Eggert Christopher Knuth til Knuthenborg

Eggert Christopher (von) Knuth, Count of

Knuthenborg Knuthenborg is a manor house located north of Maribo on the Danish island of Lolland. Originally known as Årsmarke, it was first mentioned in 1372. Today's building was completed in 1866 to a design by Henrik Steffens Sibbern. The medieval man ...

and Gyldensteen (20 October 1722 – 26 February 1776), was a Danish landowner, Supreme Court justice and Prefect of the Diocese of Zealand. He was the brother of Christian Frederik and Conrad Ditlev Knuth and the father of Johan Henrik Knuth and Frederik Knuth.

Early life and education

Knuth was the son of Adam Christopher Knuth (1687–1738) and Ida Margrethe Reventlow (1701–1757). He studied in Göttingen in 1739.

Career

On his return to Denmark he enrolled in the army where he became a captain in 1742. In 1732, he joined the Life Guard on Foot. In 1749 he became adjutant-general to the king. In 1751 he resigned from the army (with the rank of colonel) to become a Supreme Court justice. In 1759, he was appointed as ''geheimeråd''. In 1764 he was appointed Prefect of the Diocese of Zealand. In 1772, he was appointed as one of the judges in the trial against

Queen Caroline Mathilde Caroline Matilda of Great Britain (; 1751 – 10 May 1775) was List of Danish royal consorts, Queen of Denmark and List of Norwegian royal consorts, Norway from 1766 to 1772 by marriage to King Christian VII of Denmark, Christian VII. The youn ...

Property and titles

Eggert Christopher Knuth succeeded his father to the County of Knuthenborg in 1747. Through his first wife he also acquired the County of Gyldensteen on

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

. In 1760 he acquired Ravnstrup at

Næstved Næstved () is a town in Næstved Municipality, the municipality of the same name, located in the southern part of the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand in Denmark. Næstved has several adult education centers, five Primary education, elemen ...

only to sell it again eight years later. In 1772, he acquired Mørup and converted it into a ''stamhus'' (sold in 1803). Coatofarms-knuth-knuthenborg

In 1759, Knuth purchased the Plessen Mansion at

Frederiksholms Kanal Frederiksholms Kanal is a canal in central Copenhagen, Denmark, which runs along the south-west side of Slotsholmen, together with Slotsholmskanalen separating the island from Zealand. The name also applies to the continuation of Rådhusstræde ...

as his city home in Copenhagen. It was from then on known as "Det Knuthske Hotel" (The Knuth Hotel). In 1842 Knuth was awarded the title of chamberlain (''kammerherre''). In 1754 Knuth was created a

Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

. In 1763, he was awarded the

Ordre de l'Union Parfaite The Ordre de l'Union Parfaite was created by Queen consort Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Sophie Magdalene of Denmark and Norway on 7 August 1732 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her happy marriage with King Christian VI of Denma ...

. In 1766, he was awarded the title of ''gehejmekonferensråd'' In 1773, he was awarded the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in ...

Personal life

Knuth was married three times. His first wife was Marguerithe Maurice Francoise Isidore Isidore Casado de Monteleone (1723–1752), daughter of Joachim Christoph Moltke, diplomat and ambassador, and Sophia Albertine baroness Wolzogen. The wedding took place on 5 February 1742 in Gunseby Church. Her maternal grandfather was Jean Henri Huguetan Gyldensteen. They had two daughters and a son: * Christiane Sophie Frederikke Knuth (1743–1790) * Charlotte Louise Knuth (1745-1812), married to Carl Friedrich von Görtz (1733-1797) * Johan Henrik Knuth (1746-1802) Knuth's second wife was Marie Numsen (173-1765), daughter of Michael Mathiasen von Numsen and Anna Sophie Margarethe Marie Thomasine von Ingenhaeff. The wedding took place on 20 October 1752. They had one daughter and one son: They had the following children: * Frederikke Juliane Marie Knuth (1755–1804), married to Michael Herman Løvenskiold (1751-1807) * Frederik Greve Knuth (1760-1818) On 9 September 1765, Knuth married Eleonore Louise Caroline Moltke (1725-1785). She was a niece of

Adam Gottlob Moltke Count Adam Gottlob von Moltke (10 November 171025 September 1792) was a German-born Danish courtier, politician and diplomat who was a favourite of Frederick V of Denmark, Frederick V of Denmark-Norway. Moltke was born at Walkendorf, Riesenhof ...

. He died on 26 February 1776. He is buried in

Hunseby Church Hunseby Church is located in the village of Hunseby some 3 km north of Maribo on the Danish island of Lolland. Built in the middle of the 12th century, the church has a Romanesque chancel and nave and a Gothic tower. Eggert Christopher Knuth
at geni.com {{s-end 18th-century Danish landowners 18th-century Danish nobility Counts of Denmark Knuth family 1722 births 1776 deaths