LYALL, DAVID [SSNE 824]
- Surname
- LYALL, LEYEL, LEIJEL, LEIJELL, LYELL, LEYELL
- First name
- DAVID
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Region
- ARBROATH, ANGUS
- Social status
- BURGESS
Text source
David Leijel was a son of Patrick Leijel of Arbroath in Scotland. He was born in 1621 and arrived in Sweden in 1638 with his brothers Henry [SSNE 3614] and James(Jacob) [SSNE 4934] and Adam [SSNE 6493]. He became a burgess of Stockholm on 19 June 1652.
David, in association with master of mining Claes Depken, began to establish a mining complex in Älvkarleby and Harnäs in northern Uppland in 1659. They also established a site at Rockhammar, Gottbohl (in Ununge Parish). In 1669 David initiated plans to build a complex at Axmar in Hamrånge parish, which received its privilege in 1671 and by 1673 48 tax paying people, including several foreigners, had moved to the area. Mine workers tended to be Walloons. Even before the complex was operational David had sold it to Albrecht Behm. The Västernorrland mining industry was developing rapidly by the 1680s, and some workers found themselves moving to three new complexes open in Kurland by 1688-90. Indeed David noted that 20 workers made the move. James also had some financial transactions with the Momma-Reenstierna family in Sweden. The brothers also engaged in the Swedish iron trade, James exporting 55,290 shipounds and David 12,706 shipounds between 1651-60, making them together the third largest exporter of the commodity from Sweden (behind the Momma-Reenstierna brothers and Abraham Bex). They also co-operated with Adam Raddou, the forth largest exporter who was James Leijel's brother-in-law (adding his exports, the kin group of Leijel and Raddou exported the largest amount of iron, 130,000 ship pounds). In the period between 1661-70, James exported 33,465 ship pounds while David exported 21,980 ship pounds worth of iron, placing them above the Momma-Reenstierna brothers once more, highlighting their status within the iron export market. In 1661, David also supplied Momma-Reenstierna with a consignment of gar-copper worth 2,060 daler c.m. The family partership also saw Raddou and James lease all the Crown's forges and mines in the district of Nora and Linde during the 1660s. In 1661, David supplied Momma-Reenstierna with a consignment of gar-copper worth 2,060 daler c.m. David and his brother Adam, and others, raised a case against Alexander Wadell [SSNE 835] in 1670.
David's wife was the sister of Claes Depken's wife. Her name was Catharina Honnon [SSNE 7572], a daughter of Dunfermline born Hans Honnon [SSNE 7571] (b.1596). She was born on 20 June 1635 in Gävle, Sweden and died on 18 August 1670. She married David Leijel on 18 May 1655. They had sons, David [SSNE 3622], Johan [SSNE 3672] and Peter [SSNE 1451], but also several others baptised in Nicolai Kyrka in Stockholm.
David Leijel died in 1676.
Sources: Stockholm Stadsarkiv: Borgare i Stockholm. Register 1651-1688, p.145; Stockholm Stadsarkiv, (Storkyrkan) Nikolai församling dopböker, 1623-1717, I, p.150; Svenska Adelns Ättartavlor, IV, pp.518-522; T. Fischer, The Scots in Sweden (Edinburgh, 1907), p.216; Leos Müller, The Merchant Houses of Stockholm, c.1640-1800 (Uppsala, 1988), pp.86, 88, 104; G. Haggren, Hammarsmeder, masugnsfolk och kolare, (Pieksamaki, 2001), pp.18, 19, 158; Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, XXII, p.450; Steve Murdoch, Network North: Scottish Kin, Commercial and Covert Associations in Northern Europe, 1603-1746 (Brill, Leiden, 2006), pp.181-182, 189-191; Curt Haij, 'Skottar i Stockholm under 1600-talet', unpublished list of names, Hintze biblioteket, Genealogiska Föreningen, Sundbyberg, Stockholm. Thanks to Ardis Dreisbach and Peter Leyel for providing additional information for this article.
Service record
- SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM, ROCKHAMMER
- Arrived 1638-01-01
- Departed 1679-12-31
- Capacity IRON MERCHANT, BURGESS, FACTORY OWNER, purpose CIVIC, MANUFACTURE, COMMERCE