- Jonas Alströmer
Jonas Alströmer (
7 January 1685 -2 June 1761 ) was a pioneer ofagriculture andindustry inSweden .Born Jonas Alström in the town of
Alingsås inVästergötland , in 1707 he became a clerk forStockholm merchantAlberg inLondon . Alberg's business failed after about three years, but Alström became ashipbroker on his own, and did very well.Eventually he desired to establish industry back home, and in 1724 established a
wool enfactory in his native village, which became profitable after some initial difficulties. He then established asugar refinery inGothenburg , encouraged improvements inpotato cultivation,tanning ,cutlery , andshipbuilding . His greatest success came with the introduction ofsheep .The court honored him with a knighthood of the
Order of the North Star in 1748, and soon after with letters of nobility, changing his name to Alströmer.He was honored with a status in the
Stockholm Exchange , and in 1961 apostage stamp marked the 200th anniversary of his passing.Jonas Alströmer had three sons in two marriages,
Patrik Alströmer ,Claes Alströmer andAugust Alströmer . His sonClaes Alströmer was a noted naturalist.
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