SCOULA, ROBERT [SSNE 5422]
Text source
In 1611, an Orkney vessel and its cargo belonging to Robert Scoula had been arrested in Bergen. The ship had been carrying hides, butter and oil and was the centre of complex litigation for several years, not least since many of the goods on board belonged to King James. The mayor of Bergen, Søfren Søfrensen, repeatedly sought compensation from Christian IV in this case, and numerous letters from him dated between 1615-1620 survive complaining that Scoula's goods were disposed of by the authorities who kept the proceeds. This occurred despite the fact that Scoula's ship and cargo were impounded to compensate for goods taken from Søfrensen by the Scottish privateer, Simon Stewart. It was not until 1618 that Christian ordered that the complaint of the Scottish Privy Council be listened to. The incentive for this order was perhaps the attacks on Norwegian shipping and harbours by Orkney privateers which had been ongoing between 1612 and 1617 and which Christian IV did not want repeated.
Sources: Norwegian Rigsarkiv: Danske Kanselli: Norske Kansellinnleg før 1660, 1121/50, II, pp.340-343; Norske Rigs Registranter, V, 728. Christian IV to Knut Urne, 28 August 1618; The National Archives, SP75/4, f.314. Anstruther to James VI, 8 June 1612; Norske Rigs Registranter, V, 662. Christian IV to Knut Urne, 9 September 1617; Register of the Provy Council of Scotland, XI, 1616-1619, pp.629-630. Letter from the Privy Council to Christian IV in favour of Robert Scoula, and against the privateer Simon Stewart, 18 June 1618; A. Grosjean, 'Scottish-Scandinavian Naval Links: A case study for the SSNE database', in Northern Studies, no. 32 (1997), 111-112; S. Murdoch, 'Simon Stewart: Privateer, Admiral, Orcadian?', in The Orkney View, no. 82 (1999), pp.20-22.
Service record
- SCOTLAND, BERGEN, NORWAY
- Arrived 1611-01-01
- Departed 1611-12-31
- Capacity MERCHANT SKIPPER, purpose TRADE