Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu
Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu (24 February 1852 – 25 March 1932) was a Danish naval officer and businessman who became a Siamese admiral and minister of the navy. He was granted the Thai noble title Phraya Chonlayutthayothin (Thai: พระยาชลยุทธโยธินทร์).[1]
Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu | |
|---|---|
Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu in 1903 | |
| Commander of the Navy Department | |
| In office 16 January 1900 – 29 January 1901 | |
| Monarch | Chulalongkorn |
| Preceded by | Prachak Silapakhom [th] |
| Succeeded by | Bhanurangsi Savangwongse |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 February 1852 Løjt Kirkeby, Denmark |
| Died | 25 March 1932 (aged 80) Hørsholm, Denmark |
| Resting place | Church of Holmen |
| Spouse | Dagmar Therese Louise Lerche |
| Children | Louis Armand • Helge • Dagmar • Agnes Ingeborg • Lilian Agenete • Louis |
| Profession | Navy officer Businessman |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Denmark Siam |
| Branch/service | Royal Danish Navy Royal Siamese Navy |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
He commanded forces at the Phra Chulachomklao Fortress in the Paknam Incident of 13 July 1893,[2] that ended the Franco-Siamese War, and went on to become the first and only foreign-born commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Navy, from 16 January 1900 to 29 January 1901.[3]
In 1884, he co-established the East Asiatic Company with fellow Danish Hans Niels Andersen and would go on to operate Siam Electricity and several railway lines in both Siam and Denmark. During his time in Siam, he formed closed relationships with King Chulalongkorn and Prince Damrong.[4] He returned to Denmark in 1902, suffering from malaria.[1] He died at Kokkedal House in Hørsholm and is buried at Holmens Cemetery in Copenhagen.
Botanist Ernst Johannes Schmidt in 1901, circumscribed Richelia, which is a genus of nitrogen-fixing, filamentous, heterocystous and cyanobacteria and named in Richelieu's honour.[5]
Biography Edit
Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu was born on 24 February 1852 in Løjt Kirkeby, Denmark where his father, Louis du Plessis de Richelieu, was currently the vicar. Andreas' family originated from France and migrated to Norway around 1670 before settling in Denmark. He had a younger brother named Louis August du Plessis de Richelieu who was born on 8 January 1856. Louis would die before his brother on 30 May 1910 at 54. His father would later die in Saint Thomas, Danish West Indies in 1859 at age 38. Andreas was 6–7 years old at the time of his father's passing. In 1864, Andreas was student at Roskilde Cathedral School.[6]
Andreas Richelieu would then go on to work in the Merchant Marine where he became a Lieutenant of the Reserve in the Danish marine. During his time as a merchant marine, he would visit Bangkok, Siam where he found himself attracted to Siam.[6]
Time in Siam Edit
At 23 years old in 1875 he was granted an audience in Copenhagen by the Danish king Christian IX where he wished for a Letter of Introduction to the King of Siam, Chulalongkorn. Andreas would then sail from Denmark to Bangkok via Singapore and with assistance from the Danish consul, he was given an audience by Chulalongkorn on 3 April 1875. The fact that Andreas was not significantly taller than the King was important in Siamese society and both Andreas and Chulalongkorn would form a friendship between the two. A couple weeks after his meating with Chulalongkorn, he became Captain-Lieutenant and was offered the role of second-in-command of one of the navy's ships which he turned down for command of his own ship, HSMS Regent.[6]
In 1878, he was appointed Captain of the Royal Yacht Vesatri. In 1878 he became superintendent of the Marine Forces. However to Siam's navy being small, Andreas occupied himself with other projects such as establishing railways and tramlines in Bangkok. He also learnt Thai. In 1884 he established Andersen & Co. (later the EAC) with Danish business partner Hans Niels Anderson and their company owned the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, which became the first Western hotel in Thailand. They also established the Oriental Provision Store which became the main supplier of goods to the Marine forces and the Vesatri due to Andreas' role as superintendent. In 1892, they would delivered a new royal yacht called the Maha Chakri which Hans Anderson sailed from Scotland to Siam.[4]
In 1891, he was chosen by Chulalongkorn as an envoy on a private diplomatic mission to France, Denmark and the Russian Empire along with the king's brother Prince Damrong Rajanubhab. As Chulalongkorn continued to modernize his country, the EAC paid for concessions in industries such as teak tree logging. Andreas also acquired concessions such as building and operating a 21-kilometer railway from Samut Prakan to Bangkok.
Though the project would run out of funds, Chulalongkorn would become a shareholder and invest ฿170,000. The railway was inaugurated in July 1891 and would operate until 1959 where it became a tramline.[4] He would also lead the construction of the first electric tramline in the country which ran 18 km from the Royal Palace to Klong Toey, with Fleuron Jacobsen becoming the project's manager. It opened in 1894 under Danish ownership by Chulalongkorn.
The most important concession given to Andreas was the Siam Electric Company Ltd. which he obtained in 1898. Siam Electric had the sole responsibility of delivering electricity to Bangkok and its 40,000 inhabitants. The concession was originally an extendable 10-year concession granted for American L. E. Bennet but was sold to Andreas.[7] The company would prove profitable along with the electric tramline it powered, generating 1,200,000 Danish Crowns. In 1912 the majority of stocks were sold to Belgians.[4]
Return to Denmark Edit
Andreas left Siam in 1902 on board the Royal yacht Maha Chakri for Singapore while accompanied by Chulalongkorn and other royal family members. Once in Denmark, be rented then purchased Kokkedal Castle in North Zealand. He also operated a private railway line from Copenhagen to Slangerup. In 1922, one of his companies - Landmandsbanken - collapsed and in 1923 he was fined 4,000 Danish Crowns after being convicted of gross negligence by the Danish Supreme Court. Despite being in Denmark, he maintained close relationships with Chulalongkorn and Prince Damrong who both visited him in Denmark, with Prince Damrong making the last visit to Andreas in 1930. He died age 80 on 25 March 1932 in Hørsholm, Denmark.[4]
Family Edit
Andreas was born as the oldest son and child to his father Louis du Plessis de Richelieu and mother Louise Frederikke Caroline du Plessis de Richelieu.[8] His younger sister Louise Frederikke Caroline du Plessis de Richelieu was born on 1 June 1854 and his younger brother Louis du Plessis de Richelieu was born on 7 January 1856. Andreas would marry Dagmar Therese Louise Lerche. Dagmar was born on 21 April 1871 and lived to age 71 and died on 10 July 1942.
Ancestry Edit
His family was present in Denmark from since the 1000s.[9] His Danish ancestors had married ancestors from Norway who migrated there from Schleswig-Holstein.[10] Many of his Danish ancestors on his paternal side originated from Svendborg.[11] On his paternal side, some of his ancestors were buried in Rome.[12] His paternal side also has traces to Klinte, Sweden;[13] German nobility; Bohemian royalty;[14] Obodrite royalty;[15] Moravian royalty;[16] Herulii royalty;[17] Gothic;[18] Sorbian;[19] Polish royalty;[20] Ukrainian royalty;[21] and Kievan Rus;[22] English nobility;[23] English crusaders;[24] Norman nobilty;[25] Scottish nobilty[26] Notable ancestors on his paternal side include Wiprecht of Groitzsch, Vratislaus II of Bohemia, Bořivoj, Radagaisus, Casimir I, Saint Olga of Kiev, and Edward III of England.
Descendants Edit
Together with Dagmar, he would father 3 sons and 3 daughters. Their first child and son Louis Armand was born in Bangkok on 16 November 1892 and lived 82 years until his death on 16 November 1974.[27] Helge was born as their second son on 14 February 1894 and lived to 21 April 1975 at 81 years old.[28] Dagmar was born in Bangkok on 8 May 1895 and lived 85 years to 8 February 1981.[29] Agnes Ingeborg was their second daughter and was born on 25 February 1897 before dying on an unknown date.[30] Lilian Agnete was their first child born in Denmark on 2 February 1903 until her death.[31] Their final child was Louis.[32] In total Andreas had 6 children, 6 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-children.
Honours and awards Edit
- from Denmark
- Chamberlain and Knight Grand Cross of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog
- from Siam
- Knight Grand Cross of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant
- Knight Commander of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Siam
- Knight Grand Commander of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao
- Dushdi Mala Medal Pin of Arts and Science (Military)
- Chakra Mala Medal – Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct
- King Chulalongkorn's Royal Cypher Medal, first class (1901)[33]
- from other countries
- Legion of Honour (France)
- Order of the Redeemer (Greece)
- Order of the Crown of Italy
- Order of the Crown (Prussia)
- Order of Saint Stanislaus (Russia)
- Order of the Sword (Sweden)
- Order of the Medjidieh (Ottoman Empire)
- Order of Franz Joseph (Austria-Hungary).
References Edit
- ^ a b Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu: The Admiral Who Went Ashore 25 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Warington Smyth, Herbert (1898). Five Years in Siam, from 1891 to 1896: Vol 1. John Murray. p. 266. ISBN 1375627406. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ Royal Thai Navy. [Vice Admiral Phraya Cholayuthyothin] (in Thai). Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Nielsen, Flemming Winther (21 March 2010). "Admiral Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu as Entrepreneur". Scandasia. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Burkhardt, Lotte (2022). Eine Enzyklopädie zu eponymischen Pflanzennamen [Encyclopedia of eponymic plant names] (pdf) (in German). Berlin: Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum, Freie Universität Berlin. doi:10.3372/epolist2022. ISBN 978-3-946292-41-8. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ a b c Nielsen, Flemming Winther (21 March 2010). "Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu: The Admiral Who Went Ashore". Scandasia. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "แรกมี "ไฟฟ้า" ในสยาม สิ่งฟุ่มเฟือยของชนชั้นนำ สู่กิจการโรงไฟฟ้า ไทยทำเจ๊ง ฝรั่งทำรุ่ง".
- ^ "Louis Armand Immanuel Septimanniie du Plessis de Richelieu". geni_family_tree. 29 July 1821. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Toke Trold". geni_family_tree. 1000. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Claus Harder". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Iver Pedersen Bang". geni_family_tree. 1734. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Borgmester og pavelig kapellan Oluf Hansen Bang". geni_family_tree. 1480. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Niels Hansen Bang, i Astelbo". geni_family_tree. 1435. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Emelreich Helmericus von Kochu, II". geni_family_tree. 0930. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Gostomysl, Grand Prince of the Obodrites". geni_family_tree. 0790. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Boso-hosdius Duke of Moravia". geni_family_tree. 0795. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Jean I, 22nd King of the Herulii". geni_family_tree. 0520. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Radagaisus "the Vandal", Horde military leader". geni_family_tree. 0335. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Slavibor, Prince of the Sorbs-Milczan". geni_family_tree. 0820. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Casimir I "the Restorer", Duke of Poland". geni_family_tree. 1016. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Prince of Kiev Volodymyr Svyatoslavich, Rurikid". geni_family_tree. 0958. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "ruler of Kievan Rus' Igor 'the Old'". geni_family_tree. 0878. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Sir Ralph Grey, Kt., of Chillingham, MP". geni_family_tree. 1552. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Sir Roger I de Mowbray, of Masham". geni_family_tree. 1120. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Neil (I) II, viscount de Saint-Sauveur". geni_family_tree. 0964. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Maldred mac Crínán, Earl of Dunbar". geni_family_tree. 1015. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
- ^ "Louis Armand du Plessis de Richelieu". geni_family_tree. 16 November 1892. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Helge du Plesiss de Richelieu, Ulriksholms gods". geni_family_tree. 14 February 1894. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Dagmar Marie Louise du Plesis de Richelieu, kaldt "Jing"". geni_family_tree. 8 May 1895. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Agnes Ingeborg du Plesis de Richelieu". geni_family_tree. 25 February 1897. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Lilian Agnete du Plessis de Richelieu". geni_family_tree. 2 February 1903. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ "Louis Du Plessis De Richelieu". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^