NEAVE, JAMES [SSNE 4218]
- Surname
- NEAVE, NEIF, NEAF, NAEF, NÄF till ÖKNA
- First name
- JAMES, JACOB
- Title/rank
- GOVERNOR
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- ORKNEY?
- Social status
- OFFICER
- Religion
- CATHOLIC
Text source
James Neave, known as Jacob Näf, may have originally come to Sweden from the Orkneys, but appeared in Sweden in 1571 as a page to King Johan III. His Swedish title was Ökna (which is where the link with Orkney may have occurred). In 1573 he was a private soldier, maybe an ensign, in Andrew Keith's troop. He was certainly well known and of good standing in Stockholm society as that year he stood as guarantor for another Scottish captain, "Joren Michelson" (probably George Michealson) who had lodged with a Stockholm councillor and owed hime 100 daler. By 1579 he was a Captain of Horse, and on 29 March 1583 he was appointed governor of Västmanland and Dalecarlia. He was given land at Marby on Lake Mälar around this time. He had a brother who was buried at St Nikolai church in Stockholm on 17 December 1584. In June 1592 Näf was involved in a legal case when a stonemason accused him of not paying him enough for his work. He was one of the supporters of King Sigismund of Poland (Johan III's son) in his fight for the Swedish crown against his uncle Karl. It was as a consequence of this that James' property, was confiscated by Karl IX. In 1595 he owned a timber house in Stockholm. Indeed a first attempt was made on James's life in 1596, and when proclaiming the banishment of the then duke Karl in 1598 he was killed by the local Dalecarlians. He married Karin/Catharina Hampe, the daughter of a Stockholm merchant Jakob Hampe and his wife Dordi, before 1575. They had four children: Maria [SSNE 6272], Vendla [SSNE 6273], Johan [SSNE 6274] and another daughter who married the customs officer in Gävle, Nils Pedersson Humbla. James was buried in Huna churchyard and his epitaph mentioned his noble Scottish origins.There are references to both John Neave and James Neave in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, dated 14 November 1579 and 20 November 1579. The first is a letter from King James VI to King Frederick II of Denmark-Norway written on behalf of John Neave; the second is a letter from James VI to King John III of Sweden written on behalf of James Neave.
T. Berg, Johan Skytte, (Stockholm, 1920), p.112; Uppsala University Library, Palmskioldiska Samlingen, vol.227, p.11, 13, 15; D. Almquist, ed. Stockholms stads tänkeböcker från år 1592, part 1 (Stockholm, 1939),p.56 and 307; J.A. Almquist, ed. Stockholms stads tänkeböcker, 1568-1575 (Stockholm, 1941), p.502; B. Schlegel and C. A. Klingspor, Den med skoldebref forlanade men ej a Riddarhuset introducerad Svenska Adelns Ättar-taflor (Stockholm, 1875) p.201; J. Berg and B. Lagercrantz, Scots in Sweden, (Stockholm, 1962). p.18; T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907), p.67; G. Arteus, Till Militärstatens Förhistoria: Krig, professionalisering och social förändring under Vasasönernas regering (Stockholm, 1986), p.176; Stockholm Stadsarkiv, Register över döda m flera enligt Nikolai församlings räkenskaper, I 1546-1623, p.54; Birgitta Lager, Stockholms befolkning på Johan III:s tid (Stockholm, 1962), p.132; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), pp.59, 98-100. Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, first series, vol.14 Addenda, p.348.
Service record
- SWEDEN, ANDREW KEITH
- Arrived 1571-01-11, as ENSIGN
- Departed 1582-12-31, as CAPTAIN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, VASTMANLAND AND DALECARLIA
- Arrived 1583-01-01, as GOVERNOR
- Departed 1598-12-31, as GOVERNOR
- Capacity GOVERNOR, purpose MILITARY