Christen Brun-Lundegaard

Christen Brun-Lundegaard
19th Governor of Tranquebar
In office
20 October 1716 – 21 January 1720
MonarchFrederick IV
Preceded byJohan Sigismund Hassius
Succeeded byUlrik Christian Nissen
Personal details
BornUnknown
Denmark–Norway
Died24 January 1724
Tranquebar, Danish India
Spouses
  • Wibeke Chrislensdatter Berg
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1714; died 1723)​
  • Utilia Elisabeth Rafn
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1723)​

Christen Brun-Lundegaard[a] (alternatively spelled Christian and Bruun; d. 24 January 1724) was a Danish colonial official and governor of Tranquebar from 20 October 1716 to 21 January 1720.

Brun-Lundegaard started as an assistant of the Danish East India Company in the Danish colony of Tranquebar. In 1707, after having served for some years, he came to Bengal as an accountant (revideur), but returned to Tranquebar the following year. Upon returning, Brun-Lundegaard advanced as treasurer and subaccountant (underbogholder) in 1708 and became chief accountant (overbogholder) in 1711.

Continuing in 1714, he became second-in-command of the colony and was appointed governor of Tranquebar on 20 October 1716, following the dismissal of Governor Johan Sigismund Hassius. During his tenure, the previous Danish factory in Bengal, Dannemarksnagore, was reestablished, while the relationship with the Danish-Halle Mission improved. Despite this, Brun-Lundegaard resigned as governor on 21 January 1720 in favor of the younger Ulrik Christian Nissen.

Brun-Lundegaard died on 24 January 1724 in Tranquebar after a long illness.

Early career

Christen Brun-Lundegaard began his career in the Danish East India Company as an assistant in the Danish colony of Tranquebar. In 1703, he undertook a voyage to Malacca as a ship’s assistant aboard the vessel, Printz Christian. By order of the company management, he was appointed secretary to the privy council (secrete råd) on 1 July 1704. In the same year, he was accused of irregularities during the previous voyage to Malacca, but was acquitted by the court.[1]

On 20 July 1707, he was sent with the yachts Gyldenløve and Fortuna to the Danish factory,[1] Dannemarksnagore, in Bengal, as an accountant (revideur) for the current officials and as a commissioner.[2][3] He arrived at the factory in August 1707, bringing money and resources to the colony.[3] He then began his work, negotiating with the factory's and earlier governor, Johan Joachim Michelsen's, creditors and confiscating the latter's property.[4][3] When he departed again in February 1708, he had left behind money sufficient for one year to the governor, Jacob Panck,[4][3] while simultaneously bringing saltpeter, silk, and textiles with him back to Tranquebar,[4] which he returned to on 14 March 1708.[1] Upon returning, he was installed as lower merchant (underkøbmand) and became both treasurer and subaccountant (underbogholder) on 8 October and 27 October 1708, respectively.[1]

Brun-Lundegaard is referred to as having been a diligent, capable, and trusted man,[5] but also known to be jealous.[4] Though he requested permission to repatriate several times, he was rejected, as the colony needed his capabilities as subaccountant.[1] When his request for an increased salary was also rejected, he applied on 9 October 1710 in a more determined manner for permission to return home, but was persuaded to stay as he was promised career advancement. Subsequently, he became chief accountant (overbogholder) and third-in-command of the privy council on 12 May 1711, and as he had served the company for 15 years, he received an increase in his salary. Furthermore, he advanced to sekonde (second-in-command) of the privy council at the end of 1714, likely due to the governor of Tranquebar, Johan Sigismund Hassius's favor.[1]

Governor of Tranquebar

After Johan Sigismund Hassius's dismissal as governor, he installed Brun-Lundegaard as Interim Governor of Tranquebar on 20 October 1716 with large ceremonies.[6][7] In a letter dated 19 October, Brun-Lundegaard thanked the D.E.I.C. for the appointment but described himself as a weak and meek man and instead applied for a replacement. Again in 1718, he applied for a replacement, but had to wait another two years. Meanwhile, there was a severe shortage of money in the colony, and it had to borrow 6,000 pagodas from the English at Madras and another 5,000 Danish rigsdaler from a local magnate.[1] In 1720, a Danish ship, the Jomfru Susanne, finally reached Tranquebar,[1] along with the Hofjunker (a young nobleman who serves in the court) and the new Opperhoved, Ulrik Christian Nissen.[7] Subsequently, Brun-Lundegaard resigned on 2 January 1720 and instead became the Vice Governor and chief merchant.[1][7]

Reestablishment of Dannemarksnagore

In 1716,[8] Tranquebar was visited by a Bengali envoy, named Chandusi, who offered to return Dannemarksnagore,[7][9][8] which had been conquered by the Bengalis in 1714,[10][11][9] in return for the Bengali vessel, Fatteromany,[7][8] which had previously been captured by the Danes.[10][12][13] After long negotiations, the former lodge was ceded back to the D.E.I.C. in 1718,[7][8] and in September the same year,[9] a new governor, Gallus Bøgvad, was sent to the lodge to try to recreate the former conditions, but to no avail.[7][9][8]

Relationship with missionaries

Further information: Tranquebar Mission and New Jerusalem Church, Tranquebar

In contrast to Governor Hassius, Brun-Lundegaard has been considered by later literature to have been friendly to the Lutheran Danish-Halle Mission.[14][15] Evidently, Brun-Lundegaard laid the foundation of the New Jerusalem Church in Tranquebar on 9 February 1717[7][16] and assisted in gathering resources and a suitable location for the building.[17][b] In return, the missionaries arranged a sort of throne as a special place for the governor inside the church.[17] Additionally, Brun-Lundegaard saluted from Fort Dansborg at the consecration of the building[17] and donated a plaque to be built into the wall of the church with the inscription:[18]

Psalm 122:6: Wish Jerusalem [Church] the best! May they prosper who love you! In the Name of the Lord Zebaoth, Governor Christian Brun laid the first foundation stone for the building known as the New Jerusalem Church. February 9, 1717.

However, according to Danish priest and historian Anders Nørgaard, there were no major differences between Governor Hassius and Brun-Lundegaard.[20][21] Moreover, there is no personal friendship between Brun-Lundegaard and the missionaries, although they met when it was necessary, and showed each other goodwill.[22]

Instead, the change in relations between the local administration and the mission was caused by a new compromise reached in Denmark between the mission's inspectorate and the D.E.I.C. management.[23] According to the new compromise, the colonial administration was to function as the mission's authority, rather than being a private cause of King Frederick IV.[22][23] Meanwhile, the administration was thereby also obliged to subsidize the mission under its authority.[17][24] Subsequently, the years following the compromise were a heyday for the mission,[25] and there are no reports of problems between the mission and Governor Brun-Lundegaard.[14]

Personal and later life

Christen Brun-Lundegaard was married twice: first to Wibeke Christensdatter Berg[26] on 5 July 1714, and second to Utilia Elisabeth on 29 November 1723,[1] after Wibeke Christensdatter's death in the same year.[26][5] Utilia Elisabeth was the widow of the former leader of the Danish-Halle Mission, Johann Ernst Gründler.[1]

Brun-Lundegaard died on 24 January 1724 in Tranquebar[26] after a long illness, leaving no children.[27]

See also

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ^ Danish pronunciation: [kʁɛsdən bʁu:n lɔndəgɒ]
  2. ^ Brun-Lundegaard and many other citizens contributed money towards the church constructions, and transportation of materials was permitted without any customs duties.[18] As for the location, Brun-Lundegaard was careful not to offend the missionaries and sold them land for 100 Danish rigsdaler[19] in the wealthy European city district.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Larsen 1940, p. 54.
  2. ^ Larsen 1940, pp. 54, 96.
  3. ^ a b c d Larsen 1908, p. 25.
  4. ^ a b c d Larsen 1940, p. 96.
  5. ^ a b Larsen 1940, pp. 54–55.
  6. ^ Larsen 1940, p. 54, 72.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Larsen 1907, p. 65.
  8. ^ a b c d e Larsen 1908, p. 28.
  9. ^ a b c d Diller 1999.
  10. ^ a b Larsen 1907, p. 64.
  11. ^ Larsen 1940, pp. 19, 72.
  12. ^ Larsen 1940, p. 40.
  13. ^ Larsen 1908, p. 27.
  14. ^ a b Grane, Lausten & Stenbæk 1977, p. 100.
  15. ^ Sweetman & Ilakkuvan 2012, p. 6.
  16. ^ Jeyaraj 2006, p. 111, 152.
  17. ^ a b c d e Grane, Lausten & Stenbæk 1977, p. 101.
  18. ^ a b Jeyaraj 2006, p. 153.
  19. ^ Jeyaraj 2006, p. 110.
  20. ^ Grane, Lausten & Stenbæk 1977, p. 103.
  21. ^ Jeyaraj 2006, p. 109.
  22. ^ a b Grane, Lausten & Stenbæk 1977, p. 102.
  23. ^ a b Hermansen 2003, p. 213.
  24. ^ Hermansen 2003, p. 214.
  25. ^ Gregersen 2018.
  26. ^ a b c Dahl 1933, p. 76.
  27. ^ Larsen 1940, p. 55.

Works cited

  • Larsen, Kay (1940). Guvernører, Residenter, Kommandanter og Chefer [Governors, Residents, Commanders and Chiefs] (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: Arthur Jensens Forlag.
  • Larsen, Kay (1907). De dansk-ostindiske Koloniers Historie [History of the Danish East Indian Colonies] (in Danish). Copenhagen: Centralforlaget.
  • Larsen, Kay (1908). De dansk-ostindiske koloniers historie – De Bengalske loger & Nikobarerne [History of the Danish East Indian Colonies – The Bengali lodges & the Nicobar Islands] (in Danish). Vol. 2. Copenhagen: Centralforlaget & Peter Hansens Forlag.
  • Diller, Stephan (1999). Die Dänen in Indien, Südostasien und China (1620-1845) [The Danes in India, Southeast Asia and China (1620-1845)] (in German). Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 221. ISBN 978-3-447-04123-2.
  • Grane, Leif [in Danish]; Lausten, Martin Schwarz [in Danish]; Stenbæk, Jørgen; et al. (Nørgaard, Anders) (1977). "Tranquebarmissionens tidlige historie" [The Tranquebar Mission's early History]. Kirkehistoriske Samlinger 1977 [Church historical collections] (PDF). Kirkehistoriske Samlinger (in Danish). Digitalized by Claus Rønlev. Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag. ISBN 87-500-1784-5.
  • Sweetman, Will [at Wikidata]; Ilakkuvan, R. (1 April 2012). Bibliotheca Malabarica. Institut Français de Pondichéry. ISBN 9791036544279.
  • Jeyaraj, Daniel (2006). Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, the Father of Modern Protestant Mission. Chennai: Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge & Gurukul Lutheran Theological College. ISBN 81-7214-920-4.
  • Hermansen, Karsten (2003). Kirken, kongen og enevælden [Church, King, and Absolutism] (PDF) (in Danish). University of Southern Denmark.
  • Gregersen, Hans [in Danish] (2018). Trankebar [Tranquebar] (in Danish). Lindhardt & Ringhof. ISBN 9788711978337.
  • Dahl, Aage (1933). Haderslevs bys præstehistorie [History of Haderslev town] (PDF). Den Sønderjydske Gejstligheds Historie og Genealogi (in Danish). Copenhagen: O. Lohse.
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