PAUL, JOHN [SSNE 1177]
Text source
Sir John Paul appears to have acted in several capacities. He was the British Ambassador in the 1670's as well as the Eastland Company's consul at Elsinore. From a letter of John Spreull [SSNE 1786] in Hamburg to Andrew Russell [SSNE 143] in Rotterdam, it is clear that Paul was linked to the larger Scottsih mercantile network. In 1676 the Swedish governor of Skåne, Halland and Blekinge felt the Paul was so pro-Danish in his attitude that he was even detrimental to the British interests there! Indeed Paul was apparently in contact with an English merchant based in Stockholm, a certain Fryer and that these contacts were harmful to King Karl XI. He later served as the Scottish consul from 02 April 1681, although his official appointment (or grant) had been revoked. Paul involved himself with his fellow Scot, Sir William Davidson, with whom he invested money in Norwegian ironworks and sawmills (Mostadmark). From June 1685 Paul tried to recoup his investment from Davidson's inheritors and the vice-roy of Norway was instructed to help him in this matter. On 14 October the following year four commissioners were appointed to settle the claim within three months, although it was made clear that David Jacobsen from Trondheim had priority. Paul had died by 1711, and was buried in the Presbyterian church of Copenhagen.
Sources:
National Archives of Scotland, Russell Papers, RH15/106/199. John Spreull to Andrew Russell, 29 November 1675; Swedish Riksarkiv, General guvernörens i Skåne, Halland och Blekinge till k.maj:t. vol.7, 05/01/1676, 13/03/1676 and 12/05/1676; R. Fladby (ed.),Norske Kongebrev (6 vols., Oslo, 1962), III, pp.87, 232 and IV, p.90; L. Bittner and L. Gross, Reportorium der diplomatischen vertreter aller lander, vol. 1, 1648-1715 (Oldenburg and Berlin, 1936), p.184; Bodleian Library, ms. English leters D 60, fol.28r.-29r; British Library, Additional ms. no. 41,830, fol.71r. and 98r; Danish Rigsarkiv, TKUA, England, AII. Patrick Leyel 1683-1698, 8 June 1686, brief mention along with Robert Macculloch; J. Lindbæk, (ed.), Aktstykker og oplysninger til statskollegiets historie, 1660-1676 (2 vols., Copenhagen, 1903-1904), I, pp.309-312; T. Riis, Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (Odense, 1988), p.239; G. M. Bell, A Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives 1509-1688 (London, 1990); PRO, SP/104/1-2; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), pp.153-159, 197, 202-203, 229, 351.
Service record
- STUART KINGDOMS, DENMARK-NORWAY
- Arrived 1671-12-09
- Departed 1679-05-31
- Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY
- SCOTLAND, DENMARK-NORWAY
- Arrived 1681-01-01
- Departed 1711-12-31
- Capacity DIPLOMATIC AND MERCHANT CONSUL, FACTOR, purpose DIPLOMACY