“OUR MOST HONORABLE CAPTAIN”: THOMAS BREDIMAN AND SOLDIERS’ RIGHT FOR MUTINY IN ENGLAND AND RUSSIA IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 17TH CENTURY

The article discusses disobedience and mutiny in the 17th century military communities on the example of the life of the English officer Thomas Brediman (died in 1642). Brediman’s biography has been reconstructed on behalf of English and Russian sources. The article primarily focuses on the two episodes. In 1626, Brediman expressed negative opinions about the Duke of Buckingham in a tavern talk and called to his murder and had been put in jail for ten months because of this talk. In 1633, while being in the Russian service in the English mercenary regiment, Brediman argued with its commander, Thomas Sanderson, and was sent out from the regiment on the way from Moscow to Smolensk. Brediman’s surviving petition and the collective petition compiled by the soldiers of his company, who stayed for their captain, provide us with an opportunity to reconstruct the mercenaries’ argument in defense of their disobedience and mutiny against the regiment’s authorities. The article focuses on the rhetorical tools used by Brediman and his men with an emphasis on on their specific collective identity. It also analyzes how the Russian and English authorities reacted to soldiers’ mutinies and how Brediman and Sanderson communicated with each other.

Military history of 17th century Russia, military history of 17th century England, mercenaries, Smolensk war, foreigners in 17th century Russia, military mutiny, George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham