Salomon von Rajalin

Salomon von Rajalin
Salomon von Rajalin
Birth name	Salomon Maurits von Rajalin
Born	25 August 1757; Karlskrona, Sweden
Died	23 September 1825 (aged 68); Stockholm, Sweden
Buried	Klara Cemetery
Service/branch	Swedish Navy
Years of service	1773–1809
Rank	Admiral
Battles/wars	Russo-Swedish War (1788–90); Finnish War Battle of Palva Sund;
Other work	Governor of Saint Barthélemy; Governor of Gotland County; Governor of Gävleborg County

Baron Salomon Maurits von Rajalin (25 August 1757 – 23 September 1825) was a Swedish Navy admiral and civil servant.

Early life[edit]

Rajalin was born on 25 August 1757 in Karlskrona, Sweden, the son of the governor of Blekinge County Johan von Rajalin (who was titled Baron (friherre) from 1771) and his wife Barbara Eleonora von Gertten.^[1]

Career[edit]

Appointed at the age of sixteen to acting sub-lieutenant in the Fleet of the Army, Rajalin served 1780–82 as an employee of the French Navy. After having returned to Sweden, he quickly rose through the ranks and became, since the Caribbean island of Saint Barthélemy in 1784 came into Swedish possession, in 1785 the first Swedish governor there. From there he was transferred in 1787 to the governor location on Gotland and held that post for 20 years, during which he however long periods of time held different positions of trust. He was during the Russo-Swedish War 1788–90 military commander of the Archipelago fleet and excelled particularly in an engagement at Porkkalanniemi on 26 August 1789.^[1]

After the peace treaty he became rear admiral in 1791 and was 1791–94 general commissary in the fleet. Appointed vice admiral in 1799, Rajalin was 1801–09 as acting adjutant general, rapporteur before the king in cases involving the fleet. During the Finnish War in 1808 he commanded the Archipelago fleet, but resigned from this position in October of that year. Appointed in 1809 by Charles XIII to admiral, he became in 1812 governor of Gävleborg County, but resigned already in 1813 from this position.^[1]

Personal life and death[edit]

On 10 November 1787 in Karlskrona, he married Fredrica Lovisa Jägersköld, the daughter of vice admiral Christer Ludvig Jägersköld and his wife Anna Fredrica Grubbe.^[2] von Rajalin died childless on 23 September 1825 in Stockholm. The funeral was held at Ulrika Eleonora Church and he was buried at Klara Cemetery.^[3] When his brother died in 1826, the baronial family von Rajalin was emanated.^[1]

Dates of rank[edit]

von Rajalins' ranks:^[4]

Sweden[edit]

14 September 1771 – Sergeant
15 July 1773 – Second lieutenant
19 February 1777 – Lieutenant
4 June 1783 – Captain
22 September 1784 – Major
14 July 1787 – Lieutenant colonel
31 August 1787 – Major general
23 August 1790 – Rear admiral
5 August 1799 – Vice admiral
27 September 1808 – Admiral

France[edit]

1779 – Lieutenant des vaisseaux

Awards and decorations[edit]

Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (1801)^[3]
Commander of the Order of the Sword (1797)^[3]
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword (1789)^[3]
Knight of the Order of the Sword (1779)^[3]
Knight of the Pour le Mérite Militaire^[3]

Honours[edit]

Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences (1805; president 1805–1806)^[4]
Honorary member of the Royal Swedish Society of Naval Sciences (1805)^[4]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hofberg, Herman; Heurlin, Frithiof; Millqvist, Viktor; Rubenson, Olof (1906). Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon: alfabetiskt ordnade lefnadsteckningar af Sveriges namnkunniga män och kvinnor från reformationen till nuvarande tid (in Swedish) (Ny uppl. /grundligt genomsedd, omarbetad och till våra dagar framförd af Frithiof Heurlin ... ed.). Stockholm: Bonnier. p. 316. SELIBR 81312.
^ "Von Rajalin nr 317". www.adelsvapen.com (in Swedish). Adelsvapen. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Anrep, Gabriel, ed. (1862). Svenska adelns ättar-taflor. Afd. 3, von Nackreij - Skytte (in Swedish). Stockholm: [Norstedt]. p. 296. SELIBR 482523.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rosell, Lennart (1995–1997). "Salomon Mauritz Rajalin, von". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 29. National Archives of Sweden. p. 618. Retrieved 2022-03-29.

External links[edit]

Article at Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish)

Political offices
Preceded by First	Governor of Saint Barthélemy 1785–1787	Succeeded by Pehr H von Rosenstein
Preceded by Carl Otto von Segebaden	Governor of Gotland County 1787–1807	Succeeded by Carl Fredrik Aschling
Preceded by Fredrik Adolf Ulrik Cronstedt	Governor of Gävleborg 1812–1813	Succeeded by Eric Samuel Sparre
Professional and academic associations
Preceded by ?	President of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences 1805–1806	Succeeded by ?

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[Hofberg_(1906),_p._316-1] Hofberg, Herman; Heurlin, Frithiof; Millqvist, Viktor; Rubenson, Olof (1906). Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon: alfabetiskt ordnade lefnadsteckningar af Sveriges namnkunniga män och kvinnor från reformationen till nuvarande tid (in Swedish) (Ny uppl. /grundligt genomsedd, omarbetad och till våra dagar framförd af Frithiof Heurlin ... ed.). Stockholm: Bonnier. p. 316. SELIBR 81312.

[2] "Von Rajalin nr 317". www.adelsvapen.com (in Swedish). Adelsvapen. Retrieved 13 September 2016.

[Anrep_(1862),_p._296-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Anrep, Gabriel, ed. (1862). Svenska adelns ättar-taflor. Afd. 3, von Nackreij - Skytte (in Swedish). Stockholm: [Norstedt]. p. 296. SELIBR 482523.

[Rosell_(1995-1997),_p._618-4] Rosell, Lennart (1995–1997). "Salomon Mauritz Rajalin, von". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (in Swedish). Vol. 29. National Archives of Sweden. p. 618. Retrieved 2022-03-29.

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