John Makeléer, 1st Baronet (1604-1666)

John Hans Makeléer (1604-1666) Iain Dubh Baronet (b. 1604; Scotland - d. July 7, 1666; Sweden) aka John MacLean, Iain Dubh Baronet (also known as Hans Macklier or Johan Macklier in Sweden) was a Scottish Naval Officer and merchant in Gothenburg, Sweden. He was raised to nobility in May of 1649 with the title "Iain Dubh Baronet". (Dubh simply means black in the Scottish Gaelic language, and is an adjective often applied to people.) Contents [hide]

Birth
John was born in 1604 in Duart, Mull, Argyll, Scotland. He was the son of Hector MacLean, Lord of Dowart (c1570-1630) and Isabella Atcheson of Gosford. Isabella was the daughter of Archibald Atcheson of Gosford.

Siblings

 * Donald MacLean, 1st Laird of Brolas who married Florence MacLean, his cousin
 * Isabelle MacLean

Royal Navy
John MacLean then became an officer in the Royal Navy.

Emigration
He emigrated to Gothenburg, Sweden, where he changed his name to John Hans Makeléer, and worked as a merchant in 1629.

Children
He married Anna Gubbertz (c.1595-1653) in 1629 in Gothenburg. They had the following children:
 * Carl Leonard Makeléer (1633-1663)
 * David Makeléer (c1635-1708) who was the first governor of Älvsborg County, Sweden from 1693 to 1708
 * Catharina Makeléer (1637-1709)
 * Anna Makeléer (1638-1646)
 * Lunetta Makeléer (1639-1693) who married Joakim Cronman (c1630-1703), a soldier who died at Neumünde
 * Gustaf Adolf Makeléer (1641-1706) who was a Captain in the Swedish Army who married Sara Carlberg (1647-1701)
 * Elsa Beata Makeléer (1643-1730)

Iain Dubh Baronet
In May of 1649 John received the title Iain Dubh ("Black John") Baronet, signifying his descent from the 3rd Clan Chief, Iain Dubh MacGillemore ("Black John, son of Giles the Great") Maclean. After his wife, Anna Gubbertz died, John married Lilis Hamilton and after her death he married Anna Thompson.

Historical documents
Jonas Berg and Bo Lagercrantz write: On November 15, 1649, James Graham, 5th Earl of Montrose, arrived in Gothenburg from Copenhagen, and stayed with a Scottish merchant, James Maclean, who had been raised to the nobility in May of 1649, under the name Makeléer. Maclean, or Makeléer had been an officer in the British Royal Navy before settling in Gothenburg in 1629. He had always been a warm supporter of the House of Stuart.

Timeline

 * 1604 Birth in Scotland
 * 1629 Emigration to Sweden at age 25
 * 1629 Marriage to Anna Gubbertz
 * 1633 Birth of Carl Leonard Makeléer
 * 1635 (circa) Birth of David Makeléer
 * 1637 Birth of Catharina Makeléer
 * 1638 Birth of Anna Makeléer
 * 1639 Birth of Lunetta Makeléer
 * 1641 Birth of Gustaf Adolf Makeléer
 * 1643 Birth of Elsa Beata Makeléer
 * 1649 Visit of James Graham
 * 1649 Received the title "Iain Dubh Baronet" in May
 * 1666 Death in Sweden

Source

 * Maclean, James N.M. The Macleans of Sweden. Edinburgh, 1971, Traces the descendants of Sir John Maclean alias Johan or Hans Macklier, merchant in Gothenburg, many of whom pursued military careers.