DOUGLAS, WILHELM [SSNE 3860]

Surname

DOUGLAS

First name

WILHELM, WILLIAM

Title/rank

MAJOR GENERAL COUNT DOUGLAS

Nationality

SCOTO-SWEDISH

Social status

NOBILITY

Text source

Count Wilhelm Douglas (1683-1763) was a Swedish officer of the Scottish Douglas-Wittinghame line, probably a grandson of Count Robert Douglas [SSNE 2378] and son of William Douglas [SSNE 2379]. He began his military career as a cadet in French service in 1696. He continued to serve in France in the Swedish Regiment of Eric Sparre. By 1704 he had joined the Skaraborg regiment and within four years became Adjutant-General to Rehnskol in 1708. He was Captured by the Russians at Poltava in 1709. He was released and returned to Sweden in 1722 and thereafter served as a captain in the North Skane cavalry in 1722. He retired from Swedish service with the rank of Colonel in 1725 but took up a military career in the service of Holstein Gottorp where he became a Major General by 1738. Douglas married Maria Houtman van Bouchshorn in 1715 and died in 1763.

Sources: P. Englund, The Battle of Poltava: The Birth of the Russian Empire (London, 1992), Biographical Appendix, p.266; A. Lewenhaupt, Karl XII:s Officerare Biografiska anteckningar (2 vols., Stockholm, 1920), I, p.148.

Service record

SWEDEN, FRANCE, FRANCE, ROYAL ALLEMAND, ERIK SPARRE

Arrived 1696-01-01, as CADET

Departed 1703-12-31, as LIEUTENANT

Capacity 0FICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, SKARABORG REGIMENT, SKANE DRAGOONS

Arrived 1704-01-01, as LIEUTENANT

Departed 1709-06-01, as ADJUTANT GENERAL, CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, POLTAVA, RUSSIA

Arrived 1709-06-28, as OFFICER

Departed 1722-12-31, as OFFICER

Capacity PRISONER, purpose MILITARY

SWEDEN, SKANE CAVALRY

Arrived 1722-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1725-12-31, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

HOLSTEIN-GOTTROP, ARMY

Arrived 1725-12-31, as COLONEL

Departed 1738-12-31, as MAJOR GENERAL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY