Thomas Potter (24 May 1745 – 12 October 1811) was a Danish industrialist and merchant who founded the first iron foundry in Denmark at

Christianshavn Christianshavn (literally, "ingChristian's Harbour") is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of th ...

in Copenhagen in 1785. The Potter House, his former home overlooking Christianshavn Canal in Christianshavn, now also known as the Brøste House after a later owner, is now listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places.

Career

Born in Edinburgh to unknown parents, Thomas Potter came to Copenhagen at an early age where he obtained a royal licence to establish an iron foundry on rented land at Appelbys Plads in 1769. In 1771, his license was expanded to comprise all sorts of brass and iron products, forged as well as cast. In 1779, Potter acquired a lot fronting Christianshavn Canal, constructing the Potter House in 1785. It had offices on the ground floor, packing in the cellar and his residence on the first floor. The foundry was located to the rear of the building. It manufactured "iron pots in all shapes" as well as everything from nails and bullets to ship anchors. Some of its products were exported to both the East and West Indies. Over the years, he built a considerable export of pots, nails and forged anchors to both the East and West Indies.

Personal life

On 20 March 1782 in the German Reformed Church in Copenhagen, Potter married Marie Spengler (1 January 1762 – 1 September 1785), A daughter of Royal Art Chamber manager Lorenz Spengler and Gertrud Spengler (née Trott), who died just three years later. On 2 March 1789 in St. Nicolas' Church, he then married Inger Marie Wismer (3 August 1768 – 19 March 1789), a daughter of tea and porcelain merchant Nicolaj Henrik Wismer and Anne Marie Meinerth; she died just 17 days later at 20 years old. Haunted by grief after the early loss of two wives in the building in just six years, Potter sold his house at Christianshavn Canal in 1790 never to set foot in the building again. On 3 May 1794 in the Garrison Church, he married Inger Dorothea Hertz, a daughter of Rotal Forester in

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Herman Michelsen H. (1734–75) and writer

Birgitte Cathrine Boye Birgitte Cathrine Boye (March 7, 1742 – October 17, 1824) was a Danish hymnwriter.Wilson, Katharina M. 1991. ''An Encyclopedia of Continental Women Writers'', vol. 1. New York: Garland, pp. 161–164. Early life Birgitte Cathrine Boye was born i ...

(1742–1824). They lived in the

Cort Adeler House The Cort Adeler House is a historic property located at Strandgade 22 in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. It takes its name from Admiral Cort Adeler who lived there for the last seven years of his life in the 17th century. ...

Strandgade Strandgade ( lit. "Beach Street") is one of the principal streets in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs along the full length of the neighbourhood, following the harbourfront, from Christian's Church in the south-west to ...

in Christianshavn from 1797–1807.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Thomas 1745 births 1811 deaths British emigrants to Denmark 18th-century Danish businesspeople 18th-century Scottish businesspeople Danish industrialists