BEATON, ALEXANDER [SSNE 1799]
Text source
Alexander Beaton was an officer in Swedish service. He served first as lieutenant in James Spens' [SSNE 1642] recruited infantry regiment. A document authorising Beaton's salary as a reformed captain with the Lifeguard until place could be found for him with a land regiment is dated 1637-1639. He served first as captain in John Nairn's [SSNE 3189] Skaraborg regiment, then as regimental quartermaster. Eventually, Beaton was authorised as a major in February 1649. He died in Warschau in November 1655. He is said to have married Regina in 1644, but a letter from his widow in 1656 is signed Helena Bethun. This is probably the same officer who sought Swedish service from the Swedish council in June 1639 - this was unusual given that many Scots were at this very time seeking leave to return to the British isles to partake in the ongoing civil wars.
Sources: Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1632/28 [James Spens Regiment]; TAKEN ON 9/9/1637 [Lifeguard], 1638/1; Skaraborg, 1641/8; 1642/7.1640/7; 1641/17-25; 1646/8,9 [Regimental quartermaster]; 1647/9; 1648/9, 17; 1650/4; 1651/4; 1652/4 [Major]; 1653/2; 1654/3;1655/2; 1657/3 DEAD Nov 1655; Svenska Riksradets Protokoll, vol. 7, p.524; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Katalog over rullor, vol.2, p.716; Einar Bensow, Skaraborgs Regimentes Historia, II (Gothenburg, 1944), p.51.
For correspondence concerning him (including a letter from Gustav II Adolf), see Riksarkivets ämnessamlingar. Personhistoria https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0069471_00287#?c=&m=&s=&cv=286&xywh=1646%2C1560%2C3941%2C2272
For the letter from his widow Helene see: https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0069471_00301#?c=&m=&s=&cv=300&xywh=3526%2C2855%2C2736%2C1578
Service record
- SWEDEN, JAMES SPENS
- Arrived 1632-01-01, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, LIFEGUARDS
- Arrived 1637-01-01, as REF. CAPTAIN
- Departed 1639-12-31, as REF. CAPTAIN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, JOHN NAIRN, SKARABORG
- Arrived 1639-06-01, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1655-11-30, as LIEUTENANT COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY