COLQUHOUN, HUGH [SSNE 778]
Text source
Hugh Colquhoun (Cahun in Sweden), son of Alexander Colquhoun of Colquhoun and Luss and his wife, [N.N.] Buchanan, came to Sweden circa 1566 with his brother William Colquhoun [SSNE 6046], bringing troops of Scottish cavalry to serve in the armed forces of King Erik XIV. According to George F. Black in his Surnames of Scotland, one Adam Choquoyn (from the Luss branch), became rector of Stobo in the Eastern Scottish Borders, and several of that branch found success in Sweden. Any relationship between this branch and the Swedish ones awaits substantiation.
Hugh Colquhoun was apparently one of the first Scots to support King Johan III in his struggle with his brother, Erik XIV, making the move in 1567. This was perhaps a wise move as Johan III did make some attempts to rid his kingdom of "foreign" troops, both Scottish and German. Hugh Colquhoun appeared to enjoy a fair amount of royal favour from King Johan III, perhaps due to his early pledge of allegiance.
In 1574 Hugh Colquhoun, then having spent at least 5 years in Johan III's service, was accused of embezzling some Scottish troops' wages. At the time allegedly nearly 4000 Scottish troops had been brought to Sweden, under the charge of Archibald Ruthven [SSNE 5514] but found no pay on arrival. Rumours arose that the officers had kept all the pay for themselves and Hugh Colquhoun became the sacrificial scapegoat. The troops had been raised to serve King Johan III in his campaign in the Baltic (Estonia and Livonia) but they would not sail until the matter was resolved.
Before his sentencing Hugh Colquhoun had revealed an alleged plot by Archibald Ruthven and Gilbert Balfour [SSNE 1703] to kill the Swedish king, although whether there was truth in the matter or it was an attempt to save his own skin remains a bit unclear. Fischer implies that Colquhoun's claim predated his own charging with embezzlement. Hugh Colquhoun was beheaded at Stortorget in Gamla Stan on 20 October. King Johan III is supposed to have regretted his decision and to have compensated Colquhoun's widow, who then married Magister Anders Anriep of Uppsala.
Hugh's son, Peter is said to have moved to Poland and has been identified in the past with Peter Cahun, owner of the copper mine in Sweden although doubt has been cast on this. Some have linked this Cahun with later Gahns in Sweden, a member of which family was later ennobled as Canonhielm.
Sources: T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907), pp. 56-57; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (1946, Birlinn 2007 Reprint), p. 163; J. Berg and B. Lagercrantz, Scots in Sweden (Stockholm, 1962), pp. 15, 21-22; P. Möller, 'Colquhon-Cahun-Gahn-Canonhielm; en boskillnad' in Person Historisk Tidskrift, 1966, pp. 85-119.
Service record
- SWEDEN, CAVALRY
- Departed 1574-10-20, as CAPTAIN OF HORSE
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY