Pontus De la Gardie

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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^[1].

[edit] 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

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

[edit] References

• Pontus De la Gardie family Swedish
• Biography and information about the tomb chest Estonian
• Image of the P. De la Cardie and S. Gyllenhielm tomb chest