Peter Bøyesen

Infobox Politician
honorific-prefix =
name = Peter Bøyesen
honorific-suffix =


imagesize =
small

caption =
office = Mayor of Porsgrund municipality
term_start = 1843
term_end = 1843
term_start2 = 1844
term_end2 = 1844
term_start3 = 1846
term_end3 = 1846
office4 = Member of Parliament
term_start4 = 1845
term_end4 = 1845
term_start5 = 1854
term_end5 = 1854
term_start6 = 1859
term_end6 = 1860
birth_date = 1799
birth_place =
death_date = 24 November 1867
death_place =
nationality = Norwegian
party = Independent
spouse =
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater =
occupation = Businessperson
profession =
religion =


footnotes =

Peter Johan Bøyesen (1799 – 24 November 1867 [http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/porsgrunn-1957/b2/ph-12d.html Trelast og ishandel, skipsbygging og skipsfart 1860-1890. Skipsfarten] , in volume two of "Porsgrunns historie", by Joh. N. Tønnessen. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.] ) was a Norwegian businessperson and politician.

Personal life

Peter Johan Bøyesen was born in Western Porsgrund 1799 as the son of shipmaster and boat pilot Peter Bøye Larsen. [http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/porsgrunn-1957/b2/ph-05a.html Nye veier, nye menn, nye kriser] , in volume two of "Porsgrunns historie", by Joh. N. Tønnessen. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.]

One of his sons, named Peter, became a shipbuilder. [ [http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/porsgrunn-1957/b2/ph-12c.html Trelast og ishandel, skipsbygging og skipsfart 1860-1890. Skipsbyggeriets storhetstid] , in volume two of "Porsgrunns historie", by Joh. N. Tønnessen. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.]

Career

Bøyesen started his career as a shipmaster and trader. He had been a trainee with Hans Eleonardus Møller, Sr. at an early age, from 1813, and then bought his first ship in 1818, sailing from Porsgrund to Copenhagen. Timber and iron were traded for grain. While losing the ship at sea, he replaced it by investing in new ships. The trade routes were later expanded to the Baltic Sea. In 1834 he acquired burghership, and expanded his business as a grain and timber merchant and ship-owner.b]

Bøyesen was active in the local community. First, he was a benefactor for the literary circle "Porsgrunds Læseselskab", founded by Jens Gasmann in 1833. For the purpose of general enlightenment, Bøyesen founded the "Henrik Wergelands Almuebogsamling", a public library. [http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/porsgrunn-1957/b2/ph-08a.html Byens liv. Foreninger, organisasjoner og selskaper. Aviser og politisk interesse] , in volume two of "Porsgrunns historie", by Joh. N. Tønnessen. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.] Of the latter organization he was the first chairman of the board. [ [http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/bibliotek/lund1946.html Henrik Wergelands Folkeboksamling 1846 - 1946] , by Ernst W. Lund. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.] He was a board member of the first temperance society in Porsgrund, named the "Porsgrunds Forening mod Brændevins-Drik", founded in December 1845 with former mayor Ole Hersted Schjøtt as chairman.b] He was also a founder and board member of the local seamen's society, one of the first of its kind in Norway.c]

In 1843 he proposed establishing the local savings bank. [ [http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/porsgrunn-1957/b2/ph-09.html Skipsassuranse og banker] , in volume two of "Porsgrunns historie", by Joh. N. Tønnessen. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.] This, however, was done in the role of politician. Bøyesen was elected mayor of Porsgrund municipality for the years 1843, 1844 and 1846, [http://www.porsgrunn.folkebibl.no/bok/lund/Lund_19.html Ordførere og viceordførere] , by Carl Lund. Hosted by Porsgrunn public library.] having first been elected to the municipal council in 1842.d] Bøyesen was then elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1845, 1854, 1857 and 1859/60, representing the constituency Porsgrund. [http://samfunnsveven.no/TT/U21.cfm?Utside=&Uttaksnummer=21&person=10398 Peter Johan Boyesen born 1799] - Norwegian Social Science Data Services (NSD)] In 1848 he had been elected deputy representative from the constituency "Porsgrund og Brevig".e] In his political views, he was described by one historian as proto-Liberal Party (political parties did not exist until 1884), having been vocally supported by later Liberal Party founder and Prime Minister Johan Sverdrup in their common opposition of Conservative Anton Martin Schweigaard during the 1860 debate on the Merchant Shipping Act ("Sjøfartsloven").g]

Bøyesen went bankrupt in July 1867, following general economic hardships. The city had seen only one bakruptcy in 1866, but 32 from 1868 to 1871. This depression was partially caused by the difficult transition from wooden to steam ships. Four months after his bankruptcy, Bøyesen died.b]

References