BALFOUR, JAMES [SSNE 8009]

Surname

BALFOUR

First name

JAMES, JACQUES

Title/rank

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL

Nationality

SCOT

Social status

OFFICER

Text source

James Balfour was an officer in the old regiment of the Scots-Dutch brigade between c. 1627-1649. He succeeded to command of Andrew Donaldson's [SSNE 8007] company on 17 March 1627 upon Donaldson's death at Breda. He was promoted to sergeant-major of Brog's [SSNE 7842] regiment on 9 April 1639. He was present at the Batlle of Calloo (Kallo) in 1638, where 30 men in his company, including his lieutenant [SSNE 8194], ensign [SSNE 8195] and sergeant were taken prisoner. He received a further promotion to lieutenant-colonel probably on 21 July 1640 but certainly by 1643 (See Ferguson p. 332 v. p. 320). He appears in Colonel James Erskine's [SSNE 8002] regiment in 1649. He disappears from Ferguson's records by 1655. 

ISSUE OF NAMES

There were, of course, a multitude of Balfours in the Scot-Dutch brigade, several of whom were named James.  Ferguson contends that it was this James (full name James Michael) who was the son of Captain (later Colonel) Sir David Balfour [SSNE 8033] and Anne Bax. His brothers also went on to careers in the Scots Brigade and they follow: 1. Lt. Col. Patrick Balfour, 2. Lt. Col. John Balfour, 3. Lt. Col. Patrick Balfour (separate from the first), 4. Captain John Adrian Balfour. James perhaps also had a sister and his uncle may have been Colonel Sir Henry Balfour [SSNE 5011]. See Ferguson, p. 44 for his account of this pedigree. There was, however, another James Balfour who was a captain in Sir David's regiment in 1636, but as he did not rise to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, it is probably only a coincidence (Ferguson, 324).

The James Balfour of this entry, if the son of Sir David, went on to marry one Anne Stewart and had two children: David and Jacoba Balfour (Ferguson, 44). MacLean indicates in his records that Lt. Col. James and James Michael were separate officers and so this pedigree will have to come under further scrutiny (MacLean, p. 337).

 

Sources:

J. Ferguson, Papers Illustrating the History of the Scots Brigade in theservice of the United Netherlands, 1572-1697 (Edinburgh, 1899), p. 44, 72, 320, 322, 324, 328, 329, 331-3, 454, 466, 489, 491.

Dr. Ir. J. MacLean, De Huwelijksintekeningen Van Schotse Militairen in Nederland: 1574-1665 (Zutphen, 1976), p. 337.

 

This entry created by Mr Jack Abernethy.

Service record

THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, THE SCOTS BRIGADE, COL. BROG, COL. SANDILANDS

Arrived 1627-03-17, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1639-04-09, as SERGEANT-MAJOR

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, THE SCOTS BRIGADE, COL. ERSKINE

Arrived 1639-04-09, as SERGEANT-MAJOR

Departed 1640-06-21, as LIEUTENANT-COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

 

Arrived 1640-06-21, as LIEUTENANT-COLONEL

Departed 1655-12-31, as ?

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY