James Turner (soldier) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Turner
|
|
|---|---|
Sir James Turner
|
|
| Born | 1615 |
| Died | 1686 (aged 70–71) |
| Allegiance |  Swedish Empire (1632–1633) Brunswick-Lüneburg (1633–1639) Scottish Covenanters (1640–1650) Scottish Royalists (1650–1651) Denmark (1657) Scotland (1660–1684) |
| Years of service | 1632–1684 |
| Rank | Lieutenant colonel, Adjutant general |
| Battles/wars | Thirty Years' War Wars of the Three Kingdoms |
| Other work | Writer |
Sir James Turner (1615–c.1686) was a Scottish soldier who lived in the 1600s. He fought in many wars across Europe and in Scotland. He was also a writer.
Contents
Life of a Soldier
Early Adventures in Europe
James Turner was the oldest son of Patrick Turner, a minister. James went to Glasgow University and finished his studies in 1631. His parents wanted him to become a minister like his father. But James really wanted to be a soldier.
So, in 1632, he traveled to Germany. There, he joined the army of Gustavus Adolphus, a famous Swedish king. At this time, a big war called the Thirty Years' War was happening in Europe. James Turner fought in this war under the command of Sir James Lumsden.
Fighting in Scotland
By 1639, James Turner had become a captain. He returned to Scotland but soon went back to Germany. In 1640, he tried to join King Charles I's army in England. However, he couldn't find them.
Instead, he joined the Scottish Covenanters army. The Covenanters were a group in Scotland who wanted to protect their church. Even though he joined them, Turner always seemed more interested in helping the King. Later, when King Charles was held by the Scottish army, Turner tried to help him escape.
Turner worked under David Leslie. He was sent to stop the Royalist fighting by Alasdair Mac Colla's clansmen. Turner thought Mac Colla wasn't a good soldier. He criticized him for leaving his forts without water, which made them surrender quickly. Turner helped Leslie defeat Mac Colla in battles like Battle of Rhunahaorine Moss and Battle of Dunaverty.
By 1647, Turner became a very important officer, an adjutant-general, in the Scottish army. In 1648, he went with the army of the Engagers to Preston. This army was badly beaten by Oliver Cromwell's forces. Turner surrendered and was held prisoner until late 1649. After that, he returned to Germany.
Serving the King
Turner wanted to join Montrose's Royalist fight in 1650. But he couldn't get enough money. Montrose's campaign failed. Later in 1650, Turner finally made it back to Scotland. He landed just before the Battle of Dunbar.
He became an adjutant-general for the foot soldiers. He went with King Charles II to the Battle of Worcester. There, he was captured but managed to escape near Oxford. He walked to London and then met up with King Charles again in Europe.
In 1654, he went on a risky trip to Fife to see if Royalists there would start an uprising. In 1657, he offered his skills to John II Casimir, the King of Poland. Then he traveled to Denmark to fight against Sweden.
Later Life and Challenges
After King Charles II returned to the throne (this was called the Restoration), Turner was made a knight. He was promoted in the King's army in Scotland. He was given the job of stopping the Lowland Covenanters. This time was known as the "Killing Times" by some.
Turner used a method where soldiers stayed in the homes of Presbyterian families. Even though some called him "Bloody Bite-the-Sheep," he seemed to follow his orders. He didn't go as far as some people wanted him to in forcing the King's church rules.
His actions led to the Pentland Rising in 1666. Turner was surprised and captured at Dumfries. Some sources say he was almost killed many times. But he escaped when some of his guards ran away. He made a deal with the others to surrender, and they kept their word. He was generally treated well by his captors. He even joked with them about the fines he used to charge Covenanters.
The Scottish government blamed Turner for the uprising. He lost his military jobs. For about 15 years, he lived quietly in Glasgow and on his land in Ayrshire. During this time, he spent his time writing. In 1683-84, he was again involved in stopping uprisings in Scotland. He likely died soon after 1685, but the exact date is not known.
Personal Life
Turner married Mary White. He met her in 1643 while fighting in Ireland. He wrote very kindly about her in his memoirs. She was the granddaughter of a knight. When they met, she was a Roman Catholic, which was not popular with his Scottish leaders at the time. Because of this and his lack of money, they didn't marry until three years later in Hexham.
His Writings
James Turner is most famous for his memoirs. These are like his personal diary and memories. They were first printed in 1819, long after he died. During his lifetime, he published a book called Pallas Armata. This book was a collection of essays about old and new ways of fighting wars.
He left behind many handwritten papers. These included essays about ideas, biographies (stories of people's lives), translations of poems, and letters.
People who knew Turner often noticed he had a mix of different traits. He was well-educated and smart. But he also had a reputation for being tough and sometimes violent, even for his time. Turner himself once wrote that he had learned a dangerous idea in Germany: that it didn't matter who you served, as long as you served your master honestly.
In Stories
Sir James Turner was a big inspiration for a famous character created by Sir Walter Scott. This character was Sir Dugald Dalgetty of Drumthwacket, an ex-mercenary, in the novel A Legend of Montrose. Dalgetty's funny way of using too many Latin sayings is similar to Turner's memoirs. Turner's life may also have given ideas for some parts of Scott's novel Old Mortality.
