the homeward journey, on 4 December 1704, their ship was taken by 3 French privateers and Gustaf again found himself a prisoner. He was released in December when he took service as a mate on a privateer. On the following cruise, which lasted 10 weeks, his ship took 6 prizes (5 English and 1 Dutch) - actions that cost the crew 22 dead and 37 wounded. Again in April the same year he undertook a further month's service on a French privateer of 18 guns an 120 men, and participated in the capture of 5 English prizes. However, in June they encountered 2 Dutch privateers who took their ship as prize into Plymouth. During his imprisonment, Leijonancker contemplated service on the Dutch privateer vessel that captured him. But they had it little better than he and after 3 days at sea he found himself a prisoner of the French again. Again he got out of jail by enlisting and being given command of a small frigate as 'Capitaine de Prise' under French flag. He eventually captured an English frigate which he took into Cadiz. He then discussed with the Swedish consul Panhuysen, the possibility of Swedish service. On 29 February 1708 (and after a journey to Hamburg), he became Lieutenant with the Royal Admiralty in Karlscrona at the age of only 20. Two years later he was a lietutenant colonel there, and then a captain. In 1715 he was an ordinary ship's captain, but two years later he was an artillery captain. From 1720-1 he was a 'flag' captain, and from 1728-34 he was an 'uppsyningsman' for the admiralty in Karlskrona again. In 1743 he was master of 'ekipage'. Young left the admiralty and in 1755 he became vice-admiral for the war fleet. He died in 1756. He was married into the Swedish nobility.

Svenska Adelns Attartavlor, vol. 4, p.523; H. Marryat, One Year in Sweden, including a visit to the isle of Gotland (London, 1862), p.492. See also Åminnelse-tål öfver Kongl. Vetenskaps Academiens framledne ledamot, Vice-Amiralen och Riddaren af Kongl. Maj:ts Svårds-Orden, HERR GUSTAF FREDRICH LEJONANKAR, hållit i stora Riddarhus-Salen, den 16. Junii 1756 på Kongl. Academiens Vågnar af des ledamont PEHR HÖGSTRÖM (Stockholm, 1756), see a copy of this in Hintze biblioteket, Genealogiska Föreningen, Sundbyberg, Stockholm. Thanks to Ardis Dreisbach for this information.

Service record

FRANCE, NAVY

Arrived 1704-12-01, as MATE

Departed 1708-02-28, as PRIZE CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, PRISONER, PRIVATEER, purpose NAVAL

THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, NAVY

Arrived 1705-06-01, as CREWMAN

Departed 1705-07-31, as CREWMAN

Capacity PRIVATEER, PRISONER, purpose NAVAL

SWEDEN, NAVY

Arrived 1708-02-29, as LIEUTENANT

Departed 1756-01-27, as VICE-ADMIRAL

Capacity OFFICER, VICE-ADMIRAL, purpose NAVAL