Debora van der Plas

Debora van der Plas (1616–1680) was a Dutch born, Swedish entrepreneur, and ship owner. She took over her husband's wrought iron works on his death, and managed it for fourteen years, selling wrought iron known as voyage iron to slave traders in England and the Netherlands.

Biography

Debora van der Plas was born at Dordrecht in the Netherlands in 1616. In 1644, she married Jan van Ruyff, a merchant and leading member of the Dutch colony in Stockholm. Van Ruyff bought the wrought iron works at Axbergshammar. Among her business partners were the London based trading company Marescoe-Joyes, managed by Leonora Marescoe (1637-1715), widow of Charles Marescoe (1630-1670). She died in 1680 in Axbergshammar.