BURT, WILLIAM [SSNE 6666]
- Surname
- BURT, BURTT, BURTH, BORT, BORTH, BOURT
- First name
- WILLIAM, WILHELM
- Title/rank
- COLONEL
- Nationality
- SCOT
Text source
William Burt was a Scottish officer in Swedish service. He appears in 1629 as a major in the Green regiment although he was most likely in service before that. In February that year he was in charge of 100 horse and dragoons at Lobaw who was ordered to lay the surrounding area to waste. However, after being fired upon from the town, Burt and his men set fire to the town with three companies of soldiers inside. Burt served as the governor of Christburg town and garrison, in West Prussia from March 1629, with 2 companies of his soldiers and 2 companies of his horse. Burt was subsequently appointed commandant of Osterode, also in Prussia, in June 1629. In July he suffered some kind of setback which Chancellor Oxenstierna requested further clarification about. In May 1630 Burt was appointed commander of 700 men on the Werder. In January 1631 lieutenant colonel Burt was in charge of 600 men comprising 4 companies of John Hepburn's[SSNE 2660] regiment. He later became colonel of the White regiment. He died on 6 October 1632 during his attack against the Imperialist lines and was buried in the church of Wöhrd/Nuremberg [ENGERISSER] (some sources say 25 September 1632 at Nurnberg [Sondén]).Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, first series, IV, pp.370, 442, 457, 513, 529, 561; ibid, V, p.336; ibid, VI, pp.60, 83, 88; Peter ENGERISSER, Von Kronach nach Nördlingen. Der Dreißigjährige Krieg in Franken, Schwaben und der Oberpfalz 1631-1635 (Weißenstadt 2007 - second edition), p. 111. Thanks to Dr Bernd Warlich for this last reference.
Axel Oxenstierna to William Burt, Elbing d. 30 Mars 1629.[RAOSB IV] "Memorial för Maioren välb. Wilhelm Burt öfuer thet, som honom Christburgh angående ähr committeret. 1. Skall han begifua sigh till Christburg medh 2 sijne compagni soldater och 2 compagni ryttare, som i Marienburgh legat hafua, och sig ther sammastädes inlogere. 2. Skall han thär hafua governementet öfuer platzen, stadhen och garnisonen och allt det krigsfolck, som nu ähr där eller sedhan kann inkomma, hafuandes macht att rådha och biuda, som ståthollare tillbör. 3. Skall han flitighacht hafua ock icke tillstädia, det fienden någon plundringh eller motvillia i Christburgz gebiet öfver eller krefuer station aff landet, utan sådant medh all macht afväria och förekomma. 4. Och tär sigh fienden fredligen och stilleståndet lijkmätigt förholler, skall hann sig täremoot ochså veet att accommodere, bevijsdandes [blank]. 7. Huarest någre svåre exorbitantier förefalla eller annat, med huilket han icke kunde sig expediere, huruledes dermedh procederes skulle, tå skall hann sådant till Rikzcantzleren referere och tedan förvänta resolution. Detta skall Maioren Burt observere, och vete sig de andre, some data i någor måtto angår, effter att retta. Actum Elbingen den 30 Martij Anno 1629"
Service record
- SWEDEN, GREEN AND WHITE REGIMENTS
- Arrived 1629-01-01, as MAJOR
- Departed 1632-09-25, as COLONEL
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, CHRISTBURG, WEST PRUSSIA (Preussen)
- Arrived 1629-03-30, as COMMANDANT
- Departed 1629-06-02, as COMMANDANT
- Capacity OFFICER, COMMANDANT, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, OSTERODE, PRUSSIA (Preussen)
- Arrived 1629-06-03
- Departed 1629-12-31
- Capacity GOVERNOR, purpose MILITARY