MACLEAN, DAVID [SSNE 3023]

Surname: MACLEAN, MACKLEAN, MAKELEER, MACKLIER, MACLEAR, MAGLIER
First name: DAVID
Title/rank: BARON MACLEAN
Nationality: SCOT
Region: GOTHENBURG
Social status: NOBLE

Text source

David Maclean was the sixth son of John Maclean, 1st Baronet Duart [SSNE 1631] and his first wife Anna Gubbertz. He was born circa 1646. He joined the Swedish army in 1666 and served as a lieutenant in the Skaraborg regiment from 1 September 1669. He became a captain on 3 April 1672. In 1674 he accompanied the Swedish ambassador to Britain, and whilst there he gained an MA at Oxford on 27 June. He returned to the Swedish army and by 1675 he was a major in the Västgöta Cavalry regiment, and two years later he was a lieutenant colonel. In 1680 he became the regiment's colonel. He married Eleonora Elisabet von Ascheberg on 14 September 1679, and they had 9 children together. Magdalena Eleonora [SSNE 6953], Rutger [SSNE 6096], Johan Philip [SSNE 6954], Johan Adolph [SSNE 6095], Jacob Ludwig [SSNE 6956] and Marianna [SSNE 6957] were all baptised at Christina church in Gothenburg. One of David's sons was buried there on 6 April 1692. In 1689, Maclean was put forward as commandant of Gothenburg with Henrik Johan Belfrage as his vice-commandant. During that time his name appeared on the Gothenburg shipping lists, sending goods to London in 1690. By 1691 Maclean was commandant in Malmö, at the request of his father-in-law, Rutger von Ascheberg, the governor-general of Skåne, Halland, Gothenburg and Bohuslän. Ascheberg died in 1693 and Maclean retained his position there until the end of the year. He was then appointed colonel and chief of the Queen's (Drottningens) infantry liferegiment on 7 September 1691. He distinguished himself in King Karl XI's campaign in Skåne. At the end of 1693 he was appointed regional governor (landshövding) of Älvsborg, and established his residence at Vänersborg. In 1708 he was raised to a barony, and at this point he insisted his ennobled name was Macklean and not Mackleer, an interesting comment on his perception of who he was. He appears to have been the first of his family to do so. His coat of arms hangs in Riddarhuset (no.306). He inherited Gåsevadholm in Tolo, Hall from his father, and from Ascheberg he obtained Strom in Hjartum. David was an active member of the Christina church parish of Gothenburg, where it is hardly surprising that he acted as godparent to his relative's children but he also became involved in several other families. He, as lieutenant, was godparent on 7 April 1671 to Hindrich Brunjohan's son', Cordt, baptism along with Miss Johanna Spalding. David was, as major, a godparent at President Johan Maclean's [SSNE 4205] son's, Carl Lenhard, baptism on 14 August 1676; and then, as lieutenant-colonel, godparent to Johan Maclean's son's, David, on 9 September 1677 along with Mrs Spalding. David was also godparent at Lt.Colonel Vickens' son's, Otto Wilhem, baptism on 10 June 1678; and the following year on 8 July 1679 David was godparent at Conrad Braunjohan's son's, Heinrich, baptism along with Mrs President Maclean and Mrs Spalding. On 25 May 1681 he and his two brothers Gustav [SSNE 4690] and Johan were godparents at the conversion baptism of a 16 year old Jew (originally named Moses, but now baptised Paul) who had come from Poland. On 4 January 1683 David was godparent at minister Burchard's daughter's, Catharina Agnes, baptism. David was further present at the baptism of an African, named Marcus Christophorus, and brought over by the Dutchman Captain Witting, on 6 January 1686. Both Colonel Gustav Maclean and Captain Sinclair were also present at this baptism. On 10 June 1686 David was godparent at President Spalding's son's, Jacob, baptism along with Mrs Alexander Kinnaird. On 31 March 1689 David was godparent at Johann Thellin's son's, Johan Gustav, baptism along with Captain Sinclair, Lt. Colonel Sparfeld and Mrs President Maclean. And finally on 13 June 1701, as Governor, David was godparent to Sebastian Tham's daughter, Johanna Christina. David died before the 10 November 1708.

Sources: Riksarkivets ämnessamlingar. Personhistoria https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0069888_00013#?c=&m=&s=&cv=12&xywh=2454%2C2460%2C3978%2C2294

Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1669/6; 1670/5,6; 1671/1; 1672/5,11; 1677/7; 1678/9; 1679/17; 1680/3; 1681-2/1; 1682/1,4; 1683/8,12,17,19; 1684/1; 1685/1,14; 1687/7,9; 1689/6; 1690/1; 1691/4; 1694/1,8; 1694/1; Swedish Riksarkiv, Eric Dahlbergs Arkiv, vol. XXX, 13/04/1693 (Malmo); Swedish Riksarkiv, Militära chefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Svenska Man och Kvinnnor, vol. 5 (Stockholm, 1949); Göteborg Landsarkiv (GLA) Förteckning över Landshövdingens i Göteborg och Bohus Län - Skrivelser till Kungl. Maj:t 1657-1840 - 28/11/1689, 10/07/1693; A. Erlandsson, Skånska Generalguvernementet 1658-1693 och dess arkiv (Lund, 1967), p.136; S. Strömbom, ed. Index över svenska porträtt 1500-1850 i svenska porträttarkivets samlingen, 2 vols (Stockholm, 1935, 1939), vol.2, p.533; Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, vol. xxiv; J.N.M. Maclean, The Macleans of Sweden (Edinburgh, 1971), p.32; G. Elgenstierna, Svenska Adelns Ättartavlor, vol. 5, p.139; W. Berg, Samlingar till Göteborgs Historia Christina Kyrkas böcker, (Gothenburg, 1890), vol.1, passim esp. pp.105-303; C. Dalhede, Handelsfamiljer på Stormaktstidens Europamarknad (3 vols., Partille, 2001)III, cdrom. With thanks to Nigel Alington for updates.

Service record

SWEDEN, VASTGOTA DAL REGIMENT: Arrived 1669-01-01, as LIEUTENANT; Departed 1694-12-31, as LT. COLONEL; Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
SWEDEN, GOTHENBURG: Arrived 1689-11-28, as COLONEL; Departed 1693-12-31, as COLONEL; Capacity COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY
SWEDEN, MALMO: Arrived 1691-01-01, as COMMANDANT; Departed 1994-12-31, as COMMANDANT; Capacity COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY
SWEDEN, GOTHENBURG: Arrived 1695-01-01; Departed 1708-12-31; Capacity GOVERNOR, purpose CIVIC