LEARMONTH, PETER [SSNE 5222]

Surname

LEARMONTH, LERMONTH, LERMONT, LERMOND, LERMUND, LERMUNDH, LEIRMONT, LEARMOND, LEERMONTH

First name

PETER

Title/rank

CAPTAIN

Nationality

SCOT

Social status

NOBILITY

Text source

In 1619 Peter Learmonth, "nobilis", was granted a privilage by King Sigismund III of Poland. The grant refers to Learmonth's honourable service as a soldier against the Duke of Sodermanland (later King Karl IX of Sweden) and against the Russians at Smolensk. In 1621 he and captain William Keith received letters of recommendation and travel passes dated Warsaw, 17th January. He was to commissioned to levy a regiment of 900 infantry of Scots living in Poland. He later led 3 companies of German infantry whilst the Scottish regiment served with Polish artillery and hussars. He was probably the same Peter Learmonth who was captured by the Poles whilst in Swedish service [SSNE 1763], fighting on behalf of Muscovy during Russia's hostilities with Poland-Lithuania 1614-16. He then entered Polish service and commanded troops at Smolensk and Viazma and fought against Moscow in 1617-18. This is probably the same Peter Learmonth who rejoined Polish service in 1648, 13 years after the army had been disbanded following the treaty of Stuhmsdorf in 1635. 

Sources: A.F. Steuart, Papers Relating to the Scots in Poland 1576-1793, (Edinburgh, 1915), pp.xx-xxi; Scottish Historical Review, vol.iii (1906), pp.524-552; R. Frost, "Scottish soldiers, Poland-Lithuania and the Thirty Years' War" in S. Murdoch ed. Scotland and the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648 (Brill, 2001), p.199, p.204, p.210.

Service record

POLAND-LITHUANIA, WARSAW

Arrived 1619-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1621-01-17, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

POLAND-LITHUANIA, ARMY

Arrived 1648-01-01, as OFFICER

Departed 1648-12-31, as OFFICER

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY