Otte Knudsen Rud

Otte Ruud (20 May 1520 11 October 1565) was a Danish-Norwegian admiral during the Northern Seven Years' War, who died in Swedish captivity. He spent his youth in foreign military service, and then held different fiefs from the King. Called up to duty during the war, he at first distinguished himself at land, later becoming a ship's captain, and finally admiral commanding the Danish fleet.

Early career Otte Rud was the son of the privy counsellor Knud Jørgensen Rud of Vedby and Møgelkjær. He began his education at Sorø Abbey, came to the House of Mansfeld as a page, and then served the House of Schwarzburg, becoming an esquire at 18, and fighting in the Bishop of Munster's war against the anabaptists. Rud then fought in the service of Saxony in its war against Brunswick. Back in Denmark, he became a courtier 1543, married 1549, and received his first fief the same year.

Flag Officer At the outbreak of the Northern Seven Years' War in 1563, Rud was sent to Elfsborg Castle as commissary of war under Daniel Rantzau. He distinguished himself at the battle of Mared the same year, and the King made him captain of the warship Byens Løve (56 guns). Byens Løve belonged to Herluf Trolle's fleet when it met the Swedes at the first battle of Öland in the spring of 1564. During the second day of the battle Byens Løve and the Lübeck ship Engel boarded the Swedish flagship Mars, and manage to take captive the Swedish admiral Jakob Bagge, his second-in-command, and about 100 Swedish sailors before the burning Mars exploded. Rud had inherited his father's manors Vedby and Møgelkjær; he exchanged the former for Sæbygård, but kept the latter; both in allodial possession. He also held Rane's Estate as a fief. After his death, his widow retained both Rane's Estate and Korsør len as fiefs. On both the allodial manors she built new manor-houses.