ROSS, JAMES [SSNE 6611]
Text source
Sigismund III used one James Ross as a spy and agent in Sweden along with Andrew Keith. This is probably the same as the Scottish "merchant" James/Jacob Ross who was interrogated by the Swedish government on 10 December 1628 as they suspected him of being a Polish spyA. Bieganska, The Learned Scots in Poland (From the Mid-Sixteenth to the close of the Eighteenth Century) in 'Canadian Slavonic Review, Vol. XLIII, No. 1, March 2001, p.25; Svenska Riksradets Protokoll, vol.1, pp.120-122; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), pp.255-256, 278, 364-366.
The Riksråd Enquiry of James Ross, 10 December 1628. "Gathered in the Chancellery were the noble and well-born gentlemen Claes Horn, Per Banér and Carl Oxenstierna to interrogate Jacob Ross who was charged and questioned by the Fiscal as follows: 1. The Fiscal asked if he is a burgess in Danzig, which he immediately denied and said that he did not have a specific home, nor did he intend to settle down anywhere, as long as he was unmarried, but has only had trade here in Sweden since 1598 when the Polish king was defeated at Stångebro. 2. He was asked with whom does he usually trade in Danzig. He answered with Daniel Rüdiger his host, and when he was subsequently asked what kind of man Daniel Rüdiger is he said that during the time he was there he was nothing more than a simple merchant, but now he gathers from one of his writings which he received in Dunkirk, that he is in the Polish king’s service and is working as a war commissioner. 3. When he was asked if he had any communication with Gabriel Göransson Posse, or anyone else in the Polish Court and if he had been sent on any missions by Posse. He answered absolutely not, and said he had not been in Danzig since 1625 when he came from there to Sweden; since 1626 he had been in Elbing, making many references to the Chancellor who would know of his presence there; in 1627 he was captured at sea by Dunkirkers, where he remained until Paridon van Horn came and acted as guarantor for him so that he was released from prison and then won his case against his opponent. That year moved he from Scotland to here. 4. He was further questioned whether he had exchanged letters with Daniel Rüdiger from Sweden. He said that since he had left Danzig he had not written to Rüdiger more than three times, once from Dunkirk, secondly from London in England, and now thirdly and lastly from Helsingör, nor had he during this time received more than two writings from him, one in Elbing, the other in Dunkirk, and in his letters and writings he had never named His Royal Majesty or the Swedish Crown in any way, if it is found otherwise he will have forfeited his life and would himself pronounce his own sentence. 5. Then he was asked if he did not soon intend to go to Danzig. He answered that he had written to Rüdiger that he should get him the mayor’s and council’s pass without it he did not dare go there as he is suspect there. He was warned to admit the truth as they had to hand what could persuade him that he was sent for Polish and the Polish commissioners’ missions, and the pass was shown to him. Then he responded that he knew nothing of such a pass but he had only written to Danzig requesting a secure pass to allow him into the town, so that he could thereby salvage his belongings there, and he said he knew neither Posse nor any of the other commissioners, nor had he ever spoken a word to them, nor would he substantiate what they had written, except for what Rüdiger wrote, that he would answer to, with whom he had for so many years had trade relations. And if the contrary could be found he would pay with his life, requesting that his chatulle could be found which had been salvaged from a ship which was stranded by Denmark, and therein all his things would be found regarding his relations with Rüdiger and others. 6. He was asked if Rüdiger had lost any ships taken by Scots [privateers] at sea, and he said that he did not properly know of that, except that as in a dream, that one had been taken, the White Dove, and the captain who had taken it had been rebuked in London. 7. And as Rüdiger reveals himself in his writing to have been in Warsaw to prosecute his case and had in the meantime established himself in Scotland and had let the case be laid aside. He was asked what case this was. He answered that he knew of no other case than a financial case which he was engaged in a trial over in Danzig against one called Schuman. And in the same case a Swede called Petrus Wastovius was procurating against him, which is one reason for his misfortune and his biggest enemy, only because he had defended His Royal Majesty in a ‘jest’ which Wastovius had talked about, and therefore whilst he had been away, Wastovius had made him suspect in Dantzig so that he did not dare go there, and Rüdiger was commissioned to fight that case on his behalf, only in Danzig and not at the Court. And whether Rüdiger had taken the case to the Court he knew nothing of this and could not respond to it. And when several reasons were mentioned [by the Swedes] that this was not a money matter which Rüdiger was taking to the Court but rather something else, he answered absolutely not and said that it was nothing other than the case against Schuman, to which he swore on his life, and he wished that all his letters and writings were here with him as nothing else would be found in them than what was proper. 8. Subsequently he was asked if he had any commission from Rüdiger in his private matters, to which he answered no. And when the authority and memorial Rüdiger had sent him were shown to him he claimed he knew nothing of them, and said he had had no commission from him for three years, and he knew nothing of what this was. And when he was asked what the decree from Helsingör meant, as is stated in the memorial, he said he did not know, and would forfeit his life if any skullduggery was proved and would not die by the sword but would be torn apart by glowing tongs. 9. He was asked if he had sworn to the Polish king. He denied this completely. Finally it was put to him why did he in the current conditions and time of war dare to write thence and request a pass to go there when he knew he could have done otherwise and knew what the consequences would be. He answered that he had only done it to salvage his belongings as said before and for no other reason, insisting on his innocence."
Service record
- POLAND-LITHUANIA, SWEDEN
- Arrived 1593-01-01
- Departed 1632-12-31
- Capacity AGENT, SPY, purpose ESPIONAGE