SEATON, JAMES [SSNE 3474]
- Surname
- SEATON, SETON, SETTON, SITTON, SEYTONNE, SETOUNE d.a.
- First name
- JAMES, JAKOB, JACOB
- Title/rank
- COLONEL
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Social status
- OFFICER
Text source
James Seaton entered Swedish service early in the seventeenth century and became a colonel by 1617, some say already by 1612. He was city colonel in Stockholm in 1619. There is a reference to his recruitment in Holland in March 1621, but perhaps he himself was there on behalf of the Swedish crown in order to recruit for them. Certainly in January 1622 Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna wrote to the Swedish resident in the Netherlands, Jan Rutgers, requesting that a special request be put to the Prince of Orange in favour of Seaton.
The Swedes wanted to retain his services in their army for another two years, but they did not want this to prejudice either his salary or his chances of promotion in the Dutch army. He was also noted as colonel of a recruited infantry regiment in Swedish service that year. It is probably this man who was noted in July 1622 as the Colonel 'Setthon' who with his troops was sent by Gustav II Adolf to attack an enemy post near a pass across the river Sweten just outside the town of Mithau. This successful manoeuvre allowed other Swedish troops to lay a bridge across the river. By 1624 he was colonel of the Hofregiment in Riga. He died by March 1625 as his widow then married Anton Monier. She was Maria Moda [SSNE 8352], though her origins remain unclear. Together they had a daughter, Johanna [SSNE 8064].
Sources: Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer i svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1621/4; 1624/6-8,11;Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, first series, I, 102-3; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, first series, II, 436; Riksarkivet, Oxenstiernska samlingen E718. Maria Moda to Axel Oxenstierna, 1625 and 1627.
Service record
- SWEDEN, JAMES SEATON, RIGA HOFREGIMENT
- Arrived 1621-01-01, as COLONEL
- Departed 1624-12-31, as COLONEL + CHIEF
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY