CZAMER, ALEXANDER [SSNE 5345]
Text source
Alexander Czamer was born in Standingstone, near Dyce, Aberdeenshire in 1645. He emigrated to Poland-Lithuania at the age of 14 and arrived in 1659 when he settled in Warsaw. There he married Krystyne Legowna and they both engaged in the textile trade. They both became citizens of Warsaw in 1672. In 1676 King John III of Poland confirmed the rights of the 8 Scottish merchants who served his court, including Alexander Czamer. Andrew Tamson (Thomson), noted as a "well-famed" merchant of Warsaw, supplied several royal letters proclaiming the rights of the 8 Scottish merchants appointed to the Polish court over the years - including letters signed by King John III, King Michael (granted 10 October 1669), King Stephen, King Sigismund III (granted 26 March 1613), King Vladislas IV (granted 20 July 1645), King John Casimir (granted 3 February 1649). Alexander Czamer's name appeared in King John III's letter of 9 February 1676. He became involved in municipal activities from 1679. From 1679-82 he wsa Viginti Vir; from 1683-7 he was an Assessor; and served as a councillor on several occasions: 1688-90, 1692-4, 1697-1701. He was also elected Lord Mayor three times: 1691-2, 1694-6, 1702-3. In addition to these roles he also a Judge of the City, 1692 and 1701, a Provisor of the Hospital and a City Deputy for the 1697 coronation. He not only had a 2 storey house built near the market, but he also owned another property at Poboczna Gate and a booth at the Market. On 14 January 1681 he took an oath to become a member of the Board of Twenty of Old Warsaw. By 1689 he was noted as Counsellor and Treasurer of Warsaw when he lodged the receipt of 1500 Polish florins for the use of a house owned by the city. Later that year in August he was elected to replace the late Sebastian Szelert on Warsaw Council. He was married to Christina Lang and in 1690 the Warsaw authorities decided to grant Alexander and Christina a piece of land in perpetuity for an annual fee of 20 florins at Martinmas. Alexander was elected mayor of Warsaw on 22 February 1691 after having served successfully at the Treasury for three years. This meant that he levied taxes, collected rents and, after 1692 when he was elected Advocate, or Ordinary Judge, he even tried and sentenced burghers. Peter Roberson, a citizen and merchant of Cracow, signed over his title for 1306 florins 26 grosz of Prussian silver currency to Alexander in 1693. He died in 1703 and had adopted the Roman Catholic faith. He was buried in the Cathedral of St. John on 9 March 1703 at the age of 58A.F. Steuart, Papers Relating to the Scots in Poland 1576-1793 (Edinburgh, 1915), pp.12-19, 124-125, 325-329; Liber Matricis Regni Cancellariae Maioris, vol. 212, f.262; A. Bieganska, "Scottish Merchants and traders in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Warsaw", Scottish Slavonic Review, 5, (1985), p.25.
Service record
- POLAND, CRACOW
- Arrived 1676-02-09
- Capacity MERCHANT, purpose MERCANTILE