Norske provinsmatadorer: familien Adeler og makten i Kragerø ca. 1620–1760

Abstract

Norwegian provincial matadors. The Adeler family and the power in the town Kragerø c. 1620–1760 This chapter describes the Norwegian coastal town of Kragerø and the position of the Adeler family in its political, social and commercial life in the period 1620–1760. It illustrates how local elite families exercised power in such towns in the early modern period, the strategies they used, and the sources of this power. In this regard, Kragerø is close to an ideal example of a town controlled by just one or a few mighty families. For 35 years, it was ruled by a single, undisputed “matador” and for the following 65 years by a small local elite. In the early 17th century, Kragerø developed as a shipping port for timber products from nearby sawmills. The Adeler family established themselves as sawmill owners, helped by their ties to noble county governors. The first known family member, Søren Jensen, came to the area as a servant to one of these governors. His son, Niels Adeler, inherited his father’s business and expanded it by aggressively acquiring local sawmills, forest properties and shipping businesses. This was fueled by massive lending. Adeler played a leading role when the local merchants successfully petitioned the Danish-Norwegian king to grant the port town rights in 1666. Adeler was then appointed mayor. He was both a royal official and a merchant, and in the 1670s and 80s his family controlled three-quarters of the local trade economy, i.e., ships, import of goods, and sawmills with export quotas. He also controlled the other town offices by using his network and influence with the king to install clients in them. The only power base he did not control was the land the town was built on, which was leased to the houseowners. In similar towns, this asset provided the owners with considerable influence locally. In 1675, Niels Adeler advanced to the post of county governor, while one of his sons inherited the mayoralty. His business expansion led to substantial debt, but he managed to avoid bankruptcy. However, after his death in 1694, his business empire collapsed, leaving nothing to his many children. This chapter documents how two of his sons reacted to the loss of wealth and power with anger and violent attempts to bully the town bailiff into letting them keep their father’s properties. A sister, Anna Adeler Poulsen, married a merchant and stayed on. They built a trading house and became one of the 4–5 elite families who dominated the town. The Adeler Poulsen family lost its position when Anna’s grandsons sold the remaining properties after 1760.