Hans Nielsen Jeppesen

Hans Nielsen Jeppesen (15 February 1815 – 8 October 1883) was a Danish merchant and ship-owner. He bought his first ship in 1850 and his fleet of merchant ships later grew to 10 ships. He was the maternal grandfather of Mærsk- founder Arnold Peter Møller.

Early life and career Jeppesen was born on 15 February 1815 in Dragør, the son of Niels Taarnby Jeppesen and Marchen Hansdatter Møller. The family lived at Von Ostensgade 8. He went to sea at an early age and passed his exams as helmsman at the Navigation School in 1835 but did not have enough practical experience to work as a helmsman until 1838.

He began to work for Chr. Broberg & Søn in 1841 and was on 28 May 1842 granted citizenship in Copenhagen. He was captain on Chr. Broberg's schooner Thomas Lawrence in 1842–1851.

Ship-owner Jeppesen's first ship, Elosabeth, commissioned from a shipyard in Kalmar in 1852, was already lost in 1855. His second ship, Prima, was also commissioned directly from a shipyard. The rest of his ships were all used ships bought from other ship-owners. Only two of his ships, Coquette and Ellerslie, were owned in partnerships with others. By the 1870s, his fleet had grown to 10 ships.

Ships This list may be incomplete

Name Image Owned Type Built Comments Ref Carksten 1851-1859 837 Owned by Hans Nielsen Jeppesen's father but still used by the son in 1859 Elisabeth 1852-1855 Schooner 1852 Kalmar Ref Prima 1855-1884 Skonnertbrig 1854 Kalmar Ref Premier 1858-1862 Schooner Ciquette 1860-1861 Skonnertbrig 1839 Owned in a partnership with captain Isbrandt Raagaard. wrecked at Læsø in 1861. Fraternitas 1861-1884 Skonnertbrig 1847 Sweden Sold by Jeppesen's widow in 1884 to her son-in-law Louis Rosenkold. Ref Orrest 1861-1887 Slup Unknown Sold by Jeppesen's widow in 1887 to Andreas Jensen and his son Palm Andreas Jensen, Dragør Elisabeth 1863-1869 Brig 1841 Ref Ellerlie 1863-1881 Barque 1840 England Wrecked at Scotland in 1867 but repaired; Broken up in 1881. Treue 1864-1884 Barque 1839 Memel Sold by Jeppesen's widow in 1886 to Sweden where it was sunk and used as a breakwater at Höganäs Ref Cora 1870-1872 Brig 11839 Krøyers Plads, Copenhagen Sank in the Bay of Køge on 13 November 1872 Ref Ino 1870-1884 Schooner 1844 Burg, Germany Broken up in Dragør in 1994 Ref Enighed 1872-1877 Barque 1837 Vegesack / Bremen Sank en route from Greenland to Philadelphia in 1877 Ref Antares 1872-1883 Skonnertbrig 1862 Greifswald Sold to captain H. R. Stærke in 1885. Ommel, Ref Fortuna 1872-1882 Schooner 1816 Ref Valkyrien 1874-1883 Barque 1850 Libau Wrecked on 12 December 1883 off Ayr in Scotland Ref Paradis 1880-1883 Barque 1860 Vegesack / Bremen Wrecked en route between Newcastle and St. Croix on 16 February 1886 off Slapton Sands at Dorthmund. Ref

Personal life

Jeppesen was married to Leisebeth Jens Hansen Snedkers and the couple had seven daughters. His eldest daughter, Anna, married Peter Mærsk Møller. His youngest daughter, Nicoline, married Jacob Cornelius Isbrandtsen, and was the mother of Hans Isbrandtsen, New York.

The family lived at Elisenborg, a large property on the western outskirts of Dragør. Jeppesen died when a dinghy capsized off Dragør in 1883. He was at the time of his death the owner of eight ships. His widow closed the company down over the next one and a half years.