Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a common soldier abroad, 1617-1632 in Northern Studies (ISSN 0305-506X) vol 47

Abstract

This article describes a rare corpus of letters from a common soldier of the Thirty Years' War. They are mostly written to his mother, sister and wife

Full text

76
Drummer Major James Spens:
Letters from a Common Soldier
Abroad, 1617-1632
Alexia Grosjean, Steve Murdoch
and Siobhan Talbott*
THE letters of Drummer Major James Spens were rst identied by Mr
Archibald Duncan of Pittenweem in 1950 as part of his project to translate
the diplomatic correspondence of Sir James Spens of Wormiston.1 Wormiston
served as both the British ambassador to Sweden and a general in the Swedish
army. Duncan carefully sifted out twelve letters that had been misidentied
as belonging to the ambassador, and compiled his evidence for so doing in a
three-page memorandum which now sits alongside the corpus in the National
Records of Scotland.2 The memorandum focuses on why the letters cannot be
those of Wormiston and Duncan’s interest in them ended there. However, to
scholars of early modern Scotland, and particularly of Scottish military service
abroad, these letters represent a unique nd – a series of letters by a common
soldier covering a fteen-year period of service.
The letters relate to the author’s unspecied role in the garrison of
‘Dewbruch’, which Duncan believed might be Dewsbury in West Yorkshire.
However, the true location of the garrison is in Doesburg in Gelderland (The
Netherlands).3 Spens’s rst four letters allow us to deduce that there was a
* Alexia Grosjean is an Honorary Fellow of the School of History, University of St Andrews;
Steve Murdoch is Professor of History, University of St Andrews; Siobhan Talbott is
Lecturer in Early-Modern History at Keele University.
1 Duncan’s translations into English of James Spens of Wormiston’s letters were never
published, but they can be found in Uppsala University Library: ʻThe Diplomatic
Correspondence of Sir James Spens of Wormiston’, Manuscript E379d. The letters to the
Swedish Chancellor and Regent, Axel Oxenstierna, have been published in their original
languages in Jönsson (ed) 2007, 23-274.
2 NRS, RH9/2/231-242.
3
Spens variously spells this place name Dewbruch, Dewbrig and Dewburgh. The letters
themselves appear on the catalogue of the NRS as being sent from Doesburg. We thank Marcella
Mulder and Dr Griet Vermeesch for their help in conrming the location of the garrison.

77
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
Scottish community near Doesburgh, which comprised family friends such
as Thomas Aikin, John Wilson and his wife, and at least two of his relatives
including his mother’s sister and her husband. It is possible that Spens learned
of the opportunity to serve in the garrison either through these individuals
or from members of the Scottish or English brigades serving in the Dutch
Republic. English forces had served there intermittently since the end of
the sixteenth century and, in their correspondence home, serving ocers
variously recorded the town name as Dewburgh, Dewburrie, Diuborrow and
Diuborroe. Evidence for the fact that it is Doesburg and not Dewsbury comes
from the letters themselves. Spens notes that the garrison he is stationed in is
100 Scots miles from their landing place.4 But he notes that this distance was
further than one John Fairlie, a friend in Gelderland, said that it would be.5
The town of ca.2000 inhabitants supported a garrison throughout the period
of the Dutch Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648).6 Moreover, we can identify the
units of the Scots-Dutch brigade present in Gelderland down to company
level. Two companies of seventy men drawn from Colonel Willliam Brog’s
regiment served there in 1617 when Spens arrived – those of captains Andrew
Donaldson and Philip Mowbury.7 Spens’s letters only enable us to identify
one comrade in arms in Dutch service, merely described as the son of John
Waschop (Wauchop).8 However, this group of letters ends in 1619 and it seems
he may have returned to Scotland thereafter. The rst four letters do not
mention a wife, whereas those from 1628 onwards do. Moreover, in one of his
nal letters, dated 1632, Spens notes that he had been out of Scotland for eight
years. This gives us a window from roughly 1620-1624 during which he was
in Scotland, got married, and had children, including his son William Spens.
The 1624 date is of interest because it coincides with James Spens of
Wormiston’s permission to raise a new levy in Scotland for Sweden.9 A perusal
of the muster-roll of the rst contingents who arrived in service that year show
that James Spens served as a ‘tambour’ (drummer) not only in the regiment
of his namesake, but in the colonel’s own company.10 The unit, which Spens
called the regiment of ‘Crouner Spens’, was wholly Scottish at this juncture.11
4 One Scots mile is the equivalent of 1.13 English miles or 1.81 kilometers. See the conversion
chart in Enthoven, Murdoch and Williamson (eds) 2010, xvi.
5 NRS, RH9/2/232: James Spens to his sister, Agnes Walker, Doesburg, 30 August 1617.
6 Vermeesch 2009, 3-23.
7 Ferguson (ed) 1899-1901, vol. 1, 72-3, 229. One John (Jan) Spens later served as chamberlain
to the colonel, although the relationship to James Spens has not been established. See
Rotterdam City Archives, ONA, ‘Attestatie of verklaring’, 29 July 1636.
8 NRS, RH9/2/232: James Spens to his sister, Agnes Walker, Doesburg, 30 August 1617.
9 For Wormiston’s permission to levy in Scotland and England in 1624 see Grosjean 2003, 58-59.
10 KrA/0022/1624/8, f.264. James Spens’ Regiment, Muster, August 1624.
11 ‘Crouner’ is a Scots language variant of the word colonel.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
78
Once again then, Spens served alongside fellow Scots overseas including
the colonel’s son, a sergeant also called James Spens. That Spens served in
the regiment of his more senior namesakes is probably not coincidence. In
recent research on the subject of military motivations, kith and kin relations
have proved to be compelling as a primary reason for serving in a particular
regiment.12 Indeed, by 1626 Wormiston’s regiment included James Spens
(colonel), James Spens (the colonel’s son), James Spens (the drummer) and
James Spens (a musketeer). Serving alongside this group was Alexander
Spens, who was also a drummer and perhaps drummer Spens’s brother, who
he noted as having died in Germany in 1631.13
This particular corpus of letters is unique in that it is largely devoid of
the ‘big cause’ motivations for enlistment into the military. This does not mean
that Spens’s other letters did not mention such matters, or that he did not
write about them to a dierent group of recipients. Nevertheless, such causes
are not recorded here. The information we do have shows us that Spens did
not feel compelled to serve according to a particular ideology, but rather chose
military service as an available occupation. He mentions to his wife several
times that were she to hear of any work available to him in Scotland he would
rather leave service and return to take up such work to be with his family.14
He does mention ‘God’s Cause’, but not in reference to his soldiering or the
Protestant League, rather as a point of honour with regard to a lady he feels
he let down by being in her company when she received an oence.15 While
many Scots at ocer level mention the cause of Elizabeth Stuart (the Queen of
Bohemia and daughter of James VI and I) as a primary motivation for service,
Spens is silent on the subject.16 Similarly, Spens says nothing of the pursuit of
money in a mercenary sense. In the opinion of Colonel Robert Monro, ‘such
Souldiers to command were my choice, that cared not for gold nor money, but
for credit’.17 When Spens wrote home to his parents after leaving the Swedish
12 For motivational factors to enlist see Murdoch and Grosjean 2014, 1-42. For the specics of
kith and kin clustering in specic regiments see ibid. 5-6, 37, 82-83, 97, 121 & 167.
13 KrA/0022/1626/3, .150-153. James Spens’ Regiment, Muster, 1626. For the death of his
brother in Germany in 1631 see NRS, RH9/2/241: James Spens to his father and mother,
Amsterdam, 12 November 1631.
14 See NRS, RH9/2/236: James Spens to his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, Riga, 1 October 1628.
15 NRS, RH9/2/239: James Spens to his mother, Agnes Walker, Riga, n.d.
16 See, for example, Robert Monro’s declaration that ‘I did come at it [the war]; for many
reasons, but especially for the libertie of the daughter of our dread Soveraigne, the
distressed Queen of Bohemia, and her Princlie Issue; next for the libertie of our distressed
brethren in Christ’. Monro 1637, vol. II, 61-2. See also Kellie 1627, 3.
17 Monro 1637, vol. I, 73. Monro returns to this point several times noting that the best pike-
men ‘remaine standing rme with their Ocers, guarding them and their Colours, as being
worthy the glorious name of brave Souldiers, preferring vertue before the love of gold, that
vanisheth while virtue remaineth’. Monro 1637, vol. II, 37.

79
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
army for service in the Dutch East India Company (VOC), he wrote of his
motivations similarly; that he ‘would not wish for gold’, but rather he talked
of ‘the goodness that I nd by travelling and visiting foreign countries’.18
Whatever drove Spens to enlist in Sweden, he says little about the
grander ambitions of Gustav II Adolf, describing the move into Germany as
part of the Swedish campaign against the Habsburgs with the single line ‘we
ar to remow utin yis cuntrie presentlie to Duchland quhar ye kings majestie is
for he hes greit weirs yer’.19 Moreover, it was while ‘the Lion of the North’ was
conducting his campaigns that Spens opted to leave Swedish service. This
was not due to an objection to the campaign, but as a way of escaping the
personal tragedy of the loss of his wife, Elizabeth, during childbirth.20 Having
repeatedly sent her letters nudging her to come and join him in Riga, Spens
felt that many would think he had been unkind to her and been responsible for
her death. He thus decided on a self-imposed exile to last seven years.21 After
receiving permission to leave the regiment he removed himself to Amsterdam
where, with his old friend George Borthwick,22 he enlisted for a seven-year
tour to the East Indies as a soldier in the VOC:
I my sel hes taikin ane Jurnay in hand that non of my kin
ever hes tain ye Lyk in hand; quhilk is to the eist ingies quhilk I am taik
on for sevin ʒeirs; fyve ʒeirs in the Land and ane ʒeir cuming and
ane ʒeir going quhilk I hop in Jesus chryst yat it sall be the best Jurnay
yat ever I took in hand to ye glorie of god and your comfortis.23
Archibald Duncan suggested that the rank of ‘drummer major’ did not
exist within the Swedish army, but it certainly existed in Scottish regiments
of the period.24 In a muster of the Army of the Solemn League and Covenant
in England in 1646, most regiments of foot contained a cohort of drummers,
usually two per company.25 Specically in Colonel Arthur Erskine’s regiment
18 NRS, RH9/2/242: James Spens to his father and mother, Agnes Walker, Guinea Coast, 23
February 1632.
19 NRS, RH9/2/240: James Spens to his father and mother, Agnes Walker, Riga, 1630.
20 NRS, RH9/2/240: James Spens to his father and mother, Agnes Walker, Riga, 1630.
21 NRS, RH9/2/241: James Spens to his father and mother, Agnes Walker, Amsterdam, 12
November 1631
22 A George Borthwick served as a musketeer in the same regiment as James Spens. See
KrA/0022/1629/22, f.102. James Spens’ Regiment, Muster, 1629.
23 NRS, RH9/2/241: James Spens to his father and mother, Agnes Walker, Amsterdam,
12 November 1631. For the context of Scots serving in the East Indies in this period see
Enthoven, Murdoch and Williamson 2010, 87-117.
24
We thank Dr Björn Asker at The Swedish National Archives for conrming this to be the case.
25 See various mentions in The National Archives at Kew [TNA], SP 41/2, ‘Muster Rolls of the
Scots’ Army in England, January 1645/6.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
80
we nd John Henderson recorded as ‘Drummer Major’ for Erskine’s own
company, along with two other drummers. In the other companies of the same
regiment the muster-roll records another eight ‘drummers’, equalling eleven
in total.26 From this we can condently infer that ‘drummer-major’ was the
senior drummer in a regiment responsible for the collective drum cohort in
some regiments. As ‘General of British’ in Swedish service it seems that James
Spens of Wormiston continued to employ Scottish ranking structures, including
the regimental drummers as senior to ordinary drummers.27 Indeed, having
enlisted as a ‘tambour’, we nd Spens recorded in the Swedish muster-roll
of 1626 with the rank clearly listed as Drummer-Major.28 When the regiment
reached full strength (eleven companies), there were no less than twenty-ve
drummers in the regiment.29 The role of these men was important: they were
often used to indicate the presence of recruiters in a domestic context, and once
in the eld they could be used as signalers.30 During the Thirty Years’ War,
Scottish drummers perfected the ‘Scots March’, a particular drum beat used
by the Scottish regiments to marshal troops and lead them into battle. Colonel
Robert Monro recorded an instance when it was even imitated by German
regiments to try to frighten their enemy, giving credence to its eectiveness.31
Spens’s letters tell us much about the culture of communication for the
common Scottish soldier and this correspondence reveals the ways the letters
were intended to be used. They were to be read aloud to family and then given
sight of to his friends. Although often addressed to his mother, sub-sections
are included that directly addressed his siblings or father. He took care to add
additional recipients in case of the failure of delivery. Moreover, this small
parcel of twelve letters is merely the tip of a now sadly lost mountain of mail.
Spens informs us of twenty letters sent in a single year to his wife alone,32
as well as indicating throughout that his other friends were in constant
written communication with home. Several of these letters reveal that the
soldiers would each act as couriers for bundles of correspondence when the
26 TNA, SP 41/2, ‘Muster Rolls of the Scots’ Army in England’, January 1645/6, .3-4
27 In other cases in Sweden we nd senior drummers identied in this way. See for example
the regiments of James Ramsay in 1629 and John Meldrum in 1630. KrA/0022/1629/10,
f.339 and KrA/0022/1630/23 f.274 respectively.
28 KrA/0022/1626/3, f.152. James Spens’ Regiment, Muster, 1626. There is no ambiguity here
as the muster-roll is recorded in Scots not Swedish.
29 KrA/0022/1629/22, .80-114. James Spens’ Regiment, Muster, 1629. Interestingly, James
Spens does not appear on this muster from October 1629. We can deduce that it was around
this period he returned to Scotland to meet with Elizabeth Baillie.
30 Furgol 1990, 7.
31 Monro1637, vol. II, 65, 112.
32 NRS, RH9/2/235: James Spens to his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, Riga, 1 October 1628.

81
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
opportunity arose. Spens himself served as a courier for James Hanna, albeit
he unfortunately lost the bundle entrusted by him to a thief.33 Despite the
relative paucity of this corpus, the surviving letters illustrate the common
soldier’s hopes, fears and even separation anxiety. But, crucially, we learn that
even the ordinary ranks were as much in communication with home as their
higher status ocers serving overseas. After all, Spens’s letters found their
way home from as far aeld as Doesburg, Riga, Amsterdam and the coast of
Africa.
The frequent mention of women in the letters shows Spens’s concern
for female kith, kin and friends alike.34 The most potent of these letters are a
series of three in which he berates his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, for not writing to
him often enough, or worse, being unjust to him when she did.35 Despite his
obvious fury at Elizabeth’s failure to keep in touch, he consistently protests
his love for her and eventually appears to have briey returned to Scotland
before bringing her with him to Riga in 1629. This involved a treacherous
journey during which his kinsman, James Spens of Wormiston, sustained him
for some fteen weeks in Stockholm after they were robbed.36 This common
soldier also wrote to his mother and sister, frequently providing counsel in
dicult situations in which they found themselves and advising on a number
of matters from personal relations to business transactions. For example, he
instructed his sister not to trust John Farlie, either in the buying or selling
of land.37 He consoled his mother when let down in her aairs by both his
brother and his father at various times.38 He never forgot his former servant
Janet Richisone whom he mentions in three separate letters. Along with his
numerous greetings to his ‘gossop’ (Godfather), William Cuthbertson, he
also sent regards to his ‘cumer’ (Godmother), Margaret Douglas.39 His ctive
relationship to the Douglas family is interesting, not least as Spens sent news
33 NRS, RH9/2/238: James Spens & Elizabeth Baillie to Agnes Walker, Riga 29 May [1629 or
1630]. It is possible these letters were destined for Sergeant Robert Hanna who enlisted into
the same regiment as Spens in 1624. See KrA/0022/1624/8, f.264. James Spens’ Regiment,
Muster, 1624.
34 For more on the role of the female migrant caught up in the military exodus from Scotland
see Talbott 2007, 102-127.
35 NRS, RH9/2/235-237: James Spens to his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, Riga 1 October to 1
November 1628.
36 NRS, RH9/2/238: James Spens and Elizabeth Baillie to his mother, Agnes Walker, Riga, 29
May (1629 or 1630).
37 NRS, RH9/2/232: James Spens to his sister, Agnes Walker, Doesburg, 30 August 1617.
38 NRS, RH9/2/231: James Spens to his mother, Agnes Walker, Doesburg, 30 August 1617
and n.d. 1619.
39 NRS, RH9/2/238: James Spens and Elizabeth Baillie to his mother, Agnes Walker, Riga, 29
May (1629 or 1630).

Northern Studies, vol. 47
82
of his friend Robert Douglas home to Douglas’s wife.40 In a nal mention of
women who were not (yet) relations, Spens for all his love of travel and the
exotic, stated emphatically after his wife had died that he would not take
another spouse of any nationality but his own: ‘for I hop not to marie ane
wy till I get a Scots woman’.41 This was despite having just embarked on a
seven-year journey that he knew might cost him his life.
It is in this condition that we lose sight of James Spens from the historical
record. He was emphatic that he would try to return to see his parents again,
while observing that this might not be God’s plan for either him or them.
Although his fate remains uncertain for the moment, it is in his surviving
letters that Spens has perhaps played his most signicant role by providing a
rare glimpse into a common soldier’s most personal concerns as he traversed
the globe. In so doing he reminds us that the private relationships and social
networks employed in his age were not simply the preserve of the rich or
famous with whom we are more familiar.
Editorial Practice
We have left the text in its original language, Scots. Where Spens uses
a word for which the equivalent in English is not obvious, we have given
an English translation in the footnote. All translations are taken from the
Dictionary of the Scots Language, available at: http://www.dsl.ac.uk/.
Punctuation and capitalisation
The script James Spens uses is sometimes unclear and quite inconsistent,
particularly with regard to spelling. Moreover, he eschews the use of
punctuation throughout his letters; we have introduced punctuation, most
notably adding semi-colons to help the reader gain a sense of the intended
clauses. Similarly, although we have retained Spens’s own spelling for proper
names, we have added capitalisation. There are places throughout the text
where Spens introduces capital letters for no apparent reason; we have left
these visible.
Spelling
In the word ‘ʒeires’, the rst letter represents the Scottish ‘yogh’. This
letter-form is common to Middle Scots and represents a sound somewhere
40 NRS, RH9/2/236: James Spens to his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, Riga, 1 October 1628. Robert
Douglas appears in the regiment as a musketeer in 1626. See KrA/0022/1626/3, f.154.
James Spens’ Regiment, Muster, 1626.
41 NRS, RH9/2/239: James Spens to his mother, Agnes Walker, Riga, n.d.

83
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
between ‘J’ and ‘Y’ (in Middle English ‘G’ and ‘Y’). By the seventeenth century
the use of ‘ʒ’ for the ‘Y’ sound is said to have been obsolete ‘except for fossilized
occurrences in a limited number of words such as Cappercailʒe...’.42 However,
Spens uses it correctly both at the start of some words, but also in the middle of
others including the surname of his wife, Elizabeth Baillʒie. Thus the frequent
use of the letter-form here by Spens should be of lexicographical interest to
scholars of the Scots language.
In Older Scots the letters ‘quh’ are used to describe the equivalent of
‘wh’ in English. The reason for the dierence comes from the Scottish double-
sounded pronounciation – the breathed velar plosive followed by the voiced
lip-back fricative. The symbol qu, adopted from French spelling in words of
Romance origin gradually replaced the Old English cw in native words also.
It remained in use in formal Scottish documents until the eighteenth century
when English began to replace Scots as the language of state.43
In the word ‘yat’, the rst letter represents the ‘thorn’ (þ) which was used
in Old and Middle English as a form of ‘th’. In Middle Scots handwriting it is
usually identical to the letter ‘y’. We have retained the ‘y’ to distinguish cases
in which the author uses ‘y’ from the times when he uses ‘th’. By so doing
we also follow a change in the author’s own usage: in his early letters Spens
writes ‘moyer’ (moþer) for mother but, through several stages, he gradually
alters this to the more modern spelling. Similarly, Spens sometimes renders
the ‘th’ at the end of a word as an ‘f’ (‘helf’ instead of ‘health’), representing a
labialisation more often heard in speech than seen written down.
In several places Spens uses the sharp S ‘ß’ to represent a double ‘s’.
We have retained his use of ‘ß’ although it is, again, inconsistent. Sometimes
Spens includes both a second s and ß. Where ‘sß’ is the case, we have indicated
only the intended ‘ß’.
Expansions
There are a number of instances of contractions in this corpus of letters.
Where expansions have been made, italics have been used to indicate them;
e.g. ‘qlk’ has been expanded to ‘quhilk’ (which) and ‘qn’ to ‘quhan’ (when)
etc.
42 Robinson (ed) 1991, 814.
43 For more see Grant et al. (eds) 1931-1976, vol. VII, 293.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
84
The Letters
RH9/2/231: James Spens to his mother and father, Doesburg, 30 August
1617
To my loving moyer;1. 44 efter my most hertlie comandationis I am to
let 2. ʒow to wit yat I am [in] gude helf praisid be god at yis present and let
ʒ3. ow to wit yat I haif resavit fra Wm Robertsone45 sex quarters and ane
halif of grin Ingliß cloß; tua pair of pairlie hans and tua pair planis;4.
tua pair of pairlie napcinis and tua pair plane w5. ith ane angle of gold
with ane pair of plydis; and thanks hertlie for thame; and I wryt to6.
ʒ7. ow for no plydis but to hir broyer scho wald no burdin ʒow so sair
at y8. is tyme becaus ʒe have annuch ado at this tyme; bot ʒit
I thank 9. ʒow hertlie for thame and for your liberalite yat ʒe haf
schawin to me; I hopin10. 46 I sall be a gude frend to yame yat ʒe haif send
here; I wad wis to god y11. at my broyer wad doe his diligens to ʒow
and to ye thing y12. at he promeist me47 befoir god to my moyer loving;
ʒ13. e haif done to me abone your power is god knawis at yis present
and I here nothing but scho is ane onist woman y14. at feir god
and upry15. chtlie; and it wonder me broyer yat he maid ʒour promeist afore
god and does it not; and does not 16. ʒour onist dew to hir yerfore for feir
god and doe y17. at apertein to ye dewtie of god; my hertlie comandationis
to 18. ʒow and yours husband; Thomas Aitin mak his hertlie comand
-ationis to 19. ʒow moyer; thank be to god I am in gude helf; praisd
be god but sen yo20. ur sister come heir I bein verie seik; I am a litil
bettir at yis present; I have resavit ane suord loving moyer; ye blissing21.
of the lord ye Jesus Chryst be w22. ith ʒow nicht and day and loving
moyer if ever god mak me ane man I sall remember on 23. ʒow
moyer; my blissing be with
24.
ʒow nicht [and] day moyer; comand me to John Wiliamsone
and his bedfellow; comand me to Androw Brucht and his bedfellow;25.
comand me to Thomas Mairschell and his moyer; so I rest w26. ith ʒow;
cometh 27. ʒow to god frome Dewbruch ye ye penilt of August
ye penilt day of August28.
To my loving moyer; yis be delyverit to Agnes Walker 29.
the penilt of August30.
James Spens your sone31.
1617 1617 32.
44 Initially, as here, Spens uses the thorn (þ) to represent the ‘th’ sound in ‘mother’. In his later
letters Spens shifts practice and uses ‘th’.
45 The identity of this William Robertson and the other people mentioned in this letter remain
to be established.
46 Spens leaves a gap between after ‘hop’ and ‘in’.
47 Perhaps crossed through?

85
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
Thomas Aitin maks his hertlie comandationis to 33. ʒow loving moyer; mak my
hertlie comandationis and he is verie weill to all frends in ye Cannongait
(reverse)
To my loving father; this be delyverit in Edinburgh to James Spens
RH9/2/232: James Spens to his sister, Agnes Walker, Doesburg, 30
August 161748
To my loving sister; my hertlie comandationnis be rembrit to
1.
ʒow quhilk;
49
I thocht
gude to wryt to hir q
2.
uhilk; our wayeg was baif deir and coustlie quhilk it not as John Fairlie
spek it is in Gilderland
3.
50
quhilk; it is ane hundreth Scotis mylis fra our landing place
q4. uhilk we war ar51 we cam to our Jurna end; we tent ane mark of everie peis
of gold of o
5.
ur quhyt silver we lost; silver quhilk com to thrie pund of the schanging
of o6. ur money quhilk; I have nea freind bot John Wilsone and his wyf in yis land
tak so greit cair of me and my bedfellow q7. uhilk; and plis god at ye
spring yey will be 8. ye in Scotland quhilk I assure ʒow I pray ʒow for;
ye love of god intertine tyme as thir intertine ws and yo9. ur sone; and pray yat
ʒ10. e speik not your mynd to John Fairlie; neither52 of bying or syling of the land;
and be not so appin of yo11. ur pirls as ʒe haif bein befor; trust him no
for he hes not sein yo12. ur sone at all quhilk quhilk; I requist ʒow most
ernistlie till send me thrie ell of gray for to be ane Jup13. 53 to ly by ye
Gard with in winter; and I sall send 14. ʒow ane sten of lint or tua with
yo15. ur gude sister quhilk; I sie nothing in yis companie bot plane hardnes
q16. uhilk; your sister tak moble cair and dolar54 and think so lang to have
word of 17. ʒow xxxxxxxx xxxx xxxx
and pray 18. ʒow to have mynd of Besie Ruyirfurd; my comandat
-ionns be Remembrit to 19. ʒow and your sone, and your sister make your hertlie
comandationis to 20. ʒou and mak my hertlie hertlie commandationns
to James Spens induellar in Edinburgh; mak my hertlie comendat21.
-ionis to Androw Bruch and to his bedfellow and to Jo22. hn Williamso
-ne and his wyf, and to Elspith Gudrie and hir dochter and to 23.
Jo24. hn Sandis and his wyf, and to Georg Durie and his wyf
48 The letter is undated other than ‘penilt of August’. As with his rst letter he signs this one
from ‘Dewbrig’ and it was probably written at the same time as the one to his parents. He
also addresses them in this letter.
49 In this letter Spens appears to be using quhilk (which) as a form of punctuation. Its presence
here renders the letter awkward to read as he uses the same word correctly, often in close
proximity.
50 Gelderland in the Netherlands.
51 The Scots word here is the preposition ‘er/ere/or’ which would be rendered in English as
‘before’.
52 The nal letter is unclear, but must be an ‘r’ in this context.
53 The Scots word ‘Jup’ usually refers to a woman’s jacket, though it is clear from the context
that Spens intends it here for his own use.
54 Spens here seems to be mean ‘movable geir and money’.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
86
q25. uhilk; Jonne Waschop eldest sone is in ye garischin quher we ar no
and pray 26. ʒow to tak of hiz awin to bestow up hiz self your55 comandations;
we knaw y27. at ʒe ar tum handit56 at this tyme no farder bot cometh ʒow
to god be due comandationis; and yo28. ur sister be remembrit and your sone
sone; comith 29. ʒow be god frome Dewbrig; Jonne Waschop sone mak his hertlie
comandationis to yow 30. xxxxxxxxxx [and] pray
desere 31. ʒow to ga to my ladie and tell hir of the thrie pund and get it
or let me ladie gaif me thrie ell of gray for it32.
James Spens; mak my hertlie comandations to a gud neibris 33.
the penilt of August34.
PS1: and I pray ʒou loving moyer to send me ane peis of silver to mr [..blsn?]; and
I pray to send me with [...] as I wryt for it; for I have resavit ye peis of gold for thy
delyverit the peis of gold to my father sister
PS2: Send no more geir for I sie the luvtenant and his wyf and they ar so gridi of the
things that ʒe send if I misler I57 sall send and had not ane haill sark till yey come; and
pray xxx tak in care for thanks be god we ar in gud helf [...] sie be [...] quher nether your
gud broyer your [...] thar sister [....] the warnin
(reverse)
Sister I let 1. ʒow to wit yat I am weill in helth praysid [be God]
and deseris ye lyk of 2. ʒow and prayis ʒow with the rst [occasi]
-oin yat 3. ʒe send word quhow ʒe doe quhilk; I think to [...]
to wit q4. uhilk ʒe deseryr me tell send ʒow word qhow...]
is q5. uhilk I think he ryt hardier handlid58 and wad abo...]
ye war war not luvtenant Aitin I had not plais...]6.
Luvtenant Aitin had givin me of my awn pay q7. uhilk the g[eir]
ʒ8. e send hes done me litill gud at yis present; I wald l...]
ʒ9. e had bocht me ane dublit your self for I have gotin [...]
but tua sarks and ane hat of it; I never said ware and ha[ve]10.
gotin ane dublit of it deserying 11. ʒow loving moyer yat ʒe sa...]
leter ane peiß of silver q12. uhat pleiß ʒow if ʒe may get it in [...]
cam tuk ye drum; weill I thank god mak my hertlie hert[lie]13.
comandationns to your moyer and my fayer comith 14. ʒow to G[od]
and I pray yow y15. at ʒe doe sell ye land and let not Mr Fa[irlie]
begyl 16. ʒow; and I pray ʒow moyer yat ʒe send me nothing [but]
ane litil thing to send my self at noboyey wit as I send fr...] 17.
55 Unclear due to over-written text.
56 ‘Turn handit’ is an idiom meaning ‘empty handed’.
57 It is not clear what Spens means by ‘if I misler I sall send’.
58 Meaning ‘roughly handled’. The ‘d’ ending in Scots is often silent rendering ‘hand’ as
‘haun’ etc.

87
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
and doe not ane nicht the ho...]18.
bot ane and awin w…]19.
[...]20.
(also reverse)
To heis loving sister Agnes Walker; thes be dellyferit in the Canongait
RH9/2/233; James Spens to his father, James Spens, Doesburg, 1618
To my loving ather; efter my maist hairtlie command1.
-ationis I am to lat 2. ʒow to wit that I am haill and feir59
praised be to god at this present; and desering ye3.
lyke of 4. ʒow; and I am to lat ʒow to wit your sister
is weill in helth praisid be god at yis present5.
tyme; and yo6. ur gud brother maks maks [sic.] ye hartlie hairtlie [sic.]
comandationns to 7. ʒow and lat ʒow to wit yat they ar weill
in helth praisid be to god at yis present tyme;8.
y9. erfore loving ather I wald desere [ʒow] maist
ernistlie to send me word of yo10. ur hel[th] an[d] estait
and how 11. ʒe ar and I am glad o your weileir
and y12. erfore loving ather I wal[d] [d]esere
ʒ13. ow maist ernistlie to mak my hairt[lie] [co]mmandations
to my Brother Art[14. c]hie Spens; loving ather I wald
desere 15. ʒow to send me over sum money with Bearer
or it is in a sure hand; and I wald desere 16. ʒow
to send me over ane Clok and sum money;17.
y18. erfor I am not to truble tua60 much I will rest;
I recommand 19. ʒow to ye protection of ye
Almichtie God; rom Dewbruch; yis be20.
delyverit to my loving ather James Spens21.
servitor to my Lord Privie Seill in Ed22. inburgh
161823.
to my loving father James Spens sevitor to my Lord Privie Seil24.
Edinburgh 161825.
(reverse)
To my loving ather James Spens servitor to my Lord Privi Seill in Edinburgh; this be
delyverit in Edinburgh
59 When used of persons in Scots ‘feir’ means ‘in health and vigour ’.
60 Here Spens hypercorrects ‘too’ to the Scots for ‘two’ and so renders it ‘tua’.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
88
RH9/2/234; James Spens to his mother, Agnes Walker, Doesburg, 1619
Loving moder; efter my maist hairtlie comandationis I am to lat 1. ʒow to wit
y2. at I bein verie seik yis haelf ʒeir or yerby; bot now praised be god I am
mending for I have had ye cords sua lang; Bot loving moder I am weill3.
now praised be to godt; be in gude comfort for I thocht verie lang to wryt4.
to
5.
ʒow of my estait and your sister is in gude helth praisid be god and hir husband;
loving moder I wald requist 6. ʒow maist hairtlie with ye rst pasag to
wryte to me of yo7. ur estait and if my fayer did his dewtie to ʒow of any
thing or if he help 8. ʒow anything for loving moder I think lang to heirof your
estait; as for ye peiß of gold y9. at ʒe send I have bocht tua sarks with it
now loving moder; 10. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx11. for loving moder I am sorie yat I have
trublit 12. ʒow soo fair for alles I knaw your estait and loving moder
I wald desyr 13. ʒow maist eernistlie yat ʒe wald speik to my loving fayer to send
me soo much as ane cloot of Gray agane winter if he feir God; not desering14.
ʒ15. ow loving moder to trubil your self in any things; for is Godt knaws
ʒ16. e have doen above power to me sen I was born; for if ever Godt
mak me ane man I sall Remember on it for I hoop upoun Godt to be ane man17.
to doe 18. ʒow gude; wald toe Godt yat my fayer wald doe his dewtie to ʒow
as he Aucht to doe Beoir Godt an man; I will requist 19. ʒow
maist ernistlie to wryte to me with ye rst pasag how y20. at ʒe
can he agrie togidder; and as for yo21. ur letters and your things sie yat
ʒ22. e keip yame weill rom his Hands and herri your self not moir;
my loving and hertlie commandationis to my fayer and til al23.
gude freinds and to my loving moder my hairtlie comandationis24.
no arder; Bot Commith 25. ʒow to ye protectione of almichtie
God; rom Dewbruch yis Be delyverit 161926.
Your loving soone James Spens at pow27. er
I wald requist 28. ʒow to send it with yis Bearer James Carmichil;
yo29. ur sister maks hir hertlie comandationis to ʒow from Dewbruch;
loving sister efter my hairtlie comandationis I am to30.
lat 31. ʒow to wit yat I am in gude helf praisid be God
at yis present; desering ye lyk of 32. ʒow nothing; command
me till all freinds and till entertein yo33. ur self;
and pray 34. ʒow quhen Serʒand Jack comes to wryt your estai[t];
and pliß god I sall send an teken w35. ith him to ʒow
for we can get non to send it w36. ith; and pliß ye Lord
it sall be send w37. ith Serʒand Jack in quhat place he is
in; is was teken y38. at yer was no paper in Edinburgh
y39. at ʒe sent not ane letter; no thing bot comithing ʒow to god
my hartlie comandations [to] 40. ʒow

89
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
(reverse)
To my loving moder Agnes Walker; this be delyverit in the Cannongait
RH9/2/235: James Spens to his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, Riga, 1 October
1628
Rry1. cht loving and weilbelovit spous in cryst Jesus; yis present
is to schaw 2. ʒow yat at ye writing heirof I am in gudd helth
wisching from my very hairt ye lyk of 3. ʒow and ʒour child and
my father and mother and all Ay4. er gude freinds quhatsumever yat
loves us; mervelling my hairt of 5. ʒow yat miscontentment ʒe
have gottin of me y6. at ʒe send me here so much as any written
to me; and I have written I think above tuentie tymes this 7. ʒeir
q8. uhilk maks me think something aills ʒow; for gif ʒe had written
to me and it had bein in the farrest pairt of the world I9.
wold have both send 10. ʒow anser and have comit my sel
howbeit it sould have cost me my lyf ye world sould11.
not have holdin me frome 12. ʒow my hairt; and gif ʒe sie ane
t occassioun q13. uherby I may live lyk ane honest man with
ʒ14. ow I intreit ʒow to send me word with ye rst occa
-sioun and I sall com w15. ith the haist I tak; and gif ʒe have
no knowledg as 16. ʒit [...] at any yat loves ʒow and me
q17. uher I can pane and plane to live in better yan ʒe last
I had and I sall obey 18. ʒour rst wrytting to me; for I
sie 19. ʒe will not com to me for I thank god I could h[…]
maintaine 20. ʒow honestlie heir; bot I will not trubill ʒow
sa beand it be 21. ʒour will not to com from ʒour friends; and
I will not trubill 22. ʒow bot I refer ʒow to ʒour awin discret[ion]
for I have heir in ye moneth ten dollar swanis23. 61 and I thot
sindrie tymis to have send 24. ʒow money bot I durst not
haisert to send it to 25. ʒow for feir ye have never sene it and
y26. at wold have grevit me; I pray ʒow my hairt hold mee &
trust in writing so angrillie to 27. ʒow for sundrie of ʒour bred
grevit me in y28. at ʒe wroit to me so unkyndlie; bot I tak
God to witness if I deservit such at 29. ʒour hand; I have
tain this occasioun to wryt yis letter thinking y30. at my cornell
will be home this spring tyme and I look to com my sel31.
if I can get licence at my cornells hands; y32. erfor I intreat ʒow
to tak ane gude pairt for it greivis me your unkyndnes;33.
desiring 34. ʒow under god to have ane cair of my sone and
to learne I need to know his treatus in the dayis of his youth; desyring35.
ʒ36. ow to excuse me yat I can not get writtin to my father and
61 10 Swedish Rixdaler per month. This would equate to about £2.50 Sterling. For the
conversion of Swedish currency in this period see Grosjean 2003, xi-xii.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
90
my mother schowing my wryt y37. at I wold have send my mother
home ane but or elß ane better token; but I durst not pairsue38.
for feir y39. at it wold not bein delyverit; for sundrie letters ar
broken up y40. at coms here from Scotland witch taiken to yis
land; I wrait to 41. ʒow concerning ane truent wyf quho
duells in Jo42. hn Frank land in Cowgait in Colledg Wynd who
wold have comit w43. ith ʒow; remember my love to my fayer
and mother; and Gilbert Jo44. hnstoun and his wyf; and Eliza
-beth Bail45. ʒie and hir dochter; and Janet Merschell; to Wm Cuth
-bertsone my gossop46. 62 and his wyf and to ʒour sel and my
bairne above all; I rest 47. ʒour husband to death James Spens drumer maior;
from Riga the 1 of October 162848.
(reverse)
To my loving spouse Elizabeth Baillzie; in duellar in the Cannongait in Edinburgh
theeß be delyverit in hir hand
RH9/2/236: James Spens to his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, Riga, 1 October
1628
Rry1. cht loving spous; efter my maist hairtlie commandationis
I am to lat yow to wit y2. at I am in gud health praisid be the
almichtie god of heavin; and desyris fra my verie heart the lyk of yow3.
and my ather and mother and all uther gud reinds q4. uhatsumever; I wrytin
to yow sundrie and diverß tymes and mervill mikill y5. at ye never wryt
to me againe; it seameth y6. at ʒe have forʒet me or think I am deid; not
praisid be god almichtie; I am aly in gud estait as ever I was in7.
my ly tyme praisid be the almichtie god of heavin for all hie gis;8.
for I have lippinit9. 63 everie day for yow heir and it seameth yat ʒe have
not a mynd to cum to me for 10. ʒe think your self over gud Lassie yow;
I sall not trubill yow with mair writing; I protest 11. ʒe sall byd thrie
hundreth 12. ʒeir beoir I send ane letter for yow agane; I desyre
no mair but y13. at ʒe will wryt to me your quholl mynd to me yat I may
be at rest with my self; for yo14. ur cuming not hes hunderth me64 ane
hunderth punds Scots money y15. at I have not; for ʒe neid not mak that
excusß y16. at ʒe had not company for Sanderß Trent wy wald
have cumit with yow and Ro17. bert Dowglas wy & sundrie uthers; I
desyre yow maist earnistlie to wryt to me my Burd gi y18. at ʒe
62 ‘Gossop’ is ‘godparent’ in Scots.
63 The Scots word ‘lippen’ means to “to trust, rely or depend on, have condence in (a person
(to do something))”. Here Spens appears to be using the past tense to mean ‘depended on
you coming here’. He uses it later in the letter in the sense of trust.
64 Here Spens uses ‘hunderth’ twice in proximity, but it looks like an error for ‘hindered’. He
is implying that by not coming over, his wife has cost him £100 Scots money, presumably
for transportation paid to an agent.

91
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
Knaw any ly for me in Scotland q19. uherby I may lei onything
with yow better than I doe heir; I requist yow wryt to me and20.
be gods grace I sall cum hame to yow at spring tyme; t21. herfor with
out 22. ʒe Knaw better doe not wryt for me for I have everie weik
to spend ten testins23. 65; yerfor desyr me not from my better to my werss
without 24. ʒe Knaw better; yerfor I requist yow my deir burd to wryt
to me quhidder 25. ʒe will cum to me or I sall cum to yow; for it is not
gods will y26. at we suld be so long sundrie as we ar; bot I knaw evill
report is the wyt27. 66 ʒe wryt to me the last tyme; so evill as ʒe did
bot gi y28. at ʒe wryt not ane anser to me with the rst occasion better
then the last tyme I resavit yo29. ur letters yat I was such a man as
ʒ30. e wryt; I protest to god I sall be such a man as ʒe said I sall
tak ane uther wy heir; for it had bein in yo31. ur way fyve hundreth
merks y32. at ʒe had cumit and pairs of cheirs syn to the land quher I am;
for I thank god cum q33. uhich ʒe will ʒe sall not want to doe your turne;
for it greis me y34. at ʒe will not obey my wrytin so aft as I have
wrytin; I have wrytin everie perticular to yow at yis tyme concerning35.
everie thing q36. uhilk ʒe may tak up gi yat ʒe pleiß your self; for my
love is ever towards yow q37. uhilk ʒe may knaw for als I sall answer to god;
gi y38. at I had ane sure hand I wald send sum money bot I doe
not lippin in thame for breking up my letters; y39. herfore I requist
y40. at I be not greit mair nor trublit in mynd and I am ferther;
Lord knaws my trew hairt towards yow I will not trubill yow farder41.
bot desyring to remember my commandationis and service to my42.
father and mother with ye blissing of god be with yame both till our43.
meiting; and especiall to my sone Wm Spenß with my blissing be with him;44.
rember [45. sic.] remember my powir to Elspet Baillʒie and her dochter and
Gilbert Johnstone and his wy & to Wm Cu46. thbertsone my gosop & his wyf;
& to Jenet Merschell & to Jenet Stevisone & to Ro
47.
bert Dowglaß wy chawing hir
he is weill; to Ro
48.
bert Jemesone the piperrer his sone is with me [&] verie weill; to Patrik
Aillin; to Manß49. Hamiltoun; to Jon Kilgowr; to to all freinds in generall respect
Riga 1628 the rst of October 1 October50.
your loving husbant James Spens 51.
drummer magor to croner52. 67 Spens regement
Riga in Leiand 1628
Riga October 1 rst
(reverse)
To my loving spous Elizabeth Baillʒie induellar in the Cannongait in Edinbugrh; therß
be delyverit hand theese [...]
65 A silver coin, originally French, then minted in Scotland. 4-5 shillings value.
66 Possibly the Scots ‘wy at’, which in this context would mean ‘the way that you wrote to
me’.
67 ‘Crouner’ is one Scots variant for ‘Colonel’.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
92
RH9/2/237: James Spens to his wife, Elizabeth Baillie, Riga, 1 November
1628
Rry1. cht loving and weilbelovit spouß in Jesus chryst;
thir present is to lat yow to understand that I am in gud2.
health at this present and desyris fra my werie heart3.
ye lyk of yow and all gud freinds q4. uhatsumever [and] my ather
and mother; lating yow to understand y5. at I have fund the
occatione of this bearar to wryt to yow; for so many tymes6.
I have wryten beoir to yow and can get no anser fra yow7.
q8. uhilk I mervill mikill of your unkyndnes towards me your
lo9. yall husband; mervilling mikill yat ye tak never the
paines ane anß10. er to wryt to me; for it seameth yat ʒe belive
y11. at I am deid; not praisid be almichtie god of heavin for
I am verie weill praisid be god; for I have trublit my sel12.
so many tymes in wryting for yow to cum to me and 13. ʒe wald
never cum nor send me ane anser of yo14. ur mynd; always I
lat yow to understand my mynd 15. ʒe mister68 not to cum; for
q16. uhilk I wryt for ʒow to cum ʒe wald not now ʒe sall not cum;
for be the grace of god gi y17. at I can win away I sall sie
yow this summer be gods grace; for I will assur yow I will not18.
stay at home but will bring yow with me; for 19. ʒe micht a holdin
in my Travill gi y20. at ʒe pleisit your self; for gi the cornell
will not lat me away I most stay still and help my21.
sel the best I can; for as for wryting for yow I feir22.
I will not wryt no mair for yow bot I will wryt always23.
to chaw that I am weill; but the grace of god I will24.
doe my best at the croner hauß to sie gi y25. at he
will lat me away to cum to yow; gi he will not26.
I tak god to witneß I can not help it for the lord27.
knawis my mynd towards yow or uthers I had not28.
taiken the cair y29. at I tak of yow; for my mynd is trublit
everie nicht for I wad I had givin ane hundreth punds30.
y31. at I had brucht yow with me; for gi I was in Scotland
ʒ32. e suld not stay yher I [w]ryt to yow to me is with Sanders
Trent wy in Ed33. inburgh in Scotts Wynd; ʒe sall be so gud as
to wryt to me ye maner of Scotland quhow it is; for I asur34.
yow I will cum gi y35. at ye curnell will gi me lei for
althocht I have not mutcht geir I sall have gud closs; and36.
wryt to me gi y37. at ʒe have takin under with Wm Foster or not
for I will live my 38. gei geir heir till my bak cuming; for I will not
stay at home y39. erfor; sie gif it pliß gods yat I cum hame quhat
no mor trubill me; for I rather never cum for gif y40. at ʒe war
68 ‘Mister’ in Scots means ’want, privation, necessity or need’.

93
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
with me 41. ʒe micht live weill; asht69 the bearer for I protest to
god I lie not; for 42. ʒe may belive for wald belivit yow mair
rests with my blissing to yow and my bairns43. 70; and father & mother
and all freinds with my command44. ations to all in gennerall; for I am sorie
y45. at the peper is at ane end; rests Riga in Leiand 1628;
ye rst of November 1628 november;46.
Your loving husbant till death 47.
James Spens dr48. ummer magor to ye
croner Spens regament 162849.
(reverse)
To my loving spous Elizabeth Bailʒie in dualler in the Cannongait in Edinburgh; thes be
delyverit in hand James Spenss
RH9/2/238: James Spens & Elizabeth Baillie to Agnes Walker, Riga 29
May [1629 or 1630]
Rry1. cht loving mother; efter my maist hairtlie command
-ationis I am to lat yow to wit y2. at at this present I am
in verie gude health and wish fra my werie heart the3.
lyk of yow; for I thank god almichtie sinc I left yow4.
I have bein in many dangers for the furst day y5. at I chippit
in at Leith the chip and y6. er cho lay at ane moneth and spendit
the best pairt of ye money y7. at I had; and then efter yat I
was nyn weiks upon the sie and then landit at Gottinberie8. 71
and thair gat horß to travill up in the cuntry to Stokholm9.
bot the rst occasioun y10. at I marcht with […] Gottinberie the
rst day I lost all my cloeß for the bouer11. 72 yat cariet
yam upone the wagan sta12. le frum uß away and never
sae him agane; for as I sall anßer to god y13. at quhen I cam
to Stokholm I had not so much as my sark to spit14. 73 upone
my bak; nor nothing to live upone war not his Lord of15.
69 In the context ‘asht’ appears to be a variant of ask, though the writing is unclear.
70 The word is unclear, but given that we know he mentions at least one child elsewhere,
‘bairn’ or ‘bairns’ makes sense.
71 ‘Gotenberrie’ is the Scots rendering of ‘Gothenburg’.
72 ‘Bouer’ most accurately translates as ‘peasant’ (eg bauer: ‘farmer’ in German; boer: ‘farmer’
in Dutch; bonde: ‘peasant’ in Swedish). The word is used in English (boor) to mean a rude
person or one without manners but does not appear in the Dictionary of the Scots Language.
Spens probably picked up the word on his continental travels.
73 There is little doubt that Spens intended to write the Scots variant of ‘put’ here – ‘pit’. In
his memorandum, Duncan quotes this sentence and renders it as such. However, the ‘s’ is
clearly visible.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
94
Wormmeston16. 74 and his sone Leutenant James Spenss75 […]
gave me money utherwayis I had bein at ane sempill17.
estait q18. uhilk god knows my greif for as I sall anßer to god;
I have nothing left me nather cloeß nor nothing; and19.
was fyftein weiks in Stokhollm befor I com to my gudman20.
[…] bot q21. uhich I am praisid be god he maid me verie welcom
and war not for ye loß of my geir [...] I gat my self;22.
for I hop in god my worst dayis is past and my best days23.
is coming; I hop in god with ye rst occation y24. at I
sall send yow ane taikin of 25. xxx my love; and I hop in god
ʒ26. e sall have it shortlie for my gudman hes had anuch76 to
doe w27. ith me; senc I com ye money yat I have he wared
it upone cloeß beor I cumit28. 77 in the chip […]
or utherways 29. ʒe suld have had ane [token] of my love;
mother I thank yow fra my werie [he]art for the 30.
gud commandationis y31. at scho give yow yat [ʒe?] war so gud to
hir and my bairnes; I hop in god to cum hame and sie32.
yow lyth and mirrie; y33. erfor be in gud [com]fort rests
with my commandationis to Gilbert Jonsto[ne] [vellum torn];34.
my blissing to his bedfellow for hir [...] y35. at che...]
shawin to me many in my mister; and to your dochter [...] and36.
[…] I [...] and to Patrik Hairt and his wy;37.
to Walter Logan and his wy and bairnes; till Jo38. hn Scot his
wy and bairnes; tell John Scot I pray y39. at he sall be payit
wair not my fortouns I had payit him now at yis present tyme; and to40.
maister James Hana I pray yow tell him y41. at his letters is lost with my
guds; and till Elspet Jonstoun; to my servant Ro42. bert [..ig] to his wyf Cristian
Pairk; to my cumer43. 78 Margrit Dowglaß; to my nevewe Cristian Moris
[…] to Jenet Makilmon; to hir sone Ro44. bert Hamilton; to Hendrie Seytre
his wyf; to Patrik Elsthintir and his wyf; to Ro45. bert Cranstoun his wyf; and
to Wm Cudbersone his wyf my gosop; I pray chaw yan my letter and my46.
estait to my loving anti Besie Linsay;47.
your loving dochter Elspet Baill48. ʒie till death and your sone James Spens
Riga in Leiand 49.
the 29 of Maii50.
74 General Sir James Spens of Wormiston .
75 Lieutenant James Spens was the eldest son of Sir James Spens of Wormiston and his rst
wife, Agnes Durie.
76 ‘Anuch’ is Scots for ‘enough’.
77 Spens leaves a space after ‘cum’ and before ‘it’, but is using ‘cumit’ (correctly) as the past
participle for came.
78 ‘Cumer’ is an older Scots term for ‘Godmother ’.

95
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
[Written into the left hand margins:]
PS 1: Mak my hairtlie commandationis to Thomas Crichtoun & to Barbrie his79 sister &
to Jenet Merchell & hir gud man
PS2: Desyring yow loving mother to mak my hairtlie commandationis to Wm Bairner
and his wy & hoping in god to sie him blayth and mirrie; and pay him to Georg Leslie
and his wy and his bairnes and ye nuriß & to Fergiß Couall & his wy
Reverse
To my loving mother Agnes Walker indweller in the Cannongait […] theses; yow pray
commendations […] John Haburn […] dochter for I […] ʒet with by blessing
RH9/2/239: James Spens to his mother, Agnes Walker, no date.
Mother I intret yow to seik for Jenet Richisone my needie
1.
80
; and comend me to hir and tell
hir y2. at I was angrie with my wyf becaus scho brocht hir not with
hir; and q3. uhan I nd ane occasionis I will wryt for hir; desyring yow
to remember my love and dewtie to my father; bot I wonder of his4.
unkyndnes towards my wyf y5. at he wald no cum towards hir at hir
away cuming q6. uhilk was the leist thing in the world to be kind;
desyring him to wryt to me with the rst occasionis; I requist7.
yow to commend me to Jenet Merchell & hir gud man; commend me8.
to Manß Hamilton with Jo9. hn; Patrik Aillen; John Kilgowr;
tell Ro10. bert Jameson the piferer81 his sone is verie weill and
gets his twed11. 82 for by83 the kings meanis; desyring him to wryt to
him; comend me to Jon Po12. llock84 my auld commerad drumer
and tell him my love towards al gud friends; hoping 13. ʒe will
goe and tell yame everie on14. e; desiring your self to tak
ane gud heart yo15. ur sel for I sall not forʒet yow be gods
grace; nor my wy; for hir Love remeneth ever towards16.
yow; lat all there y17. at I have written to sie the letter
y18. at I will not forʒet yame as they forʒet me; with
my hairtlie commandationis to Walter Logan and tell19.
him I rest; comending me to all other frends y20. at I
have for21. ʒet; commiting yow to god all; luking for your
79 This reads ‘hir’ but in context must mean ‘his’.
80 Spens appears to be using ‘needie’ as a pet name for his servant. ‘Needie’ is the Scots word
for ‘necessary’.
81 ‘Piferer’ is a Scots variant of ‘piper’.
82 ‘Twed’ = ‘tweed’. It was common for soldiers to be paid in cloth.
83 ‘Forby’ in Scots means ‘in addition to’. Again, Spens here splits a word into two parts.
84 John Pollock is mentioned twice in the Spens correspondence, and specically as being in
Aberdeen in his nal one from 1632. John Pollock ‘sometime oure tounes drummer’ got
himself into trouble with the council of Aberdeen in 1638 for committing adultery in the
burgh. He was to be banished unless he could be reconciled with the Kirk. See Taylor (ed)
1950, 85. Aberdeen Council to the Earl of Traquhair, Aberdeen, 20 February 1638.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
96
anser chortlie; rests at Riga;22.
desiring yow to delyver theeß letters and recommend23.
me Ro24. bert Dowglas sister and tell hir hir brother is
verie weill in gud health; desyring hir to tell his25.
friends with his hartlie comandations to yow all26.
his gud freinds [...] to sie yow blyth & mirrie;27.
I intreat yow to goe to Jene Haburne28.
for I am sorrie fra my hairt for the schaith29. 85
y30. at scho gat in my company; I intreat hir to
wryt to me for gods cauß q31. uhilk I hop scho will
commend me to hir for gods cauße [...]32.
(reverse)
To my werie loving [...] Georg Spens [...]
delyver thame to my mother Agnes Walker induallar in the Cannongait [...]
RH9/2/240: James Spens to his father and mother, Agnes Walker, Riga,
1630.
Rry1. cht loving ather and mother my humble love and
dewtie Being Remembrit to yow and my mother; lating yow2.
to wit that I am in werie gude health at ye writing heiro3.
and desyris fra my werie heart to heir the lyk of yow and all4.
gude reinds q5. uhatsumever; desyring to recommend me to yam all;
lating yow to understand y6. at it hes plised god all michtie to tak
my loving wy fra me q7. uhilk is ane great grei to my heart; ʒit
the Lord Jesus comfort me for scho deid in hir Birth in ye pest;8.
allwayis I gi ye lord thanks; desyring to recomend me to all9.
hir reinds and myn for and pliß god I think not to sie Scot10.
-land this sevin 11. ʒeirs for hir saik; desyring yow loving mother to
tak ane gud comfort to yo12. ur sel for I have lost my comfort
under god; for it may be hir reinds think y13. at I was evill till
hir; I tak god to witneß quho is Richtious Juge quhow14.
weill scho micht a livit with me gi god had spairit hir dayis15.
with me; now I have no body to wryt to now but my father & yow;16.
ye blissing of god almichtie rest with yow nicht & day forever17.
mair for we ar to remow utin yis cuntrie presentlie to duch18.
-land q19. uhar ye kings majestie is for he hes greit weirs yer; Rycht
loving mother I intret for to wryt to me with the rst occasioun20.
quhow 21. ʒe ar or quhat estait ʒe ar in; & gif god call upone yow ʒe
have no body neir yow any thing y22. at ʒe have liv it with Robert Cranston
my reind or utherwayis with maister Spens; for gi 23. ʒe doe not
no body will get gud of it; mother I speik not for greid of24.
85 ‘Scaith’ means ‘hurt received’ in Scots.

97
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
geir bot doe according to yo25. ur pliser for so lang as I lei I will
not want I will get my living; bot I tell yow for the best for26.
sall never com in Scotland without I have to doe my awin turn;27.
But I sall never for28. ʒet yow so long as I lei quhilk is my dewtie
for the cair 29. ʒe have had of me; for I hop not to marie ane wy
till I get ane Scots woman; allwayis recomend my humble30.
service to my ather and chow him of my welair; I thank god I31.
have to doe my awin turne for walth I have not q32. uhilk the
Berer can tell yow; I intreat yow to drink w33. ith him; I wald
have send sum lunk34. 86 with him bot he can tell yow it alß
so deir heir and in Scotland; I have no arder to truble35.
yow bot the Blissing of god to remain ever mair with yow als36.
desyring yo37. ur letter schortlie remcomend [sic.] me to Wm Foster for
give I com in Scotland I sall pay him; recommend me to all my38.
auld commerads to Manß; to Patrik Aillin; to Kilgowr; to 39.
Gilbert Jonston his wy & bairnes; to Elspet Bail40. ʒe & hir dochter;
to Margrit Reid and hir husband; to Wm Cudbersoun & his wy;41.
& to Ro42. bert Cranstoun wy my gud friend; for I hop to sie yam als
blyth & mirrie; & pliß gud Recommend I pray to my auld43.
servant Jenet Richisoun 44. desiring; rests with ye bliss
-ing of ye almichtie to rest with forever mair Riga in45.
Leiand ye rst of October 16 1646. 87 [sic.] 30
Your loving sone til 47.
death James Spens drumer magor under 48.
his Ma49. jesty in Sweadin.
PS: Recommend me to my maister Jon Matheson & his wy for it may be I can not nd
occasion to wryt agane so sone
(reverse)
To my werie loving mother Agnes Walker in duallar in Cannongait theeß; in caice of
failʒier delyver to my ather James Spens
RH9/2/241: James Spens to his father and mother, Amsterdam, 12
November 1631
Ry1. cht Loving and weilbelovit Father and mother my love being
remembrit to yow both; chawing yow y2. at I am in gude health at this present
wrytting and des3. irying to heir the lyk of yow and all gud freindis
quhatsumever;
lating yow to wnderstand y4. at I taikin my pas from me Lord of Wormistoun
86 ‘Lunk’ is a Scots word for a kind of cloth.
87 It appears that Spens originally wrote 16 26, then changed the 26 to i6 and followed it with
30.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
98
and hes left the king of Suadin s5. ervic and hes travilit into Holland
and hes mait w6. ith your sister and chow is in werrie gud health and hir
husbant to; lating yow to wnderstand y7. at William Robertsone and his wy is
dead; and I my sel hes taikin ane Jurnay in hand that non of my kin 8.
ever hes tain ye Lyk in hand; q9. uhilk is to the eist ingies88 [sic.] quhilk I am taik
on for sevin 10. ʒeirs; fyve ʒeirs in the Land and ane ʒeir cuming and
ane 11. ʒeir going quhilk I hop in Jesus chryst yat it sall be the best Jurnay
y12. at ever I took in hand to ye glorie of god and your comfortis; for I have
bein borne to Travill ye quhilk I give god thank13. is for all; for I have
bein in many dangers and the Lord hes preservit me quhilk I hop in 14.
god y15. at he will preserve me in this Jurnay to; chawing yow yat it hes
plisit god Almichtie to call wpone my Brother for he depairit 16.
in D17. uwchland89 abowe tua moneth at the plisour of god Almichtie; chawin
yow y18. at I have wryttin tua serverall tymes senc I com heir in Holland
to yow des19. irying yow maist earnistlie to tak no discomfort for he […]
Jesus chryst to sie yow blyth and mirrie in gude estait to the glorie 20.
of god and yo21. ur comfortis; ye the quhilk with a sad heart I wrycht theeß letters
bot allways to chaw yow y22. at ʒe sall not think I am dead; Intreating yow
both gif y23. at it plis god to call wpone yow yat ʒe remember wpone me
quho is yo24. ur only begottin chyld ye quhilk ʒe haif no moir childrin in the
world bot I alone; ye quhilk gi it plis god to call wpone me I sall 25.
liv yow a remembranc of me; bot I hop in Jesus chryst to sie yow 26.
both aly and mirrie at my returne; 27. ʒe sall wnderstand yat I have maid
a wow to god almichtie for hir saik y28. at is with god yat for sevin ʒeiris to
travill the q29. uhilk I will keip my promeis for I have many crosis in yis world;
bot q30. uhen god [took] my deir wy fra me yat was ye greatist cros yat ever I had
for I will never for31. ʒet hir sua lang as I liv; for scho was my comfort
in this world; lating yow to wnderstand y32. at Bessie Kowin sone Georg
Borthuik and hes mait at Amsterdam and he and I ar going away 33.
togidder as commerad34. is; desyring yow to chaw his mother and comend
me to all freind35. is especiall to Robert Cranstoun and his wy and to Margret
Wood and hir husband; and to W36. illiam Cubertsone my gosop and his wy
and to Manß Hamiltoun and his wy; and Kilgowr; and to Gilbert Jo37. hnsone
and his wy; and to Jenet Richisone my auld s38. ervant and all wyeris
quhom I have fo39. ʒet in gennerall; my hairt is with yow all; remember
my s40. ervic to William Foster and tell gif yat it plisit god to send me hame
I sall pay him; remember my low to Georg Spens and his wy for 41.
ye kyndnes y42. at did to my wy ye quhilk scho remembrit wpone hir dead bed;
and gif Jo
43.
hn Pollok cum to Edinburgh remember my low to him; ye tyme is schort
I rest w44. ith the blissing of god almichtie to be with yow all till meiting for
my hairt is sorrie at yis tyme; rest45. is at Amsterdam ye ʒeir of 1631
88 East Indies.
89 Germany.

99
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
ye 12 day of november comend me to Jo46. hn Mathesone my maister
your Lowing James 47.
Spens drumer magor 48.
till death yours at command49.
Reverse:
chawin yow it may be we will lay heir1.
ane moneth still before is way going;2.
entreating yow gif Georg Borthwick mother3.
wryt heir wryt ye with hir to Amsterdam4.
to R5. obert Thomsone and he will nd me
for he dwelleth […]6.
gif yat 7. ʒe would wrt […] gif that ʒe [..] have
occationne [w8. hich] I wiß everie Day.
To my werie loving mother
Agnes Walker in dweller
at the Cannongait beside
ye Croß above […]
Therß be deylevrit in hand
RH9/2/242: James Spens to his father and mother, Guinea Coast, 23
February 1632
Ry1. cht Loving and weilbelovit Father and mother; efter my maist hairtlie
commandation2. is being remembrit to your selis lating yow to wnderstand
y3. at I am in gude health at this present writing; desyring maist earnest
to heir ye lyk of yow and all gud Freind
4.
is; chawing yow yat we ar at our refresing
place praisid be god almichtie abowt four thowsand Scot5. is mylis from
Holland; and as 6. ʒit we have abowe sextein thowsand mylis Scotis to the
place q7. uhair we ar ordineit to remane ye quhilk is Botavavia90; I have
not much to truble yow bot wryting to yow thir few lyn8. is ye quhilk
we ar lying at refresing in ane cuntrie q9. uhair the blakamore dwale;
for we have saillit for by Spane for by the cost of Barbarie and Geney10.
ye q11. uhilk lyis in ye waistingis; and ar comit to the chirlinis91 ye quhilk yair
is no winter at all bot at tymes hot wedder; for I have travillit be land12.
yis aucht 13. ʒeiris and moir and now I will travill be sea [lacuna] saill as weil
as we can it will be ane 14. ʒeir to wss; alwayis I tak as weill with the
sea as w15. ith ye land and better praisid be god for my heid hes
never warkit and we have had deid in o16. ur chip fourteen; praised
be god Georg Borthuik and I ar in gud health and he mak17. is his command
-ation18. is to his Freindis all in gennerall; lating yow to wit yat I wad not wis
90 Batavia, modern-day Jakarta in Indonesia.
91 Shorelines.

Northern Studies, vol. 47
100
for never so much bot y19. at I had comit yis wayadg for I sie so many sindrie
thing20. is for we ar among wyld people; for we have orangeris and lemonis
and suker reid21. is and noot mugis and many wther thingis for the taiking o
ye treis; I wad not wis for gold bot y22. at I had comit yis Jurnay
for I can not wry23. cht to ye gudnes yat I nd be traviling and seing of
faring cuntries; for it is plisit god y24. at I was borne to travill; always
I prais god for I have greit contentment be it moir then sum25.
Laird26. is of your Landis; for I most be fyve ʒeirs in ye land and a ʒeir
cuming and ane 27. ʒeir going and plis god to spair me so lang
day28. is yat quhen my fyve ʒeiris is out I sall cum hame and sie yow;
and y29. air efter I have som Freindis I sall tak me to travill so lang
as I lei; I have no Farder to truble yow bot intriting yow30.
to pray for me and gi me yo31. ur blissing; ye lord I may have
his blissing and remember wpone me for I hop in Jessus chryst32.
to doe yow and my Father and all Freind33. is credit and ouer I hop
y34. at ye god of heavin will healp me; intreting yow to remember my
commandation35. is to Robert Cranstoun and his wy; & to my gosop William
Cudtbertsoun; & to Jo36. hn Brut & his wy; and to Patrik Aillin;
& to Georg Spens and his wy; & to W37. illiam Foster and sie how much
y38. at I am awin him; for my wy tauld me yat cho maid him
ru39. is and sindrie wark; yairfor ask him bot lat not wit yat
I wry40. cht bot recommend me to him; and to Gilbert Johnstoun
and his wy; and to James Aitin ye bail41. ʒie; and to Walter
Logane ye clark and his wy w42. ith ye blissingis of god remain[…]
w43. ith yow and yame all; for I can not have occatioun to wrycht ever[ie]
tyme; for yis is be fortowne y44. at yair lay ane chip yat was going to
Holland I thocht y45. at I wad wrycht with yam; remember my comman
-dation46. is to Georg Borthuik his wy and mother and bit yat
they tak in gud comfort for we ar werie weill & want47. is nether
wyn nor beir & meit thrie tymes a day; ye Lord keip yow48.
and me in his protectioun; rest49. is restis [sic.] at ye chirlines in
Geney ye 23 day of Febrewar50. is ye ʒeir of god 1632;
intreating yow to remember my kyndnes51.
to Jo52. hn Pollok yat
is drumer in Aberdein; Your Lowing sone James Spens53.
drumer magor54.
Reverse:
To my verie loving ather
James Spens induallar
with my Lord of Privie seil
in Edinburgh; failʒing him
to Agnes Walker

101
Drummer Major James Spens: Letters from a Common Soldier Abroad, 1617-1632
in Duallar in ye Cannongait
in Edinburgh; failʒuar to Georg
Spens. Theß be deliver in hand
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