James Jeffreys
Brigadier General Sir James Jeffreys (c. 1650 – 1722) was an Anglo-Irish soldier and politician who served in the armies of both Sweden and England. Born in England, he joined the Swedish Army and likely fought for Leopold I during the Great Turkish War, rising to lieutenant-colonel.
In January 1690 he asked to leave Sweden and join William III’s army, carrying a commendation from Charles XI. He traveled to London and, on 30 May 1690, received a brevet commission as a colonel of foot. He fought in the Williamite War in Ireland and on 4 September 1690 became Governor of Duncannon Fort.
In 1697–98 the Irish Parliament heard complaints about his conduct at Duncannon, and in 1698 he moved to Cork as Governor, swapping posts with Toby Purcell. His unpopularity in Cork led to the abolition of the governor’s castle post in May 1699. He petitioned William III to be reinstated as Governor of Cork and was restored in 1700. The position allowed him to amass wealth, and he bought Blarney Castle. He secured support from Queen Anne and George I to keep the Cork post, along with a generous pension.
From 1703 to 1715 he served as Member of Parliament for Lismore in the Irish House of Commons. He was promoted to brigadier general in 1704 and to “brigadier general of all forces of Her Majesty’s Service” in 1709. He married Katherine Drokenhellem, a Swedish woman, and was the father of James Jeffreys.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 07:43 (CET).