STRANG, HANS [SSNE 1735]

Surname

STRANG, STRANGE, STRÅNG

First name

HANS, JOHN

Title/rank

CAPTAIN

Nationality

SCOT

Social status

OFFICER, NOBLE

Text source

John (Hans) Strang was a Scottish gentleman, allegedly from Balcaskie, Fife in Scotland, who entered Swedish military service. His parents are given as Robert Strang and his wife Karin. John Strang's name apparently crops up regularly in correspondence from King Johan III, Sigismund I, and Duke Karl, later Karl IX. As Johan III reigned from 1569 onwards it is likely that he was recruited to serve in that king's campaigns against Muscovy, although some sources indicated that John Strang came to Sweden in 1566. One source notes that in 1569 John Strang was awarded Olstorp and Råstorp. Another royal letter dated 12 December 1577 describes John Strang as a Scottish cavalry man who was donated Bråhult estate and croft to compensate for expenses he incurred in Livonia on behalf of the Swedish Crown.

There is some confusion between two men with the same name active in Sweden. The other John Strang allegedly hailed from Stirling and was a stable master, who came to Sweden in 1592, and later brought his wife and children over from Scotland, including a son called Hercules. It seems the sources have conflated at least two individuals and their various families.

John Strang is noted as recruiting 8 horse for the Uppland cavalry in the early 1580s. Payment records exist for him and his troop from 1584 until 1594.

By 1593 his properties included 11 farms, 2 crofts in Kristdala parish, 5 clergy cottages, 1 "utjord", 1 stream, 3 fields in Gammalkil parish, Valkebo härad, and a "tionde" of Eksjö in S Vedbo härad.

Towards the end of the sixteenth century John Strang was resident in Tjust parish where he is had a long-term use of 5 cottages in Valkebo, 11 cottages and 2 crofts in Tuna, Småland, and 12 farms in Ackeryd parish. It was presumably around this time that he married Karin Andersdotter Bagge, with whom he had at least three children: a son named Hans [SSNE 3605] who entered Swedish military service and eventually died at the Battle of Wittstock in 1637, and two daughters named Karin (who married Anders Stråle af Ekna) and Magdalena (who married Carl Jönsson, later kommandant of Scheda castle in Livonia; she predeceased her husband in 1628). Other sources note further sons: Albert (Albrecht) and William. It was allegedly Karl IX's queen, Kristina, who arranged the marriage between John Strang and Karin. Karin appears in the register of nobility in 1610.

In 1594 John Strang received a "tiondespannmål" from Höreda parish, totalling 96 barrels, along with Asboland "häradsrätt".

John Strang was apparently "häradshövding", legal role, from 1594 until his death in 1609.

On 11 December 1597 Duke Karl confirmed John Strang's properties in a letter addressing him as "Strang till Skeälsnäs". John Strang was certainly married to Karin Bagge by then as he inherited the Skälsnäs manor house through his wife. The very next year Strang fell out of favour with Karl and was sent to prison, according to one source. Other sources say John Strang, like Andrew Keith and James Neave, supported King Sigismund (Johan III's son and king of Poland) when he came to Sweden to assert his right to the Swedish Crown. Strang appears to have been in Wittenstein, Livonia from 1599-1600. 

John Strang cleared of any wrongdoing by Karl IX, who affirmed Strang's return to his former standing as 'ryttmästare' (master of horse).

In 1602 John Strang attended the parliament in Stockholm and signs the final statement with his own seal (see link to image below), said to be very similar to the seal of Robert Strang of Balcaskie, Fife. 

Karl IX awarded John Strang Asbolandshäradsrätt, and he is taxed 44 daler for this along with 36 daler for fees owed in "rusttienst".
Intriguingly, in 1607 John Strang signs the noble estate's submission to the parliament, indicating that he had been ennobled.

John Strang died on 28 December 1609. He was buried at Hults church.

Sources: Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1582/6; 1583/1; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Militieräkenskaper 1537-1619, 1584, 1590, 1591, 1582, 1583, 1594; J Silfving, 'Släkten Strang från Skottland', Genealogisk Tidskrift, band VI, 1961, pp.13-15;Tjust härad fogderäkenskaper 1586, Kammararkivet; Förläningslängd 1593, vol. 19, Kammararkivet; Smålands handlingar, 1569:13, and 1593:19; Riksdagsacta 1607; J E Almquist, Herrgårdarna i Sverige under reformationstiden, (Stockholm, 1960), p.347.

An image of John Strang's seal can be seen on the following webpage, accessed on 25/05/2024: Strang | Martin Sunnqvist

Service record

SWEDEN, UPPLAND CAVALRY

Arrived 1577-01-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1609-12-28, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY