Johan Anders Jägerhorn
Encyclopedia
Johan Anders Jägerhorn af Spurila was a Finnish nobleman
born in 8 April 1757 in Helsinki county. He was the eldest son of lieutenant colonel Fredrik Anders Jägerhorn and Ulrika Sofia Brunow. Colonel Fredrik Adolf Jägerhorn, vice commander of the Sveaborg fortress in 1808 was Johan Anders' brother.
The Jägerhorn af Spurila
noble family tree can be documented to 15th century Finland with legends - inspired by the Song of Roland - going back to the 12th century when Swedish crusader king Eric the Saint of Sweden came to Finland and made an early ancestor of the family squire
of the king.
Johan Anders Jägerhorn was a military officer with the rank of major in the Swedish army and lieutenant colonel in the Russian army 1789.
As a participant in an officers’ plot against the Swedish king in Finland 1788, Jägerhorn advocated sovereignty for Finland. Condemned to death by the Swedes, he was exiled to Germany. In Hamburg he befriended Lord Edward FitzGerald
and acted as an intermediary between the Irish and the French before the rebellion of 1798. After two years’ imprisonment (1799-1801) in the Tower of London
, he returned to Finland and was instrumental in shaping the constitution of newly autonomous Finland. After having been part of the Swedish kingdom for more than 600 years, Finland became an autonomous Russian Grand Duchy
in 1809. Jägerhorn was thus one of the historical originators of Finnish independence. Finland declared independence on 6 December 1917.
Johan Anders Jägerhorn was the founder and leader of a secret order called Walhalla-orden
with its seat in the Suomenlinna fortress.
He was married to Ulrika Sofia Blomcreutz of Swedish nobility in 1783. Jägerhorn died in Porvoo, Finland on 6 March 1825. His only two daughters had died at early age in tragic accidents.
In 1981, Minister Desmond O'Malley
of Ireland unveiled a commemorative plaque adorning Jägerhorn’s house in Porvoo
, Finland and stated: "If this man has spent 2 years of prison for the independence of Ireland, he is indeed worthy of this plaque."
Finnish nobility
The Finnish nobility was historically a privileged class in Finland, deriving from its period as part of Sweden and the Russian Empire. Noble families and their descendants are still a part of Finnish republican society today, but except for the titles themselves, no longer retain any specific or...
born in 8 April 1757 in Helsinki county. He was the eldest son of lieutenant colonel Fredrik Anders Jägerhorn and Ulrika Sofia Brunow. Colonel Fredrik Adolf Jägerhorn, vice commander of the Sveaborg fortress in 1808 was Johan Anders' brother.
The Jägerhorn af Spurila
Jägerhorn af Spurila
Jägerhorn af Spurila is a noble family, registered with number 114 in the Swedish House of Nobility and number 5 in the Finnish House of Nobility. Members of this family live in Finland, Sweden, France and the USA....
noble family tree can be documented to 15th century Finland with legends - inspired by the Song of Roland - going back to the 12th century when Swedish crusader king Eric the Saint of Sweden came to Finland and made an early ancestor of the family squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
of the king.
Johan Anders Jägerhorn was a military officer with the rank of major in the Swedish army and lieutenant colonel in the Russian army 1789.
As a participant in an officers’ plot against the Swedish king in Finland 1788, Jägerhorn advocated sovereignty for Finland. Condemned to death by the Swedes, he was exiled to Germany. In Hamburg he befriended Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald
Lord Edward FitzGerald was an Irish aristocrat and revolutionary. He was the fifth son of the 1st Duke of Leinster and the Duchess of Leinster , he was born at Carton House, near Dublin, and died of wounds received in resisting arrest on charge of treason.-Early years:FitzGerald spent most of his...
and acted as an intermediary between the Irish and the French before the rebellion of 1798. After two years’ imprisonment (1799-1801) in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
, he returned to Finland and was instrumental in shaping the constitution of newly autonomous Finland. After having been part of the Swedish kingdom for more than 600 years, Finland became an autonomous Russian Grand Duchy
Grand duchy
A grand duchy, sometimes referred to as a grand dukedom, is a territory whose head of state is a monarch, either a grand duke or grand duchess.Today Luxembourg is the only remaining grand duchy...
in 1809. Jägerhorn was thus one of the historical originators of Finnish independence. Finland declared independence on 6 December 1917.
Johan Anders Jägerhorn was the founder and leader of a secret order called Walhalla-orden
Walhalla-orden
Walhalla-orden was a secret society founded in the early part of 1783 in the Sveaborg fortress outside Helsinki, Finland by Johan Anders Jägerhorn along with Gustaf Adolf Reuterholm...
with its seat in the Suomenlinna fortress.
He was married to Ulrika Sofia Blomcreutz of Swedish nobility in 1783. Jägerhorn died in Porvoo, Finland on 6 March 1825. His only two daughters had died at early age in tragic accidents.
In 1981, Minister Desmond O'Malley
Desmond O'Malley
Desmond Joseph "Des" O'Malley is a former Irish politician.Born in Limerick, O'Malley was raised in a local political dynasty that had a strong association with Fianna Fáil. Elected to Dáil Éireann in 1968, he quickly became a trusted confidante of Taoiseach Jack Lynch...
of Ireland unveiled a commemorative plaque adorning Jägerhorn’s house in Porvoo
Porvoo
Porvoo is a city and a municipality situated on the southern coast of Finland approximately east of Helsinki. Porvoo is one of the six medieval towns in Finland, first mentioned as a city in texts from 14th century...
, Finland and stated: "If this man has spent 2 years of prison for the independence of Ireland, he is indeed worthy of this plaque."
Sources
- Bruno Lesch: Jan Anders Jägerhorn, - Patriot och världsmedborgare, separatist och emigrant. Helsingfors 1941