Preceded by Frederik von Oxholm Award Order of the Dannebrog | Succeeded by Hans Hendrik Berg | |
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Succeeded by Frederik Ludvig Christian Pentz Rosenørn Died 23 March 1854, Frederiksberg, Denmark | ||
Johannes Søbøtker (9 May 1777 – 23 March 1854) was a Danish merchant, plantation owner and governor of St. Thomas and St. John in the Danish West Indies. His former country house Øregård in Hellerup now serves as an art museum.
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Early life and education
Hohannes Born was on St. Croix, the son of plantation owner and later General War Commissioner Adam Levin Søbøtker (1753–1823) and Susanne van Beverhoudt (1761–1811). He was sent to Copenhagen where he was apprenticed to De Coninck & Co. and later his future father-in-law Lars Larsen's trading house. He married Johanne Margrethe Larsen 2 March 1796..
He became licensed as a grocer and began trading on the Danish West Indies with his own ships under the name Søbøtker & Co.. In 1804, Søbøtker became a partner in Vilhelm Duntzfelts ' trading house, Duntzfelt & Co..
Søbøtker constructed the country house Øregård in 1806. The house was designed by Joseph-Jacques Ramée. He was known for his extravagant life style. He ran into economic problems.
Years in the Danish West Indies
He moved to the Danish West Indies and in 1821, he sold the house in Hellerup. When his father died in 1823 on St. Croix, he inherited two plantations, Constitution Hill and Høgensborg. In 1735, when Peter von Scholten was appointed to Governor General, he took over the position as governor of St. Thomas. He introduced the first steam mill in the Danish West Indies on his plantation Høgensborg.
Death, titles and legacy
In 1848, Søbøtker returned to Copenhagen. He died in Frederiksberg on 23 March 1854. He is buried at Assistens Cemetery.
He became kammerherre 1830, Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1826, Dannebrogsmand and finally Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1837.
His former country house Øregård opened as a museum in 1821. The park is also open to the public. Søbøtkers Allé, located a few streets from the park, is named after him.