Thomas Potter (24 May 1745 – 12 October 1811) was a Scottish-born Danish industrialist and merchant who founded the first iron foundry in Denmark at Christianshavn in Copenhagen in 1785. The Potter House, his former home overlooking Christianshavn Canal in Christianshavn, now also known as the Brøste House after a later owner, is now listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places.
Born in Edinburgh to unknown parents, Thomas Potter came to Copenhagen at an early age where he obtained a royal licence to establish an iron foundry on rented land at Appelbys Plads in 1769. In 1771, his license was expanded to comprise all sorts of brass and iron products, forged as well as cast. [1]
In 1779, Potter acquired a lot fronting Christianshavn Canal, constructing the Potter House in 1785. It had offices on the ground floor, packing in the cellar and his residence on the first floor. [2] The foundry was located to the rear of the building. It manufactured "iron pots in all shapes" as well as everything from nails and bullets to ship anchors. Some of its products were exported to both the East and West Indies. [3] Over the years, he built a considerable export of pots, nails and forged anchors to both the East and West Indies.
On 20 March 1782 in the German Reformed Church in Copenhagen, Potter married Marie Spengler (1 January 1762 – 1 September 1785), A daughter of Royal Art Chamber manager Lorenz Spengler and Gertrud Spengler (née Trott), who died just three years later. On 2 March 1789 in St. Nicolas' Church, he then married Inger Marie Wismer (3 August 1768 – 19 March 1789), a daughter of tea and porcelain merchant Nicolaj Henrik Wismer and Anne Marie Meinerth; she died just 17 days later at 20 years old. Haunted by grief after the early loss of two wives in the building in just six years, Potter sold his house at Christianshavn Canal in 1790 never to set foot in the building again.
On 3 May 1794 in the Garrison Church, he married Inger Dorothea Hertz, a daughter of Rotal Forester in Vordingborg County Herman Michelsen H. (1734–75) and writer Birgitte Cathrine Boye (1742–1824). They lived in the Cort Adeler House in Strandgade in Christianshavn from 1797–1807.
Christianshavn is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of the city centre by the Inner Harbour. It was founded in the early 17th century by Christian IV as part of his extension of the fortifications of Copenhagen. Originally, it was laid out as an independent privileged merchant's town with inspiration from Dutch cities but it was soon incorporated into Copenhagen proper. Dominated by canals, it is the part of Copenhagen with the most nautical atmosphere.
The Holmen Church is a Parish church in central Copenhagen in Denmark, on the street called Holmens Kanal. First built as an anchor forge in 1563, it was converted into a naval church by Christian IV. It is famous for having hosted the wedding between Margrethe II of Denmark, current queen of Denmark, and Prince Henrik in 1967. It is the burial site of such notabilities as naval heroes Niels Juel and Peter Tordenskjold, and composer Niels Wilhelm Gade, and contains artwork by, among others, Bertel Thorvaldsen and Karel van Mander.
Gammelholm is a predominantly residential neighbourhood in the city centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is bounded by the Nyhavn canal, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Kanal, Niels Juels Gade and the waterfront along Havnegade. For centuries, the area was the site of the Royal Naval Shipyard, known as Bremerholm, but after the naval activities relocated to Nyholm, it came under residential redevelopment in the 1860s and 1870s. The new neighbourhood was planned by Ferdinand Meldahl and has also been referred to as "Meldahl's Nine Streets". Apart from the buildings which face Kongens Nytorv, which include the Royal Danish Theatre and Charlottenborg Palace, the area is characterized by homogeneous Historicist architecture consisting of perimeter blocks with richly decorated house fronts.
Christianshavns Kanal is a canal in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. Running northeast–southwest, it bisects the neighbourhood along its length. To the north it connects to Trangraven, the canal which separates Christianshavn from Holmen; to the south it makes an angular break and empties in the main harbour a little north of the Langebro bridge. At the middle, Christianshavns Kanal is crossed by Børnehusbroen. This bridge is part of Torvegade, the main thoroughfare of Christianshavn, connecting the city centre across Knippelsbro to the northwest to Amager the southeast. The only other bridge traversing the canal is Snorrebroen, located further north.
The Heering House is a Neoclassical house overlooking Christianshavn Canal in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. It takes its name after Peter Frederik Suhm Heering (1792-1875) who owned it from 1838 until his death in 1875 and it continued to serve as headquarters for his company, Peter Heering, until 1977. The building is now home to the Nordea Foundation and a museum dedicated to banks and saving banks, as well as six residences available to foreign researchers and specialists.
Brøste House, also known as Potter House after its founder, Thomas Potter, a Scottish born industrialist, is a late 18th-century historic property at Overgaden Oven Vandet 10, overlooking Christianshavn Canal, in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. The building was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1918. It is now owned by Barfoed Group.
Stanley House is a Rococo mansion overlooking Christianshavn Canal in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. The house takes its name after its founder, Simon Carl Stanley, and was possibly built to his own design.
Sankt Annæ Gade is a street in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It connects the main harbourfront at Asiatisk Plads in the west to Christianshavn Rampart in the east via the Snorrebroen bridge. Church of Our Saviour is located in the street.
Dronningensgade is a street in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen, Denmark, running parallel to Christianshavn Canal one block to the east, from Christianshavn Rampart in the south to Bådsmandsstræde in the north.
Wildersgade is a street in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs along the length of the neighbourhood, parallel to Christianshavn Canal, one block to the east, from the Christiansbro development in the south(west) to Wilder's Canal in the north(east). The street is bisected by Torvegade, Christianshavn's principal thoroughfare, but is otherwise a quiet mainly residential street with cobbling and many old townhouses and storages from the 18th and 19th century.
The Cort Adeler House is a historic property located at Strandgade 22 in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. It takes its name from Admiral Cort Adeler who lived there for the last seven years of his life in the 17th century.
Sofiegade is a street in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of central Copenhagen, Denmark. It runs from Christianshavns Kanal in the northwest to Christianshavns Voldgade and Christianshavns Vold in the southeast, passing Dronningensgade and Prinsessegade on the way.
The Andreas Bjørn House is a historic property located at the corner of Strandgade and Bådsmandsstræde in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built for Andreas Bjørn in 1734 and listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1918. A sugar refinery named Union House was from 1771 to 1811 located in a now demolished warehouse adjacent to the building by a group of British merchants and plantation owners from St. Croix in the Danish West Indies.
John Brown was a Scottish-Danish merchant and ship-owner. He was a joint founder of John & David Brown in 1759. The company owned 17 ships in 1787 but was liquidated the following year. He was also active in the Danish Asiatic Company where he was a member of the board of directors from 1770–75 and from 1779–85. He was appointed as General War Commissioner in 1776. He was the second-largest landowner in Gentofte and owned Benzonseje from 1784 to 1788.
Hans Heinrich Baumgarten was a Holstein-Danish industrialist. In 1843, he founded a company which from 1846 became known as Baumgarten & Burmeister and after his retirement became Burmeister & Wain.
Overgaden Oven Vandet 50 is a residential property in the Christianshavn neighborhood of central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of three properties along Christianshavn Canal that were built by anchor smith Hans Caspersen and are now all known as the Hans Caspersen House, the others being Overgaden Neden Vandet 39 and Overgaden Neden Vandet 33. The building was completed in 1769 and listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1945.
Overgaden Oven Vamdet 20 is a canal house overlooking Christianshavn Canal in the Christianshavn neighborhood of central Copenhagen, Denmark. Built for a former ship captain in 1802, it stands four storeys tall and just three bays wide. It was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places inn 1918. Notable former residents include the zoologist Jørgen Matthias Christian Schiødte.
Overgaden Oven Vandet 28 is an 18th-century property overlooking Christianshavn Canal in the Christianshavn neighborhood of central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1945. Notable former residents include publisher Frederik Hegel and painter Heinrich Hansen.
Peter Rabe Holm was a Danish wine merchant, brewer and director of the Danish Asiatic Company.
Overgaden Oven Vamdet 8 is an 18th-century building overlooking Christianshavn Canal in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of central Copenhagen, Denmark. It originates in a two-storey, Neoclassical building constructed in 1786 by Andreas Kirkerup for candle maker Christian From. This building was heightened with one storey in 1831. It was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1945. Notable former residents include organist and composer Niels Peter Hillebrandt.