ASTON, ARTHUR [SSNE 6532]

Surname

ASTON

First name

ARTHUR

Title/rank

OFFICER, ENVOY

Nationality

ENGLISH

Region

Social status

Education

Religion

CATHOLIC

Text source

Arthur Aston was the son of Arthur Aston senior [SSNE 1869]. In March 1621 he served as an envoy from King James VI and I of Great Britain to King Sigismund III Vasa of Poland-Lithuania. He was to obtain necessary conditions from the Polish king regarding James' promises of financial aid and levies. These conditions included that the troops must only be used against Turkish forces. In September a group of levies under Aston's command arrived in Danzig were the only recruits to get through the Sound from Britain. Aston and James Butler [SSNE 6450] arrived in Livonia in February 1622 each leading forces of 300 men to serve under Field Hetman Krzysztof Radziwill. They fought against Swedish troops, in defiance of James' conditions for having allowed the levies. Aston's service was rewarded with praise in the Sejm in March 1623. He remained in Polish military service, at the battle of Mewe, 22 September-1 October 1626, he led a force of 500 Scottish infantry which defeated the Swedish forces. This may be the same man as Captain Aston noted by Chancellor Oxenstierna as amongst those captured in June 1627 when the Swedes conquered the Danzig garrisons at Kesemark.

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.203, p.205, p.207, p.209; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, first series, III, 572.

Service record

STUART KINGDOMS, POLAND-LITHUANIA

Arrived 1621-01-01

Departed 1621-12-31

Capacity ENVOY, purpose DIPLOMACY

STUART KINGDOMS, LIVONIA

Arrived 1622-09-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1622-12-31, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

POLAND-LITHUANIA, MEWE

Arrived 1626-09-22, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1626-10-01, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY