BONDE, CHRISTER [SSNE 5390]
Text source
Christer Bonde was born 12 December 1621, and he was the son of Carl Bonde, also a Riksrad. He spent 5 years at Uppsala Academy, and from 1638 he spent 2 years travelling on the continent to Oxford and Leiden. In 1641 he became and Assessor in the "Bergs Collegium". Seven years later he was appointed governor of Narke. In 1652 he became the "landtmarskalk" and a Riksrad (councillor of the state). Later on he also became President in the general-college of commerce. In 1655 Bonde was chosen as ambassador to England on behalf of King Karl X. The skipper chosen to ship his goods to England was one Robert Campbell from Leith who appeared to have Gothenburg connections. He arrived at Gravesend on 18 July that year. His instructions were detailed and related to some points left unclarified by Bulstrode Whitelock [SSNE 4438] on his embassy to Sweden from 1653-4. Bonde died of a fever on 9 May 1659, to the Swedish king's great dismay.
Sources: Göteborg Landsarkivet, Drätselkammare; P. Kalling, Om Riks-radet Frih. Christer Bondes Ambassad till England 1655 (Uppsala, 1851); C. V. Jacobowsky, 'Svenska studenter i Oxford c. 1620-1740' in Personhistorisk Tidskrift, vol. 28, 1927, p.113; P. Wieselgren, (ed.),Dela Gardiska Archivet, part 8, (Lund, 1836), p.234.
Service record
- SWEDEN, OXFORD
- Capacity STUDENT, purpose ACADEMIC
- SWEDEN, LONDON, ENGLAND
- Departed 1656-07-17
- Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY