MERRICK, JOHN [SSNE 1940]

Surname

MERRICK, MERRICKE, MEYRICK

First name

JOHN

Text source

Sir John Merrick was the son of William Merrick who had been a member of the Muscovy Company since 1555, and had spent much time in Russia as a boy. By 1592 he was in Moscow as an agent and at the start of the seventeenth century he was Governor of the Muscovy Company. Merrick visited Duke Charles of Sweden in Livonia on his journey to England in 1602. He was sent by James VI and I as an ambassador in 1614, and then returned to England in 1617 and acted as a British agent to Sweden that same year. Merrick eventually returned to Moscow as a Stuart Ambassador in 1618 after helping to negotiate the peace between Russia and Sweden. He accompanied Russians to the Stuart Court in 1619 and returned to Russia on Embassy in 1620.

 

Sources: The National Archives, SP/95/1-2, SP/103/61; Lauderdale Papers Add. MSS. 35125; DNB; I. Lubimenko, English Historical Review, Vol. 29, 1914; S Konovalov, Oxford Slavonic Papers, Vol. 1, 1950 and Vol. 2, 1951; 'Svenske Sandebuds till Utlandske Hof och Deras Sandebud till Sverige, SRA. 1841, p.82'; G. M. Bell, A Handlist of British Diplomatic Representatives 1509-1688 (London, 1990).

Service record

ENGLAND, YAROSLAVIC

Departed 1591-12-31

Capacity AGENT, purpose MISC

ENGLAND, MOSCOW

Departed 1614-12-31

Capacity MERCHANT, purpose MISC

RUSSIA, ENGLAND

Departed 1601-10-29

Capacity ENVOY, purpose DIPLOMACY

ENGLAND, RUSSIA

Departed 1602-02-28

Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY

ENGLAND, LIVONIA

Departed 1602-09-30

Capacity AGENT, purpose DIPLOMACY

STUART KINGDOMS, SWEDEN

Departed 1612-12-31

Capacity ENVOY, purpose DIPLOMACY

STUART KINGDOMS, RUSSIA

Departed 1613-09-30

Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY

 

Departed 1617-11-04

Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY

STUART KINGDOMS, SWEDEN

Departed 1617-12-31

Capacity ENVOY, purpose DIPLOMACY

STUART KINGDOMS, RUSSIA

Departed 1618-09-11

Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY

 

Departed 1619-12-31

Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY

 

Departed 1621-10-03

Capacity AMBASSADOR, purpose DIPLOMACY