Aleksander Korwin Gosiewski

Aleksander Korwin Gosiewski de armis Ślepowron (b. – d. 1639), was a Polish nobleman, military commander and diplomat, Lithuanian Field-Quartermaster since 1630, Palatine-Governor of Smolensk from 1625, Lithuanian Great-Quartermaster since 1615, Speaker of the Parliament in 1613, Great-Secretary of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from 1610 and District-Governor of Wieliż, Puńsk, Kupise, Biel, and Markowa. Biography Youth He came from the noble family Gosiewski of Zambrowski county in the land of Łomża, a family entitled to use the coat of arms Ślepowron. He was a son of Jan Gosiewski who was married to Ewa (née Pac, the Chamberlain of Brest’s daughter). Already in his youth, as Lew Sapieha’s courtier, he was involved in affairs of state. In 1600, as member of Lew Sapieha's retinue, he played a significant role in the negotiations with the Tsardom of Russia, editing the planned alliance acts between Poland-Lithuania with the Russian state. In 1602 as District-Governor of Wieliż, he attended the drawing of the border between Poland-Lithuania and Moscovia and later became famous repelling a Russian attack on his own district. During the wars of Sigismund III Vasa against his uncle Charles IX of Sweden, the King of Sweden, he served in the Lithuanian army. In 1605, he fought at the Battle of Kircholm. In 1606, as a member of the retinue of Mikołaj Oleśnicki, he escorted Maryna Mniszchówna to Moscow, where he led negotiations for an alliance with False Dmitriy I.