LAUDER, GEORGE [SSNE 4981]
Text source
George Lauder was the son of Lauder of Halton (in Mid-lothian) and Anabella Bellenden, his father's second wife. This is the famous soldier-poet. He was laureated in Edinburgh in 1620 and is noted as an officer in Dutch service by 1634 when he became a captain. He served until 1670, becoming a Lt. Colonel by 1657 when he succeeded Walter Murray. George Lauder distinguished himself at Calloo and on the island of Funen in the expedition to support Denmark in 1659. As a reward, Frederik III presented him with a gold chain and his portrait in diamonds for the part of the Scottish regiment in the complete rout of the Swedes from that island. George Lauder published numerous poems including "The Scottish Soldier" (1629) which is reprinted in Ferguson, 327. One of his poems shows him to have been a Stuart loyalist [Eubulus, or a free and Loyal Discourse to his Sacred Majesty, by one of his most faithful subjects, 1660]. Five of his sons died in the service of the States General. His son, George Lauder, commanded a Scottish regiment of the Dutch army as colonel (1689-1692) and was again listed as a colonel in 1698.
J. Ferguson, Papers Illustrating the History of the Scots Brigade in the service of the United Netherlands,1572-1697 (Edinburgh, 1899), pp.322, 326, 467, 492-493, 495-499, 526, 528, 530, 534-5; D. Dobson 'Scottish Soldiers in Continental Europe' [part one] (St Andrews, 1997).
Service record
- THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, THE SCOTS BRIGADE
- Arrived 1623-01-01, as SOLDIER
- Departed 1670-12-31, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILIRARY
- THE DUTCH REPUBLIC [DENMARK-NORWAY], FUNEN, SCOTS BRIGADE
- Arrived 1659-01-01, as LT. COLONEL
- Departed 1660-12-31, as LT. COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY