ZEEDTZ, SAMUEL [SSNE 4824]
Text source
Samuel Zeedtz was born of Scottish nobility in Scotland. Apparently in 1680 he travelled to Brabant and the Netherlands to buy cannon. In 1681 he acted as a volunteer in the Swedish lifeguard, and became a 'forare' there in 1683. The following year he became an ensign in the Västmanlands Regiment. In 1687 he transferred to Nieroth's recruited batallion in Bremen and took up his new role as Captain. He gained promotion and was one of the commanders for 6000 Swedish troops which went into Dutch service in 1688. He and his men remained for ten years in Dutch service, perhaps serving in Ireland. After that they all returned to Sweden and served at Narva. In 1698, Zeedtz had returned to the Västmanland regiment where he became a life 'drabant' for Karl XII. One source noted him as a captain in Västmanland regiment in 1700, and that he was present at the battle of Narva. He was then a life-"drabant" in 1701. Two years later he returned to Sweden and he became first a major then a lieutenant colonel in one of the Swedish Bergsknektar, and subsequently a colonel and chief of two battallions. He was ennobled in 1706/7 and introduced into the House of Nobility in 1713/9. Zeedtz held the position of commandant at Kalmar in 1709/11. Two years later, in 1711, he received the rank of full colonel in the mountain regiment. Zeedtz became the temporary colonel for Stockholm city from 1714-16 and died three years later in 1717/8. Zeedtz married twice, first to Jeanne Adrienne and then to Brita Ehrenskiold with whom he had one daughter, Hedvig Elonora who died in 1753Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll 1684, 1; Swedish Riksarkiv, Drottning Hedvig Eleonoras Livgedningsakter Arkiv: Skrivelser till general guvernor Gustaf Soop och Carl Gyllenstierna från enskilda personer: B. Till Carl Gyllenstierna - Col. Samuel Zeedtz, 1703-17, K854, 126; Swedish Riksarkiv, Drottning Hedvig Eleonoras Arkiv, vol. 1. Enskilda Personer till Hedvig Eleonora, K172 - Samuel Zeedtz, Lifdrabant hos Karl XII, 1 + 1; G. Elgenstierna, Svenska Adelns Attartavlor, vol 9, p.148; T. Wennerstrom, Stockholm Borgargarde, (Stockholm, 1937), p.240.
Service record
- SWEDEN, SWEDISH LIFEGUARD
- Departed 1684-12-31, as ENSIGN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, VASTMANLANDS REGIMENT
- Departed 1687-01-30, as ENSIGN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, NIEROTH'S BREMEN REGIMENT [IRELAND?]
- Departed 1698-12-31, as CAPTAIN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, VASTMANLAND REGIMENT
- Departed 1717-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY