Peter Arendt Esbensen, (1842-1897) merchant.

Peter was born along with his twin brother Hans Thorvald on May 23rd 1842 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was born to Hans Petter Esbensen (1808-1882), a sea captain and merchant from one of the wealthiest merchant families in Finnmark, Norway and Jacobine Svendsen (1809-1850).

On the 7th of March 1871 in Tromsø, he married Karen Cappelen Berge (1849-1892), the granddaughter of the Mayor of Bærum, Elias Eliassen Smith and Karen von Cappelen (1789-1863) of the Drammen merchant family Cappelen, she was first cousin to merchant Elias Anton Smith (1842-1912) who founded the company E. A. Smith AS and first cousin once removed to engineer and industrialist Elias Anton Cappelen Smith (1873-1949). The wedding was witnessed by Bishop Fredrik Waldemar Hvoslef, and member of parliament and county Governor of Troms, Christian Collett Hersleb Kjerschow, the husband of Peter's sister Nancy "Adelaide" Kjerschow (Esbensen).

Tragically, his wife Karen died from diphtheria on the 6th of August 1892, just a year after their youngest son Viktor was born. Peter also passed away on the 14th of June 1897, leaving the five children aged between 16 to 22, parentless. His daughter Johanne moved to Tromsø right after the death of her father, presumably to some of her mother's relatives. Kristian moved to Copenhagen in 1898, and Viktor went to live with the famous Antarctic explorer Carl Anton Larsen's family in Sandefjord, becoming a sea captain and marrying C. A. Larsen's daughter, Elvina Adeline Birgitte Larsen (1884-1955). In 1900 Ole was an office employee in Trondheim.

Wife

• Karen Cappelen Berge - 24 Jan 1849 - Tromsø, Troms

Children

1. Karl Kristian Kjerschow Esbensen - 10 Dec 1871 - Tromsø, Troms
2. Johanne Elise Berge Esbensen - 15 Sep 1873 - Vardø, Finnmark
3. Ole Berge Esbensen - 26 Oct 1875 - Vardø, Finnmark
4. Viktor Esbensen - 11 Mar 1881 - Vardø, Finnmark
5. Hans Jakob Esbensen - 10 Feb1883 - Vardø, Finnmark

Parish register

• Birth and baptism records 1836 1844, Trinitatis kirke, Købmagergade 52 A, Copenhagen, Hovedstaden, Denmark: Peter Arendt Esbensen - 23 May 1842 - Copenhagen
• Marriage records 1871, Troms county, Tromsø, Parish register (official) nr. 12 (1865-1871), page 180 Permanent pagelink: Peter Arendt Esbensen - Karen Cappelen Berge - 7 Mar 1871 - Tromsø
• Death and burial records 1897, Finnmark county, Bysoknet in Vardø, Parish register (official) nr. 10 (1895-1907), page 278 Permanent pagelink: Peter Arendt Esbensen - 14 Jun 1897 - Vardø

Sources

• Registreringssentral for historiske data Universitetet i Tromsø: Peter Arnt Esbensen

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