STUART, ANDREW [SSNE 1646]
- Surname
- STUART, STEWART, STYFFERT, STYFVERT DEN ALDRE, STARSÄTER
- First name
- ANDREW, ANDERS, ANDREAS
- Title/rank
- COLONEL, VICE-ADMIRAL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- OCHILTREE, EAST AYRSHIRE
- Social status
- NOBILITY
Text source
Andrew Stuart of Starsäter (c.1570-1640), military commander, diplomat and Swedish nobleman, was born in Scotland the son of John Stewart of Ochiltree and Agneta Forbes. Some sources note Andrew as the grandson of Stewart of Ochiltree and thus as the son of John/Hans [SSNE 1645] who had also migrated to Sweden and gained distinction as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber at the Court of Karl IX in 1604 and Inspector-general of all foreign troops in Swedish service by 1609. The two Stuarts are sometimes confused in source material. Their genealogy is interesting in that no John Stewart of Ochiltree can be traced in the Scottish peerage. However, Andrew’s godfather was Andrew Stewart 2nd Lord Ochiltree, who signed a letter proving Hans Stuart’s nobility in 1585. This was accompanied by an open letter from James VI of Scotland that referred to Hans as “our dear relative”. These documents allowed Hans Stuart to use the same coat of arms as James Stuart Earl of Arran, second son of Lord Ochiltree suggesting a relationship which remains unclear.
Andrew Stuart immigrated to Sweden and became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber at Duke Karl (later Karl IX) of Södermanland’s court by 1592. An Andrew Stuart was a captain on the ship Svenska Bjorn in Joakim Scheel's fleet in 1598. He was known in Sweden as ‘Anders the elder’ to distinguish him from his nephew who also served in the Swedish army. In reward for his military services, Andrew the elder received land in 1599 from Karl IX in Ledingelunda/Lagerlund, part of the parish of Kärna in Sweden. During this period he also married Elisabet Anrep, daughter of Adolf Anrep and Gertrud von Nieroth although the exact date remains unclear.
At the beginning of 1600 Stuart became a commander of the Swedish forces at Fellin in Livland and by 1602 he served as governor of Dorpat. His administrative duties continued when in 1604 he assumed responsibility for the Norra Möre region of Kalmar. He later received further lands in Starsäter (renamed Stuartsäter) in Vists parish and Lida in Kvillinge parish.
Stuart continued to serve in the army and became colonel in chief for the Östgöta infantry in 1605 and was present at the battle of Kirkholm on 17 September. However, he continued to pursue work outside his military life. During the Kalmar War between Sweden and Denmark-Norway (1611-1613), Stuart joined the Swedish diplomatic service and acted as their envoy to Russia in 1611. During this period Stuart also maintained contact with the Court of James VI and I. Perhaps more surprising is that Stuart also had indirect communication with Christian IV of Denmark-Norway through a Scottish nobleman in Danish service, Andrew Sinclair, governor of the newly conquered Swedish fortress of Kalmar.
Stuart’s functions in later life included service in the Swedish fleet. He is recorded as having become a Vice-Admiral [some sources say Rear-Admiral] in the Riksamiral’s (state admiral) fleet in 1621. He also continued to hold posts on land, acting as Master of the Court to Pfalzgreve Johan Casimir in 1633. During his life, Stuart also acted as Governor-General of Livonia for the Swedes. This is possibly the vice-admiral Stewart noted as engaging in troop-transport operations in 1638 from Finland to Usedom. He died on 27 December 1640 apparently from natural causes, although he was still listed as in service as a vice admiral of the navy in 1641 (this is presumably confusion with Simon Stewart [SSNE 1644]). At some point he was ennobled in Sweden. Together Stuart and his wife Elisabet had three sons and two daughters: Carl (c.1600-1637), Johan Adolf (1603-1666) [SSNE 3623], Anders (?-1637)[SSNE 3611], Christina (1600-1648) [SSNE 6251] and Catharina (1622-1699) [SSNE 6254]. The sons all engaged in Swedish military service and both daughters also married soldiers, Christina to Herbert Gladstone and Catharina to Anders Rosenstrale.
Sources: Riksarkivets ämnessamlingar. Personhistoria https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0073910_00198#?c=&m=&s=&cv=197&xywh=2696%2C146%2C4106%2C2251
Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Biografiska Anteckningar om Officerare vid Orlogsflottan 1600-1699, p.366; Meritforteckningar (Flottan); J. Berg and B. Lagercrantz, The Scots in Sweden (Stockholm, 1962), pp.20-21; C.F. Bricka and J.A. Fridericia, Kong Christian den Fjerdes Egen-Haendige Breve, (8 vols., Copenhagen, 1878-1947), vol. 1, pp.63-65; Register till Sveriges Ridderskaps och Adels Riksdags-Protokoll (17 vols, Stockholm, 1910), vols. for 1627-1640; G. Elgenstierna, Svenska Adelns Ättartavlor, vol. 7, p.793; Otto Donner, A brief sketch of the Scottish families in Finland and Sweden (Helsingfors, 1884), p.27; T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907), p.176; A. Zettersten, Svenska Flottans Historia Åren 1522-1634 (Stockholm, 1890), pp.61-2; H. Borjeson and G. Hafström, Skeppshövidsman vid örlogsflottan under 1500-talet, biografiska anteckningar, p.73.
Service record
- SWEDEN, DUKE KARL'S COURT
- Arrived 1592-01-01
- Departed 1599-12-31
- Capacity COURT GENTLEMAN, purpose CIVIL SERVICE
- SWEDEN, NAVY
- Arrived 1598-01-01, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1598-12-31, as CAPTAIN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose NAVAL
- SWEDEN, FELLIN, LIVONIA
- Arrived 1600-01-01, as COMMANDANT
- Departed 1640-12-31, as COMMANDANT
- Capacity GOVERNOR-GENERAL, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, DORPAT
- Arrived 1602-01-01, as COMMANDANT
- Departed 1602-12-31, as COMMANDANT
- Capacity GOVERNOR, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, RUSSIA
- Arrived 1611-01-01
- Departed 1611-12-31
- Capacity LEGATE or ENVOY, purpose DIPLOMACY
- SWEDEN, NAVY
- Arrived 1621-01-01, as VICE-ADMIRAL
- Departed 1641-12-31, as VICE-ADMIRAL
- Capacity VICE-ADMIRAL, purpose NAVAL
- SWEDEN, JOHAN CASIMIR
- Arrived 1633-01-01
- Departed 1640-12-27
- Capacity ROYAL SERVANT, purpose ROYAL SERVICE