James Turner (soldier)
| 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 | |
| Other work | Writer |
Thirty Years' War
Wars of the Three Kingdoms
Sir James Turner (1615-c.1686) was a Scottish professional soldier of the 17th century.
Turner was the eldest son of Patrick Turner (d.1634), minister of Dalkeith, and Margaret Law. He was educated at Glasgow University, graduating MA in 1631 (very much against his will, according to his later memoirs). His parents had intended for him to follow his father into the church, but Turner was determined to become a soldier, and in 1632 he travelled to Germany and enlisted in the service of Gustavus Adolphus, then embroiled in the Thirty Years' War, under the command of Sir James Lumsden.
By 1639 he had been promoted to captain, and returned to Scotland in search of employment, but soon departed again for Germany. In 1640 he attempted to travel to England to offer his services to Charles I in the Bishops' War, but failed to make contact with Charles's army. He instead entered service with the opposing Scottish Covenanting army at Newcastle, although he never signed the Covenant himself and appears to have remained more interested in joining the Royalist party; when in 1646 Charles was in the custody of the Scots army, Turner attempted to convince him of the necessity of escaping.
Under the overall command of David Leslie, Turner was dispatched to suppress the Royalist campaigning of the clansmen of Alasdair Mac Colla; despite the latter's fearsome reputation, Turner judged him to be "nae soljer", and criticised him for leaving garrisons behind without a source of water, leading to their rapid surrender. Turner was involved in Leslie's defeats of Mac Colla at the Battle of Rhunahaorine Moss and at Dunaverty. By 1647 he was made adjutant-general of the Scottish army. In August 1648, he accompanied the army of the Engagers to Preston, where it was routed by Oliver Cromwell, and he subsequently surrendered at Uttoxeter on 25 August. He was held prisoner until late 1649, when he returned to Germany.
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