Mercer/ Merser

[Mikael Andersson]

Skotska ätten Mercer:

Kan någon finna ett samband mellan Mercer och Merser verksamma i Sverige?

Den skottske nysvensken Jacob Merser (I), d: 1656, Köpman, Känd 1620 i Nylöse, Borgare 1621, Rådman 1652-56, ?g m Ann Charters.

Jacob Merser (II), d: 1685, major, son till Jacob Merser (I) ägde Seltorp. Två av sönerna Sergeant (senare Kapten) Jacob Merser (III) d: 1705, gm Christina Hökeflycht äv ? hustru Ingiäl Torstensdotter på Ulvstorp? och Fänrik Vilhelm Merser (dog sotdöden ca 1698) var år 1681 dömda till döden för överfall på föräldrarna, Jacob o Fru Beaton (styvmor) Kristina/ Kerstin Anders-/Svensdotter? Skonades men fick straff på Marstrand i 3 år.

Jacob (II):s övriga barn var Hans Jacobsson Merser (känd 1661-74), Handelsman o Stämpelmästare g m Anna Brix (d: 1689), Löjtnant Christopher/ Kristoffer (gm Maria Hökeflycht) och Skeppslöjtnant Pet/ter (flyttade till England) (d: i Sthlm) och en syster Karin.

Styvbror till dem var Svante Segerwald (1667-1729), borgmästare i Falköping, häradshöfding i Vartofta hd g m och Anna Maria Roman/ Boman. Son till Anders Svensson son av Sveno Svenonis o ?Margareta Arvidsdotter.

[Mikael Andersson]

Här kommer mer om Jacob Merser, major. Nämns som James Mercer o Jakob i en databas hos University IF St Andrews:


James Mercer served as a major in Lord William Cranstoun's [SSNE 2101] regiment at Thorn in Poland on behalf of the Swedes. He was among those targeted in numerous letters by General John Middleton, Major General Thomas Rokeby, Colonel Alex Durhame and Mr Davissone as one of the Cranstoun officers who may be persuaded to help hand over the city of Thorn to the Poles as this would demonstrate his loyalty to Charles II. Other officers names in the letter included Captain George Erskine, Captain Ramsay, Captain Lawsone, Captain Edmonstone, and 'honest Archie Stirling'. In November 1657, Mercer applied to Duke Adolf Johan to become lieutenant-colonel for the Cranstoun regiment, and was succesful sugesting he had no disloyal intentions. This is probably the same as the lieutenant colonel noted obtaining a pass to travel to Denmark in May 1659........................................................................... Swedish Riksarkiv, Extranea 135: IX, 4, interciperade brev 1600-talet, II brev till Skotska officerare, including 1) Middleton to Erskine, no date 2 & 3) Alex Durhame to Erskine, 24 October and 28 November 1657 4)Thomas Rokeby to Erskine, 28 November 1657 5) Mr Davissone to 'my honest friends the Scots officers in Torne' no date; Swedish Riksarkiv, Adolf Johans Arkiv i Stegeborgssamlingen, Major Jacob Mercer to Duke Adolf Johan, November 1657, Thorn; Rikskansleren Axel Oxenstiernas skrifter och brefvexling, first series, IV, p.755; T. Fischer, The Scots in Eastern and Western Prussia (Edinburgh, 1903); A. Grosjean, 'Royalist Soldiers and Cromwellian Allies? The Cranstoun Regiment in Sweden 1655-1658' in S. Murdoch and A. Mackillop (eds.), Fighting for Identity: Scottish Military Experience c.1550-1900 (Leiden, 2002), pp.61-82.

[Mikael Andersson]

Här kommer mer ur samma databas om hans far som också använt bägge namnen:




James Merser was a citizen and burgess in Gothenburg from 1621. He served as a town councillor from 1652-1656. His name appears on shipping manifests between 1638 and 1655, often in conjunction with John Maclean [SSNE 1631]and in the 1639 citizen's list his occupation was given as general trader. In 1638 he exported tar to Crail, but also sent goods to Amsterdam and Hamburg; in 1641 he exported timber products to Anstruther and "Scotland", and once to Amsterdam; and that year he also exported bar iron to Crail. During 1645 he only dealt with Scotland, including a mystery destination of "Erllian", sending timber to Crail; and again in 1649 he only dealt with Scotland, including exporting timber to Leith on the same ship with goods from Alexander Young [SSNE 7164], Maclean and Francis Barker [SSNE 4680]. He then dealt only with Stockholm and Amsterdam in 1651. The next year his trade involved Stockholm, Pittenweem, Norrköping, Hamburg and other Scottish destinations. He also sent goods to Norway in 1653, as well as Scotland, Stockholm and Hamburg. Norrköping and Stralsund were his only destinations in 1654. In 1655 he exported timber to Dundee, and iron to Anstruther. His name no longer seems to appear on the trade lists for Scotland after 1655. He had business dealings with many other Scots. One particular letter was co-signed by William Merser [SSNE 4923], Jacob Gardiner[SSNE 4922], Ignatius Menner, Jurgen Garden Junior [SSNE 4924], James Gardiner [SSNE 4937], Robert Smidt [SSNE 4938]. He was probably related to Hans Merser [SSNE 6926]............................................................................Göteborg Landsarkivet, Drätselkammare; Swedish Riksarkiv, Biographica Microcard, E01412 4/7; Letter of Jacob Merser was co-signed by William Merser, Jacob Gardiner, Ignatius Menner, Jurgen Garden Junior, James Gardiner, Robert Smidt; H. Almquist, Göteborgs Historia, (Gothenburg, 1929), pp.320-321, 369; H. Fröding, Berättelser ur Göteborgs äldsta historia (Gothenburg, 1908), pp. 61, 76, 1134; W. Berg, Samlingar till Göteborgs Historia, Christine Kyrkas Böcker för vigda, födda och döda (Gothenburg, 1890), vol. I, 1624-1725; E-B. Grage, 'Scottish merchants in Gothenburg, 1621-1850', in T.C. Smout, ed, Scotland and Europe 1200-1850, p.112; C. Dalhede, Handelsfamiljer på Stormaktstidens Europamarknad, (3 vols, Partille, 2001) III, cdrom; E. Långström, Göteborgs Stads Borgarelängd 1621-1864 (Gothenburg, 1926), p.24.