BORDON, JOHN [SSNE 4345]
Text source
John Bordon (fl.1624-1659), Swedish soldier and nobleman, was born in Scotland. He was a descendant of the Scottish house of Burdon of Feddall or Pitfodels, but his parents’ identity remains uncertain. He entered Swedish military service in 1623, serving first in James MacDougall’s regiment [SSNE 1623] from 1629 to 1630 and later as a lieutenant in Donald Mackay’s [SSNE 93] regiment in 1632. There is a lack of information on his whereabouts for the following ten years although he was a lieutenant colonel in James King's [SSNE 2814] regiment in September 1638. Bordon was obviously well-received in Sweden as in 1643 he was ennobled and introduced to the Swedish House of Nobility. During the Swedo-Danish war of 1645 he served as the commandant of the Hammerhus garrison on Bornholm. The Kammarkollegium refers to one lieutenant colonel Johan Burdon on 3 December 1645 and on 2 January 1646 the Riksrad confirmed him as lieutenant colonel of a conscripted Dalregiment, although in 1647 (SAÄ says 1651) he became full colonel for the same regiment, and retained this rank until his retirement. Ludvick Hamilton [SSNE 2603] had a company in his regiment. He also engaged in some correspondence with the Momma-Reenstierna family in 1654 suggesting a business interest of some sort. It appears that he was in Stetting with his regiment in 1655. Bordon was involved in defending the Swedish copper supply from Danish-Norwegian attack in 1657 and wrote several letters from Mewe to Duke Adolf Johan. During Sweden’s war with Russia over Baltic dominion states Bordon’s regiment was in Riga under Field Marshall Robert Douglas [SSNE 2378]’ command in 1658. When he decided to retire from military service in 1659 he received a royal land grant from King Karl X. He also obtained a travel pass on 15 August 1660 to return to Scotland Bordon married Regina Sinclair [SSNE 6266], daughter of the Scottish soldier Francis Sinclair [SSNE 3504] and Johanna Sutherland [SSNE 2835]. They had three sons and several daughters. Two of his sons, Gustav [SSNE 1835] and Johan [SSNE 1983] also entered military service. It is not known when he died.
Sources: Swedish Krigsarkiv, Muster Roll, 1629/22-24; 1630/34; 1630/37,38; 1632/28; 1646/3; 1647/4; 1648/3; 1649/3,17,18; 1650/5; 1651/3; 1654/3; 1655/3,5,8,9; 1656/5-7; 1657/2,5; 1658/4; 1659/5; SRP, XI, 269. 2 January 1646. Notification of Bordon's position as lieutenant colonel in the Dal regiment; Swedish Krigsarkiv, katalog over rullor, vol.3, pp.1100, 1130 and vol.8; Several letters can be found in 'Krigskollegium Kancelliet; Adressatregistratur till Krigskollegiets Registratur 1631-1654' between the dates of 23/12 1647 and 14/11 1654 under the name of Bordon with another set under the name of Gordon between 1640-1652; See also Kammarkollegium card no.112; Swedish Riksarkiv, P. Sondén, Militärachefer I svenska arméen och deras skrivelser; Swedish Riksarkiv, Adolf Johans Arkiv i Stegeborgssamlingen, 2 letters of John Burdon to Duke Johan Adolf, Mewe, May 1657; Swedish Riksarkiv, see also Bielkesamlingen; Svenska Adelns Ättartavlor, vol. 1, p.535; Swedish Riksarkiv, Förteckning över Momma-Reenstierna Samlingen, part C: brev till Bröderna Momma-Reenstierna ingångna skrivelser, section 2, brev till Jacob Momma-Reenstierna - E2501, 33, Bratt-Bö. John Burdon 1654; H. Marryat, One Year in Sweden, including a visit to the isle of Gotland (London, 1862), p.486; Otto Donner, A brief sketch of the Scottish families in Finland and Sweden (Helsingfors, 1884), p. 20.
Service record
- SWEDEN, JAKOB DUWALL
- Departed 1630-12-31, as ENSIGN
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, MACKAY'S REGIMENT
- Departed 1632-12-31, as LIEUTENANT
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, HAMMERHUS IN BORNHOLM
- Departed 1645-12-31, as COMMENDANT
- Capacity COMMENDANT, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, DALAR REGIMENT
- Departed 1659-12-31, as COLONEL + CHIEF
- Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY