Ulrich Fredrich von Cappelen (1770–1820) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

businessman, ship owner and timber merchant.Frednesalléen 1
in ''Eidanger–Porsgrund'', by Finn C. Knudsen (1932). Hosted by Porsgrunn public library. Mæla Gård

Personal life

Ulrich Fredrich von Cappelen grew up in at Mæla Manor in

Gjerpen Gjerpen is a former township which is now part of the municipality of Skien, in Telemark county, Norway. Location The parish of Gjerpen was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). According to the 1835 census th ...

(''Mæla gård i Gjerpen'') in the municipality of

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsj ...

Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

. He was one of the sons of the wholesaler, timber merchant and ship owner Diderich von Cappelen (1734–1794) and his first wife Petronelle Pedersdatter Juel (1737–1785). He had two older brothers,

Diderik von Cappelen Diderik von Cappelen (21 June 1761 – 3 April 1828) was a Norwegian wholesaler, merchant, shipowner, estate owner and politician in 1814. He is often referred to as Diderik von Cappelen but he spelt his name ''Didrich von Cappelen'' and is also ...

and

Peder von Cappelen Peder von Cappelen (24 January 1763 – 11 March 1837) was a Norwegian merchant and politician. He was involved in timber trade and owner of ironworks, and a member of the Parliament of Norway. Personal life Peder von Cappelen was born and ...

, a sister and one younger half-brother. In 1793 he married Benedicte Henrikke Aall (1772–1812), daughter of Nicolai Benjamin Aall and Amborg Jørgensdatter, née Wesseltoft. The couple had nine children, many of whom became noteworthy citizens. The sons Nicolai Benjamin and Ulrik Frederik became jurists and members of the national parliament. The third son, Wittus Juel, became a merchant in

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken (county), Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and village ...

. The daughters Didricha and Louise were married consecutively to bishop and politician

Jens Lauritz Arup Jens Lauritz Arup (20 April 1793 – 9 April 1874) was a Norwegian bishop and politician. He was born at Kristiansand in Vest-Agder, Norway. His father was a sexton and a school teacher. In 1811 Arup was sent to Copenhagen to study, but ...

. The fourth daughter Benedicte married her cousin Hans Blom Cappelen; their son Didrik became a member of parliament while their daughter Marie married

Fritz Trampe Flood Fredrik "Fritz" Christoffer Trampe Flood (13 January 1826 – 10 May 1913) was a Norwegian merchant. Personal life Fritz Trampe Flood was born in 1826 to merchant Jørgen Flood (1792–1867) and his wife Hanna (1796–1863), née Aall.Jørgen Wright Cappelen Jørgen Wright Cappelen (10 August 1805 – 6 October 1878) was a Norwegian bookseller and publisher. He was one of the founders of the publishing house Cappelen Damm. Personal life Jørgen Wright Cappelen was born at Porsgrund, Norway as the nin ...

moved to

Kristiania Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

(now Oslo) and founded the publishing house

J.W. Cappelens Forlag J.W. Cappelens Forlag, usually referred to as Cappelen, was one of the oldest publishing houses of Norway. J.W. Cappelens Forlag was founded in 1829 by Jørgen Wright Cappelen, of the distinguished Cappelen family. Torger Baardseth was the dire ...

. Except for Nicolai Benjamin, they all have descendants living in Norway today.

Career

Some time after the death of his father in 1794, he moved to

Porsgrund Porsgrund Porcelain Factory (''Porsgrunds Porselænsfabrik'', abbreviated PP) is a porcelain flatware company located at Porsgrunn in Telemark county, Norway. History The company's production plant is a popular tourist attraction. The company wa ...

, and started as a timber merchant and ship owner. He had inherited real estate and other assets with which he bought more property, especially in the rural parish of

Eidanger Eidanger is a rural parish and former municipality of Porsgrunn, in Telemark County, Norway. History Eidanger was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). It was merged with Porsgrunn on 1 January 1964. The mai ...

. He operated sawmills and marketed timber. However, during the

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 ...

(1807-1814), British Naval forces conducted an economic war, regularly seizing merchant vessels. The British Navy also conducted raids and disrupted Norwegian foreign trade. The subsequent Norwegian economic depression had a very negative impact on von Cappelen's mercantile business. He was virtually bankrupt upon his death in 1820. Cappelensvei
by Harald Bache Bystrøm. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cappelen, Ulrich Fredrich von 1770 births 1820 deaths Norwegian businesspeople in shipping People from Skien People from Porsgrunn Ulrich Fredrich