ERSKINE, ALEXANDER [SSNE 2162]

Surname

ERSKINE, VON ERSKEIN, ERSKIN

First name

ALEXANDER

Title/rank

COLONEL, BARON

Nationality

SCOTO-SWEDISH, SWEDISH SCOT

Region

Social status

NOBLE

Education

Religion

Text source

Alexander von Erskein was the first son of the more famous soldier of the same name [SSNE 1508]. Von Erskein junior served in the Swedish army on several occasions. Initially this was in the infantry, but he later joined the cavalry as a ryttmastare with Duke August Fredrik's recruited cavalry regiment. He then became lieutenant colonel in Bremen and chief of a recruited batallion. On 19 September 1681 he took the unusual step of writing to the Earl of Mar and pointed out that he was the eldest son of a Scot who had settled in Sweden and who had served in the German and Polish wars. He sent his respects to the Earl whom his family claimed as the head of their kin group. This may be the same man who entered Venetian military service in 1687. This may also be the same Alexander Erskin who in 1686 received 4 Turkish women into his care when Imperial troops conquered Ofen that year. One of these women he handed over to Aurora Konigsmarck and she had her baptised - Erskine was one of the godparents.

Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; B.Schlegel and C.A. Klingspor, Den med skoldebref forlanade men ej a Riddarhuset introducerad Svenska Adelns Attar-taflor (Stockholm, 1875) p.69; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1658/8; 1659/9,10; 1661/11; 1673/7; 1674/10-13; 1680/5,8,9; 1681/4-9; 1682/1,8-10; 1683/22-24; 1684/21; 1685/1,27; 1686/19; 1690/1; National Archives of Scotland, GD 124/15/171, 19 September 1681. Erskein to Mar in French; Personhistorisk Tidskrift, Stockholm, 1900, p.219.

Service record

SWEDEN, DUKE FRANS RDMAN'S INFANTRY, WRANGEL'S [KG] REGIMENT, DUKE AUGUST FREDERIK'S CAVALRY

Arrived 1658-01-01, as LIEUTENANT

Departed 1690-12-31, as LIEUTENANT-COLONEL IN CHIEF

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY