rents of William's son, born on 28 October, and to arrive for the christening on 16 December. The christening, in the church of Goldingen/Kuldīga Castle, was delayed by a week, because of the death of the child's mother, Duchess Sophie. When the castle fell to ruin, in the first third of the 18th century, the font was transferred to the Church of St Catherine, which gave rise to the story that James had been christened in the town church.
5. Letter from James to Duchess Elisabeth Magdalena, written in his own hand. No place, 2 August 1621. LVVA, Collection 554, Inventory 1, File 218.
This is the earliest known letter from Duke James. The ten-year-old prince expresses his gratitude to the duchess for her concern and wishes her the best of health.
6. Letter from Duke James to Elisabeth Magdalena. Paris, 12 June 1636. LVVA, Collection 554, Inventory 1, File 218.
In the autumn of 1634 James journeyed abroad. After several months in the Netherlands, he arrived in Paris in June 1635. James spent more than a year in France, but it is possible that during this time he also visited England or Spain. In this letter James tells the duchess of his intention to visit Italy in the autumn. James returned to Courland in spring 1637.
7. Duke Boguslaw (Bogislaw) of Stettin-Pomerania (15801637), a friend of Duke William and cousin of Duchess Elisabeth Magdalena.
8. Letter from Duke Boguslaw of Stettin-Pomerania to Duke Friedrich. Alt-Stettin, 30 August 1633. LVVA, Collection 554, Inventory 1, File 90.
In the summer of 1633 James visited his father in Pomerania and also met William's old friend who had given him refuge, Duke Boguslaw XIV. During this visit James received his father's permission to take part in the war fought by Poland-Lithuania against Russia. By joining the campaign in spring 1634 with 300 recruits, James was expressing his gratitude to the King of Poland for recognising his right to the throne. He did not actually take part in the fighting, since peace negotiations were already underway at that time.
9. Letter from Landhofmeister Mathias von der Recke to Duke Frederick. Neuenburg/Jaunpils, 13 December 1633. LVVA, Collection 554, Inventory 1, File 89.
Recke reports that he has handed over the manors of Tuckum/Tukums and the surrounding area to Melchior von Fölckersam, representative of Duke James. In late 1633 Friedrich turned over to James' charge several manors in the part of the duchy formerly ruled by William. In addition to Tuckum/Tukums, he was given the manors of Zabeln/Sabile, Kandau/Kandava, Schtunden/ Skrunda, Luttringen/Lutriņi, Durben/Durbe, Grobin/Grobiņa, Rutzau/ Rucava, Niederbartau/Nīca and Oberbartau/Bārta, along with their districts, as well as the Heiligenaa/Sventāja and Libau/Liepāja Coast bailiwicks.
10. Instruction from James to his servant Samuel Wagner. Mitau/Jelgava, 26 November 1640. LVVA, Collection 554, Inventory 3, File 1949.
Duke James instructs Wagner to take the ship St Jacob to the port of Santander in Spain. There he is to sell the duke's goods and purchase others. The ship may have been built at Windau/Ventspils, where James had established a shipyard in 1639, but there is no firm evidence of this. In February 1641, the St Jacob was wrecked off the coast of Denmark.
11. Assurance by Heinrich Lunauw, captain of the St Jacob, to Duke James. Riga, 10 December 1640. LVVA, Collection 554, Inventory 3, File 1949.
Lunauw confirms that he will sail the St Jacob from Riga to Amsterdam and Bordeaux, and will return to Libau/Liepāja or Windau/Ventspils. He also promises to sail the ship “as a good mariner should”. Since the captain himself was illiterate, the letter is signed on his behalf by Arend Samson, the duke’s factor (commercial agent) in Riga. The document shows that James had changed his earlier decision, and was sending the ship not to Spain, but to Holland and France.
12. Letter from James to Duke Frederick. Annenburg/Emburga, 8 July 1634. Excerpt. LVVA, Collection 1100, Inventory 13, File 719, Volume II.
On his return from the campaign to Russia, James decided to go on a tour abroad, bec