The name of Steen Andersen Bille is closely associated with one extended family of Danish naval officers over several generations. In a direct line from one Vice-Commandant of the City of Copenhagen in the later 17th century, a long list of distinguished Danish naval officers emerged – including six admirals, two commanders and six captains. Many of these had the same name as their progenitor.

Progenitor

Colonel and Vice-Commandant of Copenhagen, Steen Andersen Bille (1624–1698).

Family tree

List

* Bendix Lasson Bille (23 November 1723 – 5 October 1784), rear admiral. * Daniel Ernst Bille (7 April 1711 – 25 February 1790), rear admiral. * Daniel Ernst Bille (22 September 1770 – 24 February 1807), captain. * Ernst Wilhelm Bille (9 September 1795 – 15 March 1821), senior lieutenant; unmarried. * Just Bille (1670–1749), captain.Captain Just Bille may have been an army captain, as he left a debt to the Bornholm Infantry regiment. He does not have his own section in the Topsøe-Jensen book on naval officers * Just Bille (13 March 1744 – 17 January 1802), commander; no issue. * Mathias Bille (17 February 1736 – 17 March 1782), captainMathias Bille died after a hurricane on Ireland’s NW coast. * Michael Bille (14 May 1680 – 2 May 1756), admiral. *

Michael Johannes Petronius Bille Michael Johannes Petronius Bille was a Danish, and Prussian naval officer born 8 November 1769 in Stege on the Danish Island of Møn into a naval family which had produced and would produce Danish admirals. Career He was sailing on the Danis ...

(8 November 1769 – 27 March 1845), rear admiral. * Steen Andersen Bille (1624–1698), colonel. * Steen Andersen Bille (27 March 1725 – 23 September 1748), junior lieutenant; unmarried. *

Steen Andersen Bille The name of Steen Andersen Bille is closely associated with one extended family of Danish naval officers over several generations. In a direct line from one Vice-Commandant of the City of Copenhagen in the later 17th century, a long list of disting ...

(23 August 1751 – 15 April 1833), admiral; actions:

Action of 16 May 1797 The action of 16 May 1797 was a naval battle that took place near Tripoli in Ottoman Tripolitania (present-day Libya). The Danish squadron was victorious over a Tripolitan squadron that outnumbered them in terms of the number of vessels. The resu ...

, Battle of Copenhagen,

Gunboat War The Gunboat War (, ; 1807–1814) was a naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and the British during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing small gunboats against the materially superior Royal Nav ...

. *

(5 December 1797 – 2 May 1883), vice admiral. * Steen Andersen Bille (24 July 1830 – 3 June 1905), captain. * Søren Adolph Bille (4 June 1775 – 12 September 1819), captain.Søren Bille was with the brig ''Lougen'' in 1793-4 in the Danish West Indies. In 1801 he was second-in-command of the blockship ''Cronborg'' when he was wounded in the Battle of Copenhagen, but still assumed command after the death of the captain. He recaptured ''Allart'' on 10 August 1809. In 1814, when Norway and Denmark separated, he joined the Norwegian navy. OthersA further seven Danish naval officers with the surname Bille, but apparently unrelated to Steen Andersen Bille, are listed by Topsøe-Jensen. These are Anders, Christian Lodberg, Gabriel, Gerhardt Sivert, Hans Martin, Jørgen, and Lars.

Family burial plot

Many members of the Bille family from Steen Andersen Bille (1751–1833) and his wife onwards are buried at the

Cemetery of Holmen Holmen Cemetery (Danish: Holmens Kirkegård) is the oldest cemetery still in use in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was first located next to the naval Church of Holmen in the city centre but relocated to its current site on Dag Hammarskjölds Allé in t ...

(Danish: Holmens Kirkegård) in Copenhagen.

''Bille''

Two ships have been named ''Bille'' in relatively recent times in the Royal Danish Navy: * ''Bille'' (1946) a torpedo boat with a speed of 29 knots. Decommissioned 1959 * ''Bille'' (1976) a ''Willemoes''-class torpedo boat, later fitted with two harpoon missiles. Named after Admiral S A Bille (1751–1833)Balsved
Bille (1974)
/ref>

Notes

References

Citations

*T. A. Topsøe-Jensen og Emil Marquard (1935) “Officerer i den dansk-norske Søetat 1660-1814 og den danske Søetat 1814-1932“.
Volume 1
an
Volume 2
*Balsved - Danish Naval Histor

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bille, Steen Andersen Royal Danish Navy officers Steen 17th-century births 17th-century deaths Military families of Denmark