TURNER, JAMES [SSNE 63]

Surname
TURNER
First name
JAMES, JACOB
Title/rank
COLONEL
Nationality
SCOT
Social status
NOBILITY

Text source

James Turner enlisted in Swedish service as ensign to Captain Robert Lumsden in Sir James Lumsden's regiment when he was aged 18. The Duke of Brunswick and Luneburg was General and Baron of Kniphausen was field marshall at Rostock in 1632-4. Turner fell sick for about six weeks and then went into service. In late 1634 he returned to Scotland as his father had died. In 1635, Turner landed at Bremen where he intended to accompany some officers to Persia (as part of the Russian embassy). He then joined Lumsden's regiment at the seige of Osnabruk. Alexander Leslie became field marshall and Turner was present at the release of the seige of Hanau in 1636. Turner again served with a fellow Scot in 1637, when accompanying General James King to the assistance of the lands of Hessen. Turner claims to have progressed from ensign through to captain. In 1639 he again returned to Scotland desiring to serve the Prince Elector who was levying there. Turner went back to Germany and raised a company of German soldiers under Colonel Burgsdorff.

Sir James Turner, Memoirs; T. Fischer, The Scots in Germany (Edinburgh, 1902); G. Lind, Danish Data Archive 1573; Hirsch XI, pp.345-6; Dictionary of National Biography; T. Riis, Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (Odense, 1988), II, p.147; RA. Da. Kanc. B 150, fol. 10r., 19r.-v. no. 161, 130r.-v. no. 180; B 151a 1657 ad no.180 'draft'.

Service record

SWEDEN, JAMES LUMSDEN
Arrived 1632-01-01, as ENSIGN
Departed 1638-12-31, as CAPTAIN
Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
DENMARK-NORWAY, DANISH ARMY
Arrived 1657-10-21, as LT. COLONEL
Departed 1658-03-31, as COLONEL
Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY