DE TRAYTORRENS, FRANCISCUS [SSNE 4840]

Surname

DE TRAYTORRENS, DE TREYTORRENS

First name

FRANCISCUS, FRANCIS, FRANS

Title/rank

GENERAL OF FORTIFICATIONS

Nationality

SCOT?

Text source

Franciscus/Francis (or Frans) de Traytorrens is believed to be a Scot (others argue Swiss or German) who was an expert in planning and construction who entered Swedish service around 1630. His year of birth is variously given as 1590/1591.

He began service as quarter-master-general. He operated mostly in Pomerania and Mecklenburg as an officer of the fortifications. In 1630 he was in receipt of a monthly salary of 265 riksdaler. King Gustav II Adolf discussed the fortifications of Swedish possessions in northern Germany in 1631 (Stettin, Garz, Demmin, Anklam, Wolgast, Dammgarten, Stralsund, Löcknitz, Stargard, Loitz, Malchin, Neu Brandenburg, Tribsees, Greifswald, Warnemunde and Peenemunde). Gustav II Adolph accepted De Traytorrens' plans for Garz, Demmin and Anklam (and Wolgast) in order to improve their fortifications. The original plans were kept at the military archives in Stockholm. According to Norborg, De Traytorrens created a sketch depicting advanced and comprehensive proposals for strengthening Stettin's defensive structures in 1630. A reproduction of the sketch is found in Råberg 1987 at page 49. De Traytorrens also worked on Wolgast and Stralsund. In August 1631 he was named as "our general of fortifications". Of the 3001 riksdaler de Traytorrens was due he appears to have only received 765 riksdaler in 1631 and 304 riksdaler in 1632, which came to him from Stralsund goods. Gustav II Adolf confirmed de Traytorrens' proposals for improving Anklam, Greifswald and Demmin. He was about to be sent to Livonia to continue his work there but in April 1632 he received his monthly wage of 265 riksdaler in Stralsund. Nothing further is heard of him after the death of Gustav II Adolf, and it is assumed that he left Swedish service. In his funerary memorial of 1660 he is called a Scot.

A partially signed - "L. de" - portrait of De Traytorrens, described as quarter-master general can be found in the Swedish National Museum in Stockholm. Another portrait, by Lucas Kilian, is held in several German repositories, including the German National museum and the Herzog August library.

Source:  Riksarkivet, Fotografisamlingarna, SE/KrA/0800/A:002/K 1/40; L.W. Munthe, Kungl. Fortifikationens Historia, (Stockholm, 1916), vol.6:1, pp.196-8; M. Råberg, Visioner och Verklighet en stuide kring Stockholm 1600-talsstadsplan (Stockholm, 1987); L-A Norborg, Krona och stad i Sverige under äldre Vasatid, Historisk Tidskrift, 1963; Nordisk Familjebok 29th edition, (Stockholm, 1919), p.636.

 

Avsändare

de Traytorrens, Francois
Schweizare, generalkvartermästare i svensk tjänst.

År och antal

1631

Anmärkning

1631-01-24 kvitto. Sorterat under Traytorrens.

Arkiv

Stafsundsarkivet. Autografsamlingen. (RA/720807.005)

Volym

43

Upprättad av

Riksarkivet

Service record

SWEDEN,

Arrived 1630-01-01

Departed 1632-11-30, as GENERAL OF FORTIFICATIONS

Capacity OFFICER, MILITARY ARCHITECT, purpose MILITARY