NAIRN, JOHN [SSNE 3189]
- Surname
- NAIRN, NEHREN, NEHRENS, NERN, DER DAEMPFENDE
- First name
- JOHN, JAN, JOHANN ERNST
- Title/rank
- COLONEL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- MUKKERSY, PERTHSHIRE?
- Social status
- OFFICER
Text source
John Nairn of Mukkersy joined the Swedish army in 1627. He was the brother of Alexander Nairn [SSNE 3188]. By 1631 he had become a captain and served in Francis Ruthven's [SSNE 3404] regiment between 1633-5. By 1636 he had attained the rank of major and fought at the Battle of Wittstock under Baner. Nairn took part in the Bohemian campaigns of 1639-1640. He became a lieutenant colonel in Skaraborg's regiment in May 1642 which recruited in Västgötadal. His promotion caused Major Gustaf Pilifelt to return to Sweden to complain to Queen Christina about being overlooked in favour of a foreigner. Nevertheless, the promotion stood. Nairn was the most senior officer of the regiment wounded at the battle of Leipzig - an action which cost Skaraborg over 50 dead and 70 wounded. Nairn later attained the position of commandant for Erfurt and Leipzig around 1648-1649. He gained the colonelcy of a either 'Västgötadal' regiment (drawn from Skaraborg?), but certainly a new 'värvade' unit in 1648. Nairn wrote to Queen Christina from Leipzig in 1649 "After I had moved into your former quarters I had the wardrobe next to the door of the dining room opened, for your servant had the key. I found the knives. Concerning the plate I had the two men servants examined on their oath, but they pretend to know nothing whatever about it". At this period he became a member of the German political and literary organisation Der Fruchtbringenden Gesellschaft (October 1649) under the name Der Daempfende. In 1650 he was to recruit 60 men for service abroad, and his men appear to have been involved in being recruited for French service. John Nairn twice served as Commander in Chief of the Swedish forces at Warsaw during the Swedish-Polish wars. He was in Gothenburg when Bulstrode Whitelocke [SSNE 4438], the Cromwellian ambassador, visited the town. It appears he remained the colonel of the Skaraborg regiment from until. he died during the campaigns in Poland c.1657-1658.
Sources: Riksarkivets ämnessamlingar. Personhistoria https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0069939_00024#?c=&m=&s=&cv=23&xywh=2807%2C1256%2C4093%2C2360
Swedish Riksarkiv, Adolf Johans Arkiv i Stegeborgssamlingen, 13 letters from Colonel Johan Nairn to Duke Adolf Johan, mostly Gothenburg, 1652-1654; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll 1633/11-22; 1634/12-23; 1635/20,22-26,29-31; 1636/17,18; 1642/7; 1643/8,9; 1644/9,10; 1645/10,11; 1646/8,9,19; 1647/9; 1648/9,26; 1649/5,16-18; 1650/4; 1651/4; 1652/4; 1653/2; 1654/3; 1655/2,5; 1656/5; 1657/3; DEAD; Swedish Krigsarkiv, katalog over rullor, vol. 2, pp.711, 716 and 733; Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser.
Numerous letters can be found in 'Krigskollegium Kancelliet; Adressatregistratur till Krigskollegiets Registratur 1631-1654' including "gevärets forvaring angående och pardonspatenters publicerande 15/12/1649"; "angående kvarhållande av bevapning" early Jan 1650; "angående värvning av 60 män till ett reg att brukas i främmande land 21/3/1650"; "om varvningspenningar och dess utdelande 3/4/1650"; "om vissa rullor på värvningsfolket åt kronan Frankrike jämte underskrivna och förseglade rullor på hela sitt reg hit med forderligaste förskicka 23/4/1650"; "att inrymma och föreställa Erik Larsson Haard for lojt i Nils Nilssons ställe under Alexander Bettons komp 24/7/1650"; "angående uppskov med värvningen och värvningspenningarnas innehåll tillvidare order 1/5 1651?"; "att avlösa dem som i Göteborg ligga i garnison 12/5/1651"; "angående krigskollegii förklaring om majorsplatsen under hans reg att Betton håles därvid sedan om Zanitz går av må översten i stället taga sin kaptlojt eller ock Lennart Bock 5/6/1651"; "angående några knektar som sig motvilligtvis undanhålla 26/9/1651; "varefter han skall låta hålla husesyn med krigsfolket hemma i landet och på vad sätt han den anställer 4/11/1652; "att han laater krigskollegium veta vad gevar han har i forråd vid reg och vad han inlagt har 9/11/1652; The letters continue after these and include 10/1/1653, 28/6/1653, 9/7/1653, 12/7/1653, 16/7/1653, 21/7/1653, 21/1/1654, 6/5/1654, 29/7/1654, 22/8/1654, 23/9/1654.
T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden, (Edinburgh, 1907), p. 244; C. Conermann, Die Mitglieder Der Fruchtbringenden Gesellschaft 1617-1650 (Weinheim, 1985), III, no. 526; H.O. Prytz, Historiska Upplysningar om svenska och norska armeernas regementer och kårer jemte flottorna, II, (Stockholm, 1868), pp.391,528; Einar Bensow, Skaraborgs Regimentes Historia, II (Gothenburg, 1944), pp.54, 59; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), pp.369-373
FG Poem (Translated from German by Dr Kathrin Zickermann): The Pastinacksahm’ (Pastinack seed) has, a power to calm when restlessness is rising. Therefore I was called the calming one: because a noble heart should have a tendency to calm, when uproar is going to be the norm: At he who is calm, high prudence will then show, and how he is minded to cultivate stillness.
Service record
- SWEDEN, PATRICK/FRANCIS RUTHVEN
- Arrived 1627-01-01, as LIEUTENANT
- Departed 1636-12-31, as MAJOR
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, SKARABORG (Västgötadal), GOTHENBURG
- Arrived 1642-01-01, as LT. COLONEL
- Departed 1657-12-31, as COLONEL + CHIEF
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, LEIPZIG
- Arrived 1648-01-01, as COMMANDANT
- Departed 1649-12-31, as COMMANDANT
- Capacity COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY