BELLENDEN, THOMAS [SSNE 8267]
Text source
In Stockholms stads tänkeböcker, as published by Stockholms stadsarkiv, there is a record of a man described as a master fencing instructor. His name is rendered in a number of ways:
- Balenthen Fechttmesther
- h. k. m:tz fechtere Thomas Balendin
- h. m. fechtare Baldvin
- Tomes Baldwin, konungens fechtare
- Tomas Valentin
- K. M:tz fächtare, Tomas Balwin
- junker Ballentin fechtmestar
In the register, the Tänkeböcker editors list his family name as Baldwin or Ballantyne without offering any comments on him. He does not appear in the Tänkeböcker as a result of his fencing skills, but because of economic quarrels, in particular a long (1618-1629) dispute about a house, donated to him by king Karl IX. The house had been confiscated by Karl when its owner was expelled from Sweden in 1604 for religious reasons.
Given the longevity of his stay in Sweden it is probable that Thomas has served both Karl IX and Gustav II Adolf as a fencing instructor, or perhaps rather first been employed by Karl to train the boy Gustav Adolf, who had then retained him. Normally, a maître d’éscrime would be recruited from Italy, France or Germany, but the close relations between Sweden and Scotland might have been the reason for employing Thomas. The identification of him as a Scot awaits substantiation.
The information above was kindly provided by Klas Helmerson
Service record
- SWEDEN, STOCKHOLM
- Arrived 1604-01-01
- Departed 0000-00-00
- Capacity FENCING MASTER, ROYAL SERVANT, purpose ROYAL SERVANT