Francis Edward James Keith - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

James Francis Edward Keith (11 June 1696 – 14 October 1758) was a Scottish

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

soldier and Prussian field marshal

Generalfeldmarschall

Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...

. As a Jacobite

Jacobitism

Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...

he took part in a failed attempt to restore the Stuart Monarchy to Britain, before joining the Spanish and Russian armies. He ultimately came to serve in the Prussian army under Frederick the Great where he distinguished himself. He died during the Seven Years War at the Battle of Hochkirk.

Early life

He was born at Inverugie

Inverugie

Inverugie is a small village in Aberdeenshire, Scotland that lies on the entrance to the River Ugie just north of Peterhead.-Sources:* in the Gazetteer for Scotland.* in the Gazetteer for Scotland....

Castle near Peterhead

Peterhead

Peterhead is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement , with a population of 17,947 at the 2001 Census and estimated to have fallen to 17,330 by 2006....

, the second son of William, 9th Earl Marischal of Scotland

William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal

William Keith, 9th Earl Marischal was a Jacobite politician and Earl Marischal of Scotland.-Life:His parents were the army officer George Keith, 8th Earl Marischal and the courtier Lady Mary Hay , third daughter of the 2nd Earl of Kinnoull...

. Through his careful education under the historian Robert Keith

Robert Keith (historian)

Robert Keith was a Scottish Episcopal bishop and historian.-Life:Born at Uras in Kincardineshire, Scotland, on 7 February 1681, he was the second son of Alexander Keith and Marjory Keith . He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen between 1695 and 1699; graduating with an A.M...

, and subsequently at the University of Aberdeen

University of Aberdeen

The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...

in preparation for the legal profession

Scots law

Scots law is the legal system of Scotland. It is considered a hybrid or mixed legal system as it traces its roots to a number of different historical sources. With English law and Northern Irish law it forms the legal system of the United Kingdom; it shares with the two other systems some...

, he acquired that taste for literature which secured him the esteem of the most distinguished savants of Europe, but at an early period his preference for a soldier's career was clear. The Jacobite rising

Jacobite rising

The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...

of 1715, in which he displayed qualities that gave some augury of his future eminence, compelled him to seek safety on the Continent

Continental Europe

Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....

(Nihtinen 1998).

After spending two years in Paris, chiefly at the university

University of Paris

The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...

, he took part in abortive risings

Battle of Glen Shiel

The Battle of Glen Shiel was a battle in Glen Shiel, in the West Highlands of Scotland on 10 June 1719, between British government troops and an alliance of Jacobites and Spaniards, resulting in a victory for the government forces. It was the last close engagement of British and foreign troops on...

in 1719 in support of James Stuart

James Francis Edward Stuart

James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales was the son of the deposed James II of England...

, son of the deposed King James VII and pretender

Pretender

A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....

to the Scottish throne.

Spanish and Russian service

He then passed some time at Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

and Madrid

Madrid

Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...

in obscurity and poverty, but eventually obtained a colonelcy in the Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

army, and, it is said, took part in the Siege of Gibraltar (1726-1727)

Anglo-Spanish War (1727)

The Anglo-Spanish War of 1727–1729 was a limited war that took place between Great Britain and Spain during the Eighteenth Century, and consisted of a failed British attempt to blockade Porto Bello and a failed Spanish attempt to capture Gibraltar...

.

Finding his Protestantism

Protestantism

Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...

a barrier to promotion, he obtained from the King of Spain

Philip V of Spain

Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...

a recommendation to Peter II of Russia

Peter II of Russia

Pyotr II Alekseyevich was Emperor of Russia from 1727 until his death. He was the only son of Tsarevich Alexei Petrovich, son of Peter I of Russia by his first wife Eudoxia Lopukhina, and Princess Charlotte, daughter of Duke Louis Rudolph of Brunswick-Lüneburg and sister-in-law of Charles VI,...

, from whom he received (1728) the command of a regiment of the guards. He displayed in numerous campaigns the calm, intelligent and watchful valour which was his chief characteristic, obtaining the rank of general of infantry

Infantry

Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

and the reputation of being one of the ablest officers in Russian service as well as a capable and liberal civil administrator.

In the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743), Keith was briefly de-facto ruler of Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

, where he met the love of his life, a prisoner of war many years his junior named Eva Merthen

Eva Merthen

Eva Merthen , known as "The Duchess of Finland", was a Finnish woman known for her relationship with the General James Keith during the Russian occupation of the Swedish province of Finland during the Russo-Swedish War...

Prussian service

Judging, however, that his rewards were not commensurate with his merits, he offered his services to Frederick II of Prussia

Frederick II of Prussia

Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...

in 1747, who at once gave him the rank of field marshal

Field Marshal

Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...

, made him governor of Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

in 1749, and soon came to cherish towards him, as towards his brother, the 10th Earl Marischal

George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal

George Keith, 10th Earl Marischal was a Scottish and Prussian army officer and diplomat...

, a strong personal regard.

In 1756, the Seven Years' War

Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...

broke out. Keith was employed in high command from the outset, and added to his Russian reputation on every occasion by resolution and promptitude of action, not less than by care and skill. In 1756, he commanded the troops covering the investment of Pirna

Siege of Pirna

The Siege of Pirna took place in 1756 as part of the Prussian invasion of Saxony during the Seven Years War.Following the occupation of the capital Dresden by Frederick the Great on 9 September the Saxon army had withdrawn south and taken up position at the fortress of Pirna under Frederick von...

, and distinguished himself at Lobositz

Battle of Lobositz

The Battle of Lobositz or Lovosice also Lowositz on 1 October 1756 was the opening land battle of the Seven Years' War. Frederick the Great's 29,000 Prussians prevented Field Marshal Maximilian Ulysses Count Browne 34,500 Austrians from relieving their besieged Saxon allies during the Siege of...

. In 1757, he commanded at the siege of Prague

Siege of Prague

The Siege of Prague was an unsuccessful attempt by a Prussian army led by Frederick the Great to capture the Austrian city of Prague during the Seven Years' War. It took place in May 1757 immediately after the Battle of Prague. Despite having won that battle, Frederick had lost 14,300 dead, and his...

and later in this same campaign he defended Leipzig against a greatly superior force. He was also present at Rossbach

Battle of Rossbach

The Battle of Rossbach took place during the Seven Years' War near the village of Roßbach, in the Electorate of Saxony. Frederick the Great defeated the allied armies of France and the Holy Roman/Austrian Empire...

, and, while the king was fighting the campaign at Leuthen

Battle of Leuthen

In the Battle of Leuthen or Lissa, fought on 5 December 1757, Frederick the Great's Prussian army used maneuver and terrain to decisively defeat a much larger Austrian army under Charles of Lorraine, thus ensuring Prussian control of Silesia during the Seven Years' War.- Background :While Frederick...

, conducted a foray into Bohemia

Bohemia

Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...

.

In 1758, he took a prominent part in the unsuccessful Moravia

Moravia

Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...

n campaign, after which he withdrew from the army to restore his broken health. He returned in time for the autumn campaign in the Lausitz, and was killed on 14 October 1758 at Hochkirch

Battle of Hochkirch

The Battle of Hochkirch was a battle fought on October 14, 1758 during the Seven Years' War between a Prussian army of 30,000-36,000 commanded by Frederick the Great and an Austrian army of 80,000 commanded by Marshal Leopold Josef Graf Daun...

. His body was honourably buried on the field by Marshal Daun

Leopold Josef Graf Daun

Count Leopold Joseph von Daun , later Prince of Thiano, Austrian field marshal, was born at Vienna, as son of Count Wirich Philipp von Daun.- Background :...

and General Lacy, the son of his old commander in Russia. He was transferred shortly afterwards by Frederick to the garrison church of Berlin.

Keith died unmarried, but had several children by his mistress, Eva Merthens, a Swedish prisoner captured by him in the Russo-Swedish War (1741–1743).

Many memorials were erected to him by the king, Prince Henry, and others. In 1889, the 22nd Infantry Regiment (1st Upper Silesian) was named after him. Hochkirch

Hochkirch

Hochkirch, in Sorbian Bukecy, is a municipality in the district of Bautzen, in Saxony in Germany. It is located 9 km northwest of Löbau, and 10 km east of Bautzen. It is known for the 1758 Battle of Hochkirch, part of the Seven Years' War....

plans to erect a stone tablet inscribed to Keith outside its church, to stand with others dedicated to the victims of Prussia's defeat by Austria on 14 October 1758.

Early life

Spanish and Russian service

Prussian service

Further reading