Pontus De la Gardie

Pontus De la Gardie (ca. 1520-5 november 1585) was a French nobleman in the service of the Kingdom of Sweden.

He was born Ponce De La Gardie in Russol (Aude), Languedoc, as a son of Jacques De la Gardie and Catherine de Sainte-Colombe. He became a mercenary in the service of the Kingdom of Denmark, but changed allegiance to Sweden after having been captured by Swedish troops in 1565. In 1581 a mercenary army of Sweden under De la Gardie captured the strategic city of Narva in Estonia from Russia.

De la Gardie drowned to the Narva River and is buried in Dome Church of Tallinn. His tomb chest is made by well-known artist and architect Arent Passer [http://www.kloostri.ee/?1,7,0,2 The stonemasons] ] .

Family

4 February 1580 he married Sofia Johansdotter Gyllenhielm (ca.1556-1583), the illegitimate daughter of John III of Sweden and the Finnish society lady Karin Hansdotter.

;Children
# Brita De la Gardie (Pontusdotter) (1581 - 1645)
# Freiherr Johan De la Gardie (1582 - 1642), was a statesman of the Swedish Empire.
# Count and Field Marshal Jacob De la Gardie (1583–1652), was a significant military leader

Further reading

*cite book |last=Arrhenius-Örnhiälm |first=Claudius (1625-1695)|title=Vita Illustrissimi Herois Ponti De La Gardie, Excercituum Sveciae Supremi Campi Ducis, Regnante Johanne III. Svecorum Rege Gloriosissimo : Cujus occasione totius fere Livoniae Historia exhibetur ; Ex incorruptae veritatis monumentis ... concinnata |year=1690 |publisher=Apud. Jo. Frider. Gleditsch |location=Lipsiae, Leipzig

References

* [http://web.telia.com/~u87534568/pdgseg.htm Pontus De la Gardie family] Swedish
* [http://register.muinas.ee/pdetail01.asp?mo_id=1336 Biography and information about the tomb chest] Estonian
* [http://www.muuseum.haapsalu.ee/include/upload/10737-s.jpgImage of the P. De la Cardie and S. Gyllenhielm tomb chest]