Christian Henrik Arendrup (25 March 1837 – 1913) was

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

of the Danish West Indies from 1881 to 1893.

Biography

Arendrup was born at

Frederikshavn Frederikshavn () is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland, on the northeast coast on the North Jutlandic Island in northern Denmark. Its name translates to "Frederik's harbor". It was originally named Fladstrand. The ...

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

, Denmark. He was the son of Christian Rasmus Arendrup,

councilor A councillor, alternatively councilman, councilwoman, councilperson, or council member, is someone who sits on, votes in, or is a member of, a council. This is typically an elected representative of an electoral district in a municipal or regio ...

of Fyens Stift, and Nanna Marie Henne, the daughter of a marine

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

.Bricka, Dansk Biografisk, 312

Education

In 1856, Arendrup graduated from

Sorø Academy Sorø Academy ( Danish: ''Sorø Akademi'') is a boarding school and gymnasium located in the small town of Sorø, Denmark. It traces its history back to the 12th century when Bishop Absalon founded a monastery at the site, which was confiscated by ...

(''Sorø Akademi'') on the island of

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

and the following year, he started at the

Royal Danish Military Academy The Royal Danish Military Academy () educates and commissions all officers for the Royal Danish Army. The Military Academy function was initiated in 1713 by request of King Frederick IV on inspiration from the Naval Academy. Location The acade ...

(''Hærens Officersskole'') where he graduated as Engineering Second Lieutenant

à la suite À la suite (, ''in the entourage f') was a military title given to those who were allotted to the army or a particular unit for honour's sake and were entitled to wear a regimental uniform but otherwise had no official position. In Prussia ...

. He went to

Fredericia Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region Denmark, Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vej ...

in 1861 to join preparations for the impending war with the

German Confederation The German Confederation ( ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, which had been dissolved ...

Second Schleswig War

Among his accomplishments in 1864 during the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War (; or German Danish War), also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War, was the second military conflict over the Schleswig–Holstein question of the nineteenth century. The war began on 1 Februar ...

were helping the defense during the battles at

Dybbøl Dybbøl is a small town with a population of 2,357 (1 January 2024)Als Island Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...

. Arendrup was named

Knight of Dannebrog A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

and promoted to premier lieutenant for his achievements. When

sea mine A naval mine is a self-contained explosive weapon placed in water to damage or destroy surface ships or submarines. Similar to anti-personnel mine, anti-personnel and other land mines, and unlike purpose launched naval depth charges, they are ...

s started to be used abroad, Arendrup was installed as an assistant to work on the Danish mine command under Major C. F. N. Schrøder .Bricka, Dansk Biografisk, 313

Governor of the Danish West Indies

On 1 April 1881, Colonel Arendrup was pronounced Governor of the Danish West Indies. He landed on St Thomas on 15 April 1881. By the Colonial Law of 27 November 1883 he was required to reside six months a year in St. Thomas and the other half a year in St. Croix.

Later life

In 1893 he left the governor's post. He was promoted to Major General in 1900 and re-entered as Chief Inspector and Head of the Engineering Corps. He was dismissed from the military service in 1905. He was appointed a Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...

on the occasion of the King's visit to Copenhagen. He worked as the chairman of Danish Red Cross.

Family

Arendrup was married to Almira Kjellerup (1841–1924), the daughter of Anders A. Kjellerup, former councilor in the Danish West Indies.

Bibliography

* Waldemar Westergaard, ''The Danish West Indies under Company Rule (1671–1754)'' (MacMillan, New York, 1917) * ''C. F. Bricka'' (editor), Dansk biografisk Lexikon, first edition, 19 volumes, 1887–1905, Vol. I. Online edition available: https://runeberg.org/dbl/1/ (page 312. Numbered as 330 in the online edition).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arendrup, Christian Henrik Governors of the Danish West Indies 1837 births 1913 deaths People from Frederikshavn Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog 19th century in the Danish West Indies 19th-century Danish politicians Burials at the Garrison Cemetery, Copenhagen Danish military personnel of the Second Schleswig War