James Kirkland (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1730) was an Irish giant and a member of the Potsdam Giants who served under

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (german: Friedrich Wilhelm I.; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the "Soldier King" (german: Soldatenkönig), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuch ...

, known as the "Soldier King" and was a native of Ballygar, Ardagh,

County Longford County Longford ( gle, Contae an Longfoirt) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 46,6 ...

. His height is described at bottom of the painting as "6 Fus 8 Zoll". From Prussian measurements this converts to 217 centimetres or 7 feet 1 inches. Kirkland was in 1730 a footman to Baron Borck, at the time Prussian Ambassador to London. Borck, however, did not really need a footman, and had Kirkland forcibly impressed upon a Prussian ship at Portsmouth, where he was

press-ganged Impressment, colloquially "the press" or the "press gang", is the taking of men into a military or naval force by compulsion, with or without notice. European navies of several nations used forced recruitment by various means. The large size of ...

into the Potsdam Guards. It is claimed that he was accompanied in the regiment by other tall soldiers from Ireland. One of his fellow soldiers was the poet

Tomás Ó Caiside Tomás Ó Caiside, aka An Caisideach Bán, (c. 1709 – 1773?), was an Irish friar, soldier, and poet. Biography Ó Caiside's family was of Ulster stock, his parents settling in Drishacaun townland, parish of Kilmurry, Castleplunkett, County R ...

(c.1709–1773?). A portrait of Kirkland survives.

External links

* http://factoidz.com/the-potsdam-guards-prussias-giant-soldiers/ * http://www.exulanten.com/luise2.html * http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/0808/1224252235290.html * http://www.lange-kerls.de/Home/_13 {{DEFAULTSORT:Kirkland, James People from County Longford 18th-century Irish people Irish soldiers Irish expatriates in Germany Year of birth missing Year of death missing