FORBES, WILLIAM [SSNE 422]
- Surname
- FORBES
- First name
- WILLIAM
- Title/rank
- REG. CHAPLAIN
- Nationality
- SCOT
- Social status
- OFFICER
Text source
William Forbes served as a Military Chaplain in both Danish and Swedish service. He was first in Colonel Donald Mackay's [SSNE 93] regiment in 1628 which later entered Swedish service. In April 1628, Forbes' regiment launched an expedition against the imperial troops stationed at Eckernförde in Schleswig-Holstein. On that day, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Munro’s troops led the vanguard of the attack, so that the Scots ‘[H]aving put our selves in order, and dealt out Amunition, recommending the successe to the Lord, by our preacher Mr. William Forbesse, companion of our dangers’ marched forward on the assault. Scottish military writer Robert Munro went on to praise Forbes in high terms, ‘Here I must not forget the memory of our Preacher Master William Forbesse, a Preacher for Souldiers, yea and a Captaine in neede, to lead Souldiers on a good occasion, being full of courage, with discretion and good Conduct, beyond some Captaines I have knowne, that were not so capable as he: at this time he not onely prayed for us, but went on with us, to remarke, as I thinke, mens carriage’. Forbes was subsequently in George Crawford's [SSNE 2086] regiment in 1630.
In April 1628 William Forbes signed the Danish curate Joergen Sadolin's autograph album.
Sources: Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1630/26; T. Riis, Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (Odense, 1988), II, p.119; J. Mackay, 'Mackay's Regiment' in Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, VIII (1879), p.189; R. Monro, His Expedition with a worthy Scots Regiment called Mac-Keyes (London, 1637), I, pp.51-2; A. C. Dow, Ministers to the Soldiers of Scotland: A History of the Military Chaplains of Scotland prior to the War in the Crimea (Edinburgh, 1962), p. 66.
This entry was kindly updated by Dr Thomas Brochard.
Service record
- DENMARK-NORWAY, MACKAY'S REGIMENT
- Arrived 1628-01-01, as CHAPLAIN
- Departed 1628-10-04, as CHAPLAIN
- Capacity REG. CHAPLAIN, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, GEORGE CRAWFORD
- Arrived 1630-01-01, as CHAPLAIN
- Departed 1630-12-31, as CHAPLAIN
- Capacity REG. CHAPLAIN, purpose MILITARY