Anthony Coucheron

Infobox Military Person
name= Anthony Coucheron


caption=
allegiance=Denmark-Norway
rank= colonel
commands= Christiansø Fortress
unit=
family=
nickname=
lived= c. 1650-1689
placeofbirth= probably Holland
currentlyresides=
serviceyears=
laterwork=
battles=
awards=
portrayedby=

Anthony Coucheron was an engineering officer born about 1650 (probably in Holland), and died March 14 1689 at Akershus fortress, Christiania, Norway. Coucheron worked as construction supervisor in Fredrikstad in 1665 and was assistant to his father 1666. His father was the Dutch quartermaster general Willem Coucheron, who began the construction of the fortifications at Fredrikstad in 1663. Together they worked on the fortification which became known as Fredriksten fortress in Halden.

In 1673 Anthony Coucheron was sent as lieutenant (in Norwegian "løytnant") to Kongsvinger in Elverum to prepare plans for expansion of the existing fortification. Coucheron then became a lieutenant commander (in Norwegian "kapteinløytnant") at Akershus in 1674, and in the same year he was promoted to captain. In July of the same year he was promoted to quartermaster lieutenant general in Denmark. He was promoted rapidly (following in the footsteps of his father, who was Quartermaster General in Norway in 1680) and was named commandant and colonel at Christiansø Fortress, probably in 1681.

Together with Johan Caspar von Cicignon, Coucheron reconstructed Trondheim after fire destroyed the city in 1681 and he directed the construction of Kristiansten Fortress. In addition to working on the fortifications at Trondheim, Kongsvinger and Elverum, he worked on the remodeling of Akershus Fortress and the plans for fortifying Fredrikstad.

Transferred to Denmark Coucheron worked on the fortification of Danish Christiansø located on Ertholmene an island east of Bornholm, (begun in 1684) and Fladstrand in Fredrikshavn in 1687). Together with the commandant Jacob Geveke he undertook the fortification of Kronborg (1686-1688).

References

*V.E. Tychsen: "Fortifikations-Etaterne og Ingeniørkorpset", 1884
*Chr. Elling: "Holmens Bygningshistorie", 1932
*"Norske Minnesmerker, Fredrikstad", 1934
*J. Klindt Jensen: "Barokken i Rønne Fæstning", 1952
*H. Langberg: "Danmarks Bygningskultur I", 1955
*V. Steen Møller: "Frederiksvern", 1973
*H.E. Nørregård-Nielsen i: "Magtens Bolig" (Danm. Ark.), 1980
*"Norsk Kunstnerleksikon", Oslo 1981
*Kjeld Magnussen: "Foren. til norske Fortidsminners Bevaring", Årsbok 1985
*P. Bolten Jagd: "Danske Forsvarsanlæg I", 1986
*"Huse i Fr.havn", 1986