SKOTTE, MIKAEL [SSNE 8295]
Text source
Mikael Skotte is thought to have been born in Scotland sometime between c.1570-1580 though this awaits substantiation. He appears in Swedish military records for the first time in 1606. At that point he was a cavalry trooper stationed in the city of Narva. The following year, Skotte served as a cavalryman in Daniel Golawitz's battalion and received a tax exemption for a farm located in the village of Hirvikoski (Pyhtää Parish) in South-Eastern Finland. Despite this exemption, Skotte continued to serve with Golawitz in Narva as a quartermaster (and with two horses) until at least 1610. Due to his service, Skotte was awarded more land in Hirvikoski resulting in the establishment of Kottila farm. This did not see an end to his military service.
Mikael Skotte served in Ingria in Evert Horn's battalion between 1610 and 1617. After Horn was killed on duty in 1615, Skotte was transferred to Otto Johan von Grotenhusen's battalion in which unit he saw out the Ingrian War. Thereafter Skotte returned to his farm, but returned to military service in 1621 when he joined Samuel Cockburn's [SSNE 4219] company. With Cockburn he was deployed to Livonia and participated in the Swedish-Polish War of 1621. This was his final campaign. Skotte retired from service at a muster held in Mühlgraben near Riga on the 21st of August 1622. For this service Skotte had again received a tax exemption for his farm in Hirvikoski village which was to last for the rest of his life.
Skotte apparently stayed at his farm until his death in 1631. He was married to Malin Pehrsdotter who is described as a widow in 1632 and also as the master of the Hirvikoski farm. Malin was granted a yearly pension from the Swedish crown for her husband's service. Malin enjoyed this pension at least until 1657, after which there are no records mentioning her.
Mikael and Malin had at least two sons, Carl Michelsson (born c.1620) and Michel Michelsson. There were also daughters whose names are yet to be established and few daughters whose names are not known.
This article was composed by Jere Markkanen and Tom Lindqvist.
Sources:
Finnish National Archives (“Kansallisarkisto” in Finnish, KA). Skotte served in different troops of cavalry between 1606-1622:
KA 5885:11; KA 5898:52.
35 KA 3557, without page number.
KA 3572:13v.
KA 3555:24; 5998:15v (Evert Horns)
KA 3593:18v (Grothusens)
KA 3593:18v; KA 3606:16.
KA 8626:909.
KA 3625:11,44v.
KA 8626:909.
KA 6128:263.
KA: 8564:709; 8593:421; 8626:909.
Swedish National Archives (Riksarkivet):
KrA (Krigsarkivet), Rullor 1621:5: Öv. Samuel Cobrons kompani; https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0053005_00020#?c=&m=&s=&cv=19&xywh=809%2C413%2C5914%2C3410
KrA, Rullor 1622:1: Ryttm. Reihold Wunschs kompani: https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0053005_00020#?c=&m=&s=&cv=19&xywh=809%2C413%2C5914%2C3410
Riksarkivet, Militieräkningar, 1606 års räkenskaper, SE/KrA/0455/G I 1606/1 (1606), bildid: A0064392_00053:https://sok.riksarkivet.se/bildvisning/A0064392_00053#?c=&m=&s=&cv=52&xywh=3527%2C1306%2C2202%2C1258
Malin Pehrsdotter is mentioned in 1632: http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=2557209 (KA 61288:263 – see above).
And 1657: http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=11520250 (KA 8626:909).
Michel Skotte’s son Karl Michelsson was at the court concerning a tax exemption relating to the farm he inherited from his father Michel. The whole court session from 19.2.1685 can be found at: http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=3776865
Additional information from the authors of this article: DNA tests of Skotte's four living male descendants indicate a clear connection to Scotland. The Y-DNA haplogroup I2-BY56711 is shared at least with one member of the Clan Forsyth. Mutations between this, as tested with Forsyth and Mikael Skotte's descendants, indicate a shared paternal ancestor from the late medieval times.
Service record
- SWEDEN, FINNISH REGIMENT [NARVA]
- Arrived 1606-01-01, as TROOPER
- Departed 1610-12-31
- Capacity NCO, purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN FINLAND, HIRVIKOSKI (Pyhtää Parish) FINLAND
- Arrived 1606-01-01
- Departed 0000-01-01, as 1631-12-31
- Capacity FARMER, purpose FARMER
- SWEDEN, INGRIA, HORN, GROTENHAUSEN
- Arrived 1610-01-01
- Departed 1617-12-31
- Purpose MILITARY
- SWEDEN, SAMUEL COCKBURN'S REGIMENT
- Arrived 1621-01-01
- Departed 1622-08-21
- Capacity NCO, purpose MILITARY