RUTHVEN, FRANCIS [SSNE 3404]

Surname

RUTHVEN, RUTHWEN, REDWEN, RÖDWIJN, RIDVIN, RUTHUINN, RÜDTWEIN, RÜDTWIN, RÜDWEIN, RÖDVEN, RUTHVEN OF REDCASTLE

First name

FRANCIS, FRANTZ, FRANS

Title/rank

COLONEL

Nationality

SCOT

Region

REDCASTLE, EASTER ROSS?

Social status

OFFICER

Text source

Francis Ruthven served as an ensign in Herman Wrangel's Kronoberg regiment in 1623. He was promoted to be a captain in Otto von Scheiding's Smaland regiment in 1626 and transferred to Patrick Ruthven's [SSNE 3413] Kronoberg regiment that year. In 1627 he became a captain in Kalmar regiment and in June Chancellor Oxenstierna specifically summoned him and his men to Dirschau where reinforcements were urgently needed. The following year he acted as quartermaster in Ruthven's Kalmar regiment. In 1629 he became a major and rose to lieutenant colonel in Patrick Ruthven's regiment by 1632. This is probably the same lieutenant colonel whom Chancellor Oxenstierna recommended to take over Robert Leslie's [SSNE 2932] regiment in June 1631. This gave him the rank of colonel. In 1633 he was appointed governor of Memell and kept his regiment until 1638. In the interim he took over as commandant of Anklam by April 1636 and was instructed to raise his regiment from 8 companies to 12 by Axel Oxenstierna. Francis later succeeded John Ruthven [SSNE 191] and became colonel of his regiment on John's return to Scotland in 1638. However, Francis himself left Swedish service the next year. In a letter dated 28 June 1639 from Hamburg, Colonel Ruthven signed a testmonial that arms bought by Sir Thomas Roe [SSNE 4421] were serviceable and fit for service by Charles I. It was probably this man, although he appears to have played no visible part in the Bishops Wars or English Civil War 

Sources: R. Monro, His Expedition with a worthy Scots Regiment called Mac-Keyes (2 vols., London, 1637), II, The List of the Scottish Officers in Chiefe; TNA, SP 81/47, f.102, 'Certificate of General King upon arms sent to England', 28 June 1639; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1623/4; 1626/1,11; 1627/8,9,11,12,14; 1628/4,13; 1629/10,12,13,15,17. 1629/14,18-20; 1630/22-29; 1631/12,15-21; 1632/10-21; 1633/11-2; 1634/12-23; 1635/1,20-27,29-31; 1636/17,18; 1638/22; SRA, Subsidieräkenskaper och satisfaktionspenger, Franska 1636-1639/fol.51. Orders to Francis Ruthven to raise four additional companies in Scotland, 4 & 29 April 1636; Swedish Riksarkiv, AOSB E703, various; Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Swedish Riksarkiv, Strödda militiehandlingar före 1631, Armen; F. Rudelius, Kalmar Regementes Personhistoria 1623-1927 (2 vols., Norrköping, 1952) I, p.50; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, first series, III, p.558; ibid, VI, p.375, 376, 404, 405; Steve Murdoch and Alexia Grosjean, Alexander Leslie and the Scottish Generals of the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 (London, 2014), p.97.

Bishops War

Service record

SWEDEN, WRANGEL, HERMAN

Arrived 1623-01-01, as ENSIGN

Departed 1625-12-31, as ENSIGN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, VON SCHEIDING

Arrived 1626-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1626-12-31, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, PATRICK/FRANCIS RUTHVEN

Arrived 1627-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1638-12-31, as COLONEL + CHIEF

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, MEMELL

Arrived 1633-01-01, as GOVERNOR

Departed 1633-12-31, as GOVERNOR

Capacity GOVERNOR, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, ANKLAM

Arrived 1636-04-01, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY

STUART KINGDOMS, HAMBURG ROYALIST

Arrived 1639-06-28, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY