Archibald Ruthven of Forteviot and Master of Ruthven | |
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Born | 1546 Forteviot, Perthshire, Scotland |
Died | February 1578 Västerås, Sweden |
Allegiance | King's Men Sweden |
Service | Foot |
Rank | Colonel |
Relations | Patrick Ruthven, 3rd Lord Ruthven, father; William Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie, brother |
Archibald Ruthven of Forteviot and Master of Ruthven (1546-1578), was a Scottish nobleman who raised a Scottish force for Swedish service in Estonia. There his men and the German soldiers in Swedish service fought a serious battle with each other; many hundred Scotsmen being killed. The Scots were blamed for the disaster, and, although wounded by his own men, Ruthven was imprisoned. As a prisoner in Sweden he was accused of having participated in a conspiracy to assassinate King John III of Sweden. Others implicated in the plot were executed, but Ruthven was kept a prisoner in Vasteras, where he died.