RAMSAY, DAVID [SSNE 3307]
Text source
David Ramsay served in both the Danish and the Swedish armies during the Thirty Years' War. He served in Sweden in 1625 and 1626. However, he then disappears from the Muster Roll at the same time as a man of the same name turns up in Danish service. A David Ramsay served as Sergeant to Sir Alexander Strauchan of Thorneton [SSNE 534] and apparently illegally recruited one Robert Hanton in Balhaggartie around 25/9/1627. The same man or not, a David Ramsay later became lieutenant in 1629 and captain in 1632.In the spring of 1630, whilst Alexander Hamilton [SSNE 380] was involved in negotiations with the Swedes regarding recruitment for their army, David Ramsay arrived at the Swedish court. Ramsay was also engaged in the same mission, to recruit 6,000 men on behalf of James, Marquis of Hamilton. In 1631 there was a David Ramsay who served as lieutenant in James Ramsay's [SSNE 3315] regiment. Ramsay apparently spent a lot of time with Colonel Donald Mackay [SSNE 93] during his time in Sweden and rumours of their treasonous discussions circulated and made their way back to the Stuart court. Once back in Scotland, Ramsay became embroiled in the 'Ochiltree incident'. Donald Mackay claimed that Ramsay had told him that Hamilton's recruits were actually going to be used for treasonous purposes by the Marquis against King Charles I. When Ramsay denied this, Mackay challenged him to a duel. When the king learned of these plans [in May 1632] he cancelled the fight and threw both Ramsay and Mackay into the Tower, and did not release them until August. Whatever the truth, Ramsay was given a letter to present to Charles I stating that he had served the Bohemian king well while in Germany (as part of Hamilton's army). He appears to have returned to Swedish service as a Colonel. During his service in Mecklenburg his wife became embroiled in a quarrel with Ake Tott's wife - they both claimed rights to the same property, and Ramsay's wife even managed to obtain the income off the land. This left Tott's wife in an impoverished state, eventually leading to her illness.The basis for speculating that the David Ramsay in Denmark and Sweden are the same is that we know that the former served in Sir Alexander Strachan's regiment while the latter certainly worked for the Marquis of Hamilton. The latter David Ramsay eventually joined the Masonic Lodge of Mary's Chapel in Edinburgh in August 1637 where Sir Alexander Strachan was also a Freemason.
Sources: National Library of Scotland, MS 7002-3, Yester Writs, no. 29, Seaforth to Yester 14 July, 1631 reference supplied by Aonghas Maccoinnich; Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 2nd series, vol. IV, p. 343; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Rolls 1625/3,5,6; 1626/3,5-9; 1629/22; 1630/24-29; 1631/12,15; 1632/30; D. Murray-Lyon, The History of Freemasonry in Scotland (Edinburgh, 1873), p.87; T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907), p.220; T. Riis, Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (Odense, 1988), II, p.116; D. Stevenson, The First Freemasons; Scotland's Early Lodges and their Members (Aberdeen, 1988), p.27; B. Steckzen, Svenskt och Brittiskt, (Uppsala, 1959), 88; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, second series, vol.9, 430, 706-7, 722, 725.
Service record
- SWEDEN, PATRICK RUTHVEN'S REGIMENT
- Arrived 1625-01-01
- Departed 1626-12-31
- Capacity OFFICER?, purpose MILITARY
- DENMARK-NORWAY, STRACHAN'S REGIMENT IN NITHSDALE'S ARMY
- Arrived 1627-01-01, as SERGEANT
- Departed 1628-10-31, as SERGEANT
- Capacity NCO, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, JAMES RAMSAY
- Arrived 1629-01-01, as LIEUTENANT
- Departed 1632-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- STUART KINGDOMS, SWEDEN
- Arrived 1630-03-01
- Capacity ENVOY, OFFICER, purpose DIPLOMACY, MILITARY