BAILLIE, WILLIAM [SSNE 1909]
Text source
William Baillie was a Scottish officer who went to Sweden early in 1629 and joined Alexander Hamilton's [SSNE 380] regiment where he served as lieutenant colonel. However, in June 1630 that regiment was merged with John Meldrum's [SSNE 572] regiment, and apparently James Spens [SSNE 1642] and Alexander Hamilton chose a captain from Hamilton's regiment to become the new colonel (presumably Colonel John Hamilton[SSNE]?), whereby Baillie lost his position. Keen to continue in Swedish service he requested Axel Oxenstierna's help in obtaining Gustav II Adolf's permission to recruit a German regiment, giving the reasons that "he knew the language well and had lived in the Netherlands for a time". Oxenstierna himself supported this request wholeheartedly, noting that Baillie was "of the Scottish nation he hasn't found any officer with more discretion, purpose and seriousness and discipline". The Chancellor also notes that Baillie only recently came into Swedish service and had not had the chance to prove himself on the field to Gustav II Adolf. However, Baillie was an experienced officer which may imply that he had been in Dutch service before. He then became colonel of his own regiment for the next three years in Swedish service. Oxenstierna was engaged in setting up Baillie's regiment from January through to October 1631. Baillie also served as an envoy from Oxenstierna to Samuel Nadolsky, "starost" of Dirschau in October 1630. A muster roll exists for Baillie's regiment in Prussia from February 1632, amongst which Captain Andrew Spang's [SSNE 3546] company was noted. Chancellor Oxenstierna specifically ordered Baillie's regiment to march from Prussia to Schlesien/Silesia in March 1633.
William Baillie returned to Scotland in 1638 to serve under Alexander Leslie with the Covenanters. Baillie was at Duns Law in 1639, and at Marston Moor in 1644 where he commanded the right wing of the centre battalia as lieutenant general. He later commanded a force against Montrose and lost in 1645. In 1648 he was lieutenant general of infantry under James, Duke of Hamilton at Preston.
Sources: R. Monro, His Expedition with a worthy Scots Regiment called Mac-Keyes (London, 1637), II, The List of the Scottish Officers in Chiefe, list 1; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1629/11,14,16,18-20; 1630/22-30; 1630/31-33; 1631/12-21; 1632/10-21; 1633/11-18; Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas Skrifter och Brefvexling, first series, V, 454, 468, 612-615; ibid, VI, 58, 192, 219, 492, 496; ibid, VIII, p.740; A list of the Several Regiments and Chief Officers of the Scottish Army quartered neer Newcastle (London 1644) - NB here he is erroneously called John Bayly ; Ed. Furgol, A Regimental History of the Covenanting Armies, 1639-1641 (Edinburgh, 1990), passim.
Addenda: Baillie's service in the Civil Wars
Lieutenant General & Colonel, Angus Foot: 1644-1647
Lieutenant-General, Home Army: 1644-1645
Lieutenant-General of Foot, New Model Army and Colonel, Scott's Foot: 1648
Bishops Wars; English Civil War
Updates to this record provided by Ed Furgol.
Service record
- SWEDEN, ALEXANDER/JOHN HAMILTON
- Departed 1630-06-30, as LT. COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, DIRSCHAU
- Departed 1630-10-29, as LT. COLONEL
- Capacity ENVOY, purpose DIPLOMACY, MILITARY
- SWEDEN, GERMAN INFANTRY REGIMENT
- Departed 1633-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SCOTLAND, STUART KINGDOMS, ARMY OF THE SOLEMN LEAGUE, MARSTON MOOR
- Departed 1648-12-31, as LT. GENERAL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY