John Dalbier

John Dalbier (died 1648), was a professional army officer who served various English commanders before and during the English Civil War in which he served in both the Parliamentary and Royalist armies.

Dalbier origins are unknown but he may have been a German from Strasbourg who had fought for the Dutch in the Netherlands. In 1622 he was serving as paymaster to Count Ernst von Mansfeld and served him in various other capacities until the Counts death in 1626. During this time in the Count's service he visited England and may have been in the Balkans when the von Mansfeld was killed because he helped to arrange the count's funeral in Venice.

After failing to secure employment in Venice, Dalbier went to England and in May 1627 he found employment with George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. He was sent by Buckingham to the Netherlands in connection with the Christian IV King of Denmark's campaign there. Initially he was an advisor to the Duke in the ill-fated expedition to Saint-Martin-de-Ré and, possibly because of professional jealousy he was sent back to England to organise reinforcements and supplies.

In 1628 to relieve Sir Charles Morgan's garrison that was defending Stade, Dalbier and Sir William Balfour were commissioned by King Charles I to raise a force of 1000 cavalry in Germany. However, as Morgan's garrison capitulated, the force was not decommissioned. This led to fears that the force would be used to suppress dissent in England; and in June 1628 questions regarding Dalbier character, religious inclinations and military expertise were raised in the House of Commons. He was defended by Sir Thomas Jermyn, who pointed out that on his journey through Germany, it was his quick thinking and persuasive manner that had saved his companions from a detachment of imperial troops because if he had chosen to, he would have been well-rewarded for betraying them.

In 1629 the Duke of Savoy impressed by Dalbier reputation suggested him as a possible negotiator with the Swiss cantons.

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