WHITEFORD, WALTER [SSNE 4107]
Text source
Walter Whiteford served as a royalist soldier during the civil wars in the Three Kingdoms. He retired to The Dutch Republic and in 1649 he was part of a group of Scottish Royalists who murdered the English envoy Dr Issak Dorislaus for being one of the judges at the trial of Charles I (others included Sir John Spottiswood). In 1650 Whiteford accompanied Montrose on his ill-fated expedition to Scotland. After his capture he was spared execution for his murder of Bradshaw. On going into exile Whiteford entered Russian service but in 1663 he petitioned the British government to help him leave Russia for fear that "eternal slavery" could befall his family if he deserted. In 1666 he was back in England in the guards, but was dismissed as for being a 'Papist'.
Sources: The National Archives,SP 29/74-73; DNB; D. Fedosov, The Caledonian Connection (Aberdeen, 1996); 'The Deposition of John Christian, 8 November 1651' in HMC Pepys Manuscript (London, 1911), p.266; J. T. Peacey, 'Order and Disorder in Europe: Parliamentary Agents and Royalist Thugs 1649-1650' in The Historical Journal, 40, no. 4 (1997), p.956; S. Murdoch, Britain, Denmark-Norway and the House of Stuart, 1603-1660 (East Linton, 2000), pp.147 and 156.
Service record
- STUART KINGDOMS, SCOTLAND, THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, THE HAGUE
- Departed 1650-05-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity ROYALIST AGENT, ASSASSIN, REFUGEE, OFFICER, purpose MILITARY, ROYAL SERVANT
- STUART KINGDOMS, SCOTLAND
- Departed 1650-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- RUSSIA, RUSSIAN ARMY
- Departed 1664-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY