Hans Wassard (11 November 1756 29 October 1839) was a Danish merchant, landowner and one of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

32 Men The Assembly of 32 Men ( Danish: De 32 Mænds Forsamling), also known as the City's 32 Men () or simply as the 32 Men (Danish:De 32 Mænd), was an assembly of respected citizens of Copenhagen, who had the right to demand an audience before the k ...

. He invested in a number of privateer ships during the

Gunboat War The Gunboat War (, , Swedish: ''Kanonbåtskriget''; 1807–1814) was a naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and Great Britain supported by Sweden during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing sm ...

. He owned Marienlyst Manor at

Vordingborg Vordingborg () is a market town and old ferry town on the south coast of the island of Zealand in Denmark. Because of three large estates surrounding the town, a coherent urban development has not been possible, which is the reason why three sat ...

Early life and background

Wassard was born at

, the son of Mathias Hansen Wassard (1713–1884) and Elisabeth Catherine Aagaard (1733–1780). His father was the proprietor of the farm Holmgaard. His maternal grandfather was the businessman (''grosserer'') Ole Hansen Aagaard. Wassard's father died at Holmegaard on 22 March 1774. The estate was sold by his mother in 1795. Hans Wassard was sent to Copenhagen for a commercial education. In 1787, he worked as bookkeeper for Jacob Gregorius Graah on Vimmelskaftet (Frimand's Quarter, No. 174).

Career

On 19 June 1795, shortly after the

Copenhagen Fire of 1795 The Copenhagen Fire of 1795 (''Københavns brand 1795'') started on Friday, 5 June 1795, at or around 3 pm by the Navy's old base south east of Kongens Nytorv on Gammelholm, in the Navy's magazine for coal and timber, the so-called Dellehave. As t ...

, Wassard was appointed as one of the extra directors of Kkøbenhavns Brandforsikring (Copenhagen Fire Insureance Company). Onm 9 June 1795, he was granted citizenship as a wholesaler (''grosserer'') in Vopenhagen. In 17921794, he had served as ''fattigforstander'' in the Parhis of the Holy Ghost. On 22 December 1800, he was elected as one of Copenhagen's

. He acquired his old employer's property on Vimmelskaftet (now Vimmelskaftet 30). At some point, he went from wholesaler (''grosserer'') to grocer (''urtekræmmer''). On 11 May 1808, in ''Adresseavisen'', he advertised for skippers who could transport firewood for him from Vordingborg to Copenhagen.

Privateering

Wassard fitted a total of six ships out as privateers during the

. He received letters of mark for the following six ships: * 7 December 1807: ''Hævneren'' (''Challup'', 16 men, captain Johannes Simonsen) * 1808: ''Den Muelige'' (''Lugger'', 26 men, captain, Lars Flin) * 1 August 1808: ''Hurtigheden'' (''Lugger'', 21 men, three guns, captain Lars Johansen Holm af Nex¿) * 2 March 1809: ''Den Modige'' (''Lugger'', 22 men, captain Lars Rasmussen Brandt) * 27 April 1810: ''Giengi¾ld'' (cutter, 25 men, captain Lars Johansen Holm af Nexø) * May 1819; ''Den gode Hensigt'' (Lugge, 22 men, captain unknown)

Property

On 20 July 1804, he was part of a consortium that purchased Iselingen for 310,000 rigsdaler from county manager Hans Henrich Peter Reyersen. The other members of the consortium were his brother-in-law Just Michael Aagaard, Peder Bech, court bookprinter Johan Fredinand Schultz and

Iver Qvistgaard Iver Qvistgaard (28 October 1767 8 October 1829) was a Danish civil servant, landowner and mayor of Copenhagen. He owned Aagaard Manor at Holbæk and the country house Wesselsminde at Nærum. He also engaged in a number of other speculative inve ...

. In 1808, in ''Adresseavisen'', Wassard advertised for skippers who could transport firewood for him from Vordingborg to Copenhagen. In 1806, Aagaard became the sole owner of Iselingen. In 1810, Wassard acquired Marienlyst from him and the farm was at the same time incorporated as an independent manor.

Personal life

Wassard's first wife was Lucie Emerentze Aagaard (1761-). She was the eldest daughter of his mother's half brother Peder Andreas Aagaard, provost in Glostrup Parish, and thus the sister of the above mentioned Just Michael Aagaard. She died from ''Vattersot9'' on 23 October 1802. On 2 February 1804, Wassard married to Anna Maria Munk )1771-1838). She was the daughter of mayor in Copenhagen Morten Munk and Karen Barfred (daughter of Frederik Barfred). Hans Wassard died on 29 October 1839. He was survived by three sons and a daughter. The eldest son Jacob Gregorius Graahe Wassard (1790-= was married to Caroline Sophie Berg. The daughter Elisabeth Cathrine Wassard (1792-1850) was married to customs inspector in Tønne Christian Gotfried Ditlev Lohmann (1786-1829). The son Morten Munk Wassard )1911-= was married to Wilhelmine Mathilde Sincel. He inherited Marienlyst Manor after his father's death- The youngest son Mathias Wassard (1915-1879) studied law but became a landowner ('proprietær''). He was married to Anine Christiane Lohmannm a daughter of his brother-in-law Christian Gotfried Ditlev Lohmann and his first wife Dorothea Magdalena Madsdatter Arboe.

References

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External links

Hans Wassard
at geni.com 18th-century Danish businesspeople 19th-century Danish businesspeople 18th-century Danish landowners Danish privateers of the Gunboat War People from Vordingborg Municipality 1756 births 1839 deaths Merchants from Denmark–Norway