LINDSAY, JOHN [SSNE 583]
- Surname
- LINDSAY, LUNDESEY, LINDSEY, LYNDSAY, LINDSAY OF BAINSHAW, BAINSCHO, BENSTIO, BALLINSCHO, WOODWRAY
- First name
- JOHN
- Title/rank
- COLONEL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- BALLINSCHO AND WOODWRAY, KIRRIEMUIR, ANGUS
- Social status
- OFFICER
Text source
John Lindsay, Laird of Ballinscho, was the son of Sir John Lindsay of Ballinscho and Woodwray. His mother was Katherine, daughter of John Lindsay of Balcarres. He was born circa 1604. John junior served as an officer in both Danish and Swedish service. He began recruiting men for Danish service by 5/6/1627 when he asked the Privy Council to have delivered to him a certain Alexander Guthrie who had enlisted but had been liberated by his kinsmen. He took over command of a company whose first muster was paid at Ystad on 7/3/1628. Lindsay was wounded in action three times at Stralsund, but still took part in the Wolgast campaign in the summer of 1628. He did not return to Denmark before 30/8/1628. His men joined other companies and he was himself appointed captain of a frifaennike (i.e. not attached to any regiment) on 18/9/1628. His company was reduced on 7/6/1629 after the Danes signed the Treaty of Lubeck. Lindsay himself was to remain in Denmark as commander of a company and he certainly received payment for the period 9/9/1628-6/7/1629. However, he transferred to Swedish service soon after. Lindsay served in the Swedish army in Mackay's regiment and was killed at the battle of New Brandenburg in March 1631. As the author of the Swedish Intelligencer notes, he fell "brauely fighting with a pike in his hand in defence of the breach". He may be the same John Lindsay who was a colonel of an infantry regiment in the 1630s. It was probably he who served as witness in Amsterdam on a document relating to a financial transaction of Lord Reay. His brothers Alexander [SSNE 2945] and Harrie/Henry [SSNE 220] Lindsay also served as officers in the Swedish army. Confer with the other John Lindsay who may be the same man [SSNE 397]
The Swedish Intelligencer: The First Part (London, 1632), p.87; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1630/37,38; Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, R. Monro, His Expedition with a worthy Scots Regiment called Mac-Keyes (London, 1637), I, p.78 and Appendix of Officers in Swedish Service; RPCS 2nd Series VIII, p. 379, 5 June 1627; National Archives of Scotland GD84/2/177. Notarial Instrument by Bennedict Baddel in Amsterdam "Daniel (sic) Lord Reay" noting receipt of 200 Rixdaler or 500 guilders from Sir James Sandilands from Slamman in Scotland. Sergeant Major under Colonel Brogge in the Service of the United Provinces witnessed by Jan Douglas and Captain John Lyndsay. On the back it states, 31 March 1631 "These moneys are payed to me [James Sandilands, KT] by his Lordship in name of Capt. John Sinclair who was debtful to me for same"; Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; G. Lind, Danish Data Archive 1573; T. Riis, Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (Odense, 1988), II, p.142; Sir Balfour Paul, The Scots Peerage, vol.iii, p.30.
Service record
- DENMARK-NORWAY, LORD SPYNIES OWN
- Arrived 1627-06-05, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1628-09-09, as CAPTAIN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- DENMARK-NORWAY, FRIFANRIK
- Arrived 1628-09-09, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1629-07-06, as CAPTAIN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SCOTLAND, THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, AMSTERDAM
- Arrived 1629-12-23
- Capacity PRIVATE, purpose MISC.
- SWEDEN, MACKAY'S REGIMENT
- Arrived 1630-01-01, as CAPTAIN
- Departed 1631-03-30, as LT. COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY