August Willads Bech (21 July 1815 - 28 May 1877) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

landowner. He owned

Valbygård Valbygård is a manor house and estate located four kilometres northwest of Slagelse, Denmark. Created by Joachim Castenschiold in 1874 from land that had previously belonged to Antvorskov Abbey, the estate was in 1846 acquired by August Willad ...

Slagelse Slagelse () is a town on Zealand, Denmark. The town is the seat of Slagelse Municipality, and is the biggest town of the municipality. It is located 15 km east of Korsør, 16 km north-east of Skælskør, 33 km south-east of Kalundborg and 14 km ...

and Borupgård at Borup. Valbygård is still owned by his descendants.

Early life and education

Bech was born on 21 July 1815 in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, the son of merchant and ship-owner Jørgen Peter Bech (1782–1846) and Ellen Sophie Magdalene Meyer (1784–1846). He grew up in his father's house at

Nybrogade 22 Nybroegade 22/Magstræde 9 is a complex of historic buildings overlooking Slotsholmen Canal and Christiansborg in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of a five-storey apartment building from the 1850s in Nybrogade and a four-storey building ...

and later studied agriculture in Denmark and

Mecklenburg Mecklenburg (; nds, label=Low German, Mękel(n)borg ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin ...

. His elder brother was

Edward Bech Edward Bech (May 4, 1812 – July 9, 1873) was a Danish diplomat and businessman who lived in the United States. His former home is now part of Marist College. Early life Bech was born on May 4, 1812, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was a son of Elle ...

, the Danish Counsel in New York.

Career

In 1840, Bech purchased Fredsholm at

Nakskov Nakskov is a town in south Denmark. It is situated in Lolland municipality in Region Sjælland on the western coast of the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 12,495 (1 January 2022). To the west is Nakskov Fjord, an inlet from the La ...

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of Region Sjælland (Region Zealand). As of 1 January 2022, it has 57,618 inhabitant ...

. In 1846, he purchased

for 500,000 Danish rigsdaler and then parted with Fredsholm the following year. He modernized the operations and converted many of the copyholds to freeholds. He also constructed a number of new buildings on the estate. In 1855, he also acquired nearby Brorupgård. The two estates had a combined area of more than 600 hectares and were mainly used for breeding of cattle. He operated a modern dairy on his estate. He was also a pioneer of cultivation of root crops. In 1856, he increased his holdings with the acquisitions of Moselund in Engesvang at

Silkeborg Silkeborg () is a Danish town with a population of 49,747 (1 January 2022).Carl Adolph Rothe Carl Adolph Rothe (8 December 1767 – 12 July 1834) was a naval officer in the Royal Danish Navy and governor of the Danish West Indies from 1820 to 1822. Biography Rothe was born on 8 December 1767 in Tybjerggård on Zealand, Denmark, to ...

(1767–1834) and Benedicte Ulfsparre de Tuxen (1790–1877), on 30 March 1842 in the Church of Holmen. He died on 28 May 1877 at

Engelsholm Engelsholm Castle, overlooking Engelsholm Lake, is located 14 km west of Vejle in south-western Denmark. Originally a manor house which traces its history back to the 15th century, it now houses a folk high school. History Little is known about En ...

Vejle Vejle () is a city in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle River and Grejs River and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality ('' kommune'') and the R ...

. He is buried at Norup Cemetery. Valbygaard was passed down to his eldest son Jørgen Peter Bech. His second eldest son Carl Bech purchased

Engelsholm Castle Engelsholm Castle, overlooking Engelsholm Lake, is located 14 km west of Vejle in south-western Denmark. Originally a manor house which traces its history back to the 15th century, it now houses a folk high school. History Little is known about En ...

. His elfest daughter Benedichte married Ludvig Eduard Alexander Reventlow, Count of

Rudbjerggaard Rudbjerggaard, situated 7 km south of Nakskov, is the only half-timbered manor house on the island of Lolland in south-eastern Denmark. History Early history The first known reference to Rudbjerggaard is from 1231 when it is mentioned as crow ...

- The younger daughter Ellen Sophie Magdalene "Mimi" Bech married Knud Sehested, of Stamhuset Broholm on

Funen Funen ( da, Fyn, ), with an area of , is the third-largest island of Denmark, after Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy. It is the 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 469,947 as of ...

Accolades

In 1850, Bech was created a Knight in the Order of the Dannebrog In 1864, he was awarded the Cross of Honour.

References

External links

August Villads Bech
ast geni.com
August Villads Becj

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bech, August Willads 19th-century Danish landowners 1815 births 1877 deaths