MOLLISON, JOHN [SSNE 6009]

Surname

MOLLISON, MORRISON, MOLLESON, von MOLLESSON, MOLLISONE

First name

JOHN, JOANNE

Title/rank

COLONEL

Nationality

SCOT

Text source

John Mollison was amongst the Scots and English in Danzig who subscribed to the subsidy for King Charles II in 1651, where he contributed 150 florins. Soon after, Mollison took service under the Duke of Lorraine with Sir Andrew Melville [SSNE 3071] who described him as "A Scottish comrade of mine" when both sought their discharge. In 1655 Mollison and Melville sought employment in Brandenburg under Count Waldeck. Only Mollison was appointed as he wore a finer cloak, although he thought the infantry beneath him. He left Melville behind in a tavern for three weeks as he raised the cash and equipment to furnish him sufficiently to find a command as well. The two men parted, but were eventually re-united in 1664 when Mollison sought service under George William of Lunneberg-Celle. Melville was already in service with the Duke and persuaded Mollison to accept the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, even though he had held higher rank before. Mollison was soon promoted Colonel (over Melville), but Sir Andrew wrote "Being his senior in the service, I had more right than Molisson to this office, but the friendship that existed between us induced me to suffer the injustice without complaint". Colonel John Mollisone, Governor of Lunenburgh (Luneburg) in Brunswick-Lunenburgh, applied to the Scottish Privy Council for a birthbrievE in 1674. His application was supported by the Earls of Erroll, Marischal, Finlatour, the Viscount Arbuthnott, Lord Pitsligo, Alexander Leslie Baron of Balqhuain and other men of quality. That same year, Mollison's regiment distinguished themselves at the battle of Entsheim in October along with that of Melville. One commentator recorded that "The infantry regiment of Colonel Mollesson which at that date wore a green uniform with red tabs, received from the French, whom they met that day a great deal, the nickname of the green cockatoos. It was Churchill's task to attempt to break through the centre of the Duke's troops, and he was always stopped by the regiment of cockatoos...When Marlborough commanded the allied army during the war of the Spanish Succession, his first question on meeting the Celle troops was 'Where is the brave regiment of cockatoos?'". In 1676, the Brunswick-Luneberg army laid siege to Staden where Mollison was killed by grape-shot.His death was lamented by his comrade in arms Sir James Johnstone of Elphinstone [SSNE 2743] who wrote "I have lost a number of good friends both Duch and other nations especially Collonell [William] Bonar [SSNE 4749], Collonell Mollison, Major Chrichton [SSNE 6864] and others all dead and killed".

National Archives of Scotland GD 190/3/195, Misc. correspondence (1639-1696), 24 April 1677, Sir James Johnstone of Elphinstone to his brother-in-law; Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 3rd series, III, 1669-1672, p.185; Torick Ameer-Ali (ed), Memoirs of Sir Andrew Melvill (London, 1918), pp.9, 153, 157, 198, 212, 280; A. B. Pernal and R. P. Gasse, The 1651 Polish Subsidy to the exiled Charles II, Oxford Slavonic Papers, vol xxxii (Oxford, 1999), p.37; Z. Guldon and L. Stepkowski, Szkoci i Anglicy w Koronie w polowie XVII wieku, Kieleckie Studia Historyczne, ii (1977).

Service record

POLAND-LITHUANIA, ROYAL PRUSSIA, DANZIG

Arrived 1651-01-01

Capacity OFFICER, POLITICAL REFUGEE, purpose MILITARY, MISC.

FRANCE, DUKE OF LORRAINE'S ARMY

Arrived 1652-01-01, as OFFICER

Departed 1654-12-31, as CAPTAIN

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MILITARY

BRANDENBURG-PRUSSIA (Preussen), BRANDENBURG-PRUSSIA (Preussen), BERLIN, ARMY

Arrived 1655-06-01, as CAPTAIN

Departed 1664-07-31, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, purpose MLITARY

BRAUNSCHWEIG-LUNEBURG, GERMANY, LUNEBURG

Arrived 1665-01-01

Departed 1676-12-31, as COLONEL

Capacity OFFICER, GOVERNOR, purpose MILITARY, CIVIC