Anglo-Swedish skirmish (1695)

Who Fought

History & Significance

The Anglo-Swedish skirmish refers to an incident where the Swedish ship Livland, commanded by Per Olofsson refused to salute two English ships, respectively the Burlington and the Siren. His refusal led to a skirmish and the subsequent damaging of the Livland

On the way towards Portugal with a delayed convoy, Captain Per Olofsson of the Livland encountered the two English ships, the Burlington and the Siren. The English ships ordered the Livland to strike its mizzen sail, even though he had already, according to international practice, fired Swedish recognition signals, namely two cannon shots.

Olofsson promptly refused to do so, and drank the king's toast in wine with his officers while the Livland prepared for battle. Olofsson also made a promise with his officers to fight until the last man.

After a short but intense battle, during which several Swedes were killed and wounded, the Livland gave up and was taken into Plymouth.

After some time, the Livland was freed. However, the captain, Per Olofsson, was accused in front of the Swedish Admiralty court for giving his ship up. Initially, he was sentenced to death, but he was later pardoned by Charles XII.

Action of 18 April 1695 – Skirmish between an English ship and a Dano-Swedish fleet

Stockholm incident – Seizure of a Swedish ship by English ships in 1651

The ground they fought on

The site of Anglo-Swedish skirmish (1695) lies on Scottish Coal Measures Group, bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.

Frequently Asked Questions

Scheduled Monuments near Anglo-Swedish skirmish (1695)

Monkland Canal, 200m E of Cuilhill Road to West Canal Street

Scheduled monument · ~0.6 mi

Monkland Canal is a section of the historic waterway that stretches from near Cuilhill Road to West Canal Street in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The canal was constructed during the late eighteenth century to transport coal and ironstone from the productive coalfields of the region to markets downstrea…

Monkland Canal, Gartsherrie Branch, Summerlee

Scheduled monument · ~0.9 mi

Monkland Canal, Gartsherrie Branch, Summerlee is a canal branch in Lanarkshire that served the industrial heartland of nineteenth-century central Scotland. Built to transport coal, ironstone and manufactured goods from the surrounding collieries and ironworks, the branch connected to the main Mon…

Summerlee Iron Works,furnaces,furnace bank and associated works

Scheduled monument · ~1 mi

Summerlee Iron Works is a furnaces, furnace bank and associated works located in Lanarkshire, Scotland. The site exploits the rich mineral resources of the underlying Scottish Coal Measures Group bedrock, which dates to the Moscovian period and comprises mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, iron…

Monkland Canal, Netherhouse Road to Cuilhill Road

Scheduled monument · ~1.5 mi

Monkland Canal, Netherhouse Road to Cuilhill Road, is a section of one of Scotland's earliest industrial waterways, constructed to serve the coalfields and ironworks of central Lanarkshire. The canal section lies in an area of complex geology where the underlying Scottish Coal Measures Group has…

Monkland Canal, Coatbank Street to Paddock Street, Coatbridge

Scheduled monument · ~1.8 mi

Monkland Canal, Coatbank Street to Paddock Street, Coatbridge is a segment of the early industrial waterway system that served the coalfields and ironworks of central Lanarkshire. The canal was engineered to transport coal and iron extracted from the Scottish Coal Measures Group strata that under…

Monkland Canal, Paddock Street to intersection with North Calder Water

Scheduled monument · ~2.3 mi

Monkland Canal, Paddock Street to intersection with North Calder Water, is a canal section in Lanarkshire, Scotland, now designated as a scheduled monument under Historic Environment Scotland (SM11344). The canal traverses terrain underlain by the Scottish Coal Measures Group, a Moscovian-age seq…

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Battles near Anglo-Swedish skirmish (1695)

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• Anglo-Swedish skirmish (1695) · Wikipedia