Arthur Girard de Soucanton
Baron Arthur Girard de Soucanton (born March 7 . Jul / 19th March 1819 greg. In Tallinn , Governorate of Estonia ; † October 8 jul. / 20th October 1884 greg. ) Was an Estonian entrepreneur and politician.
Life, entrepreneurship, politics
The Girard de Soucanton family originally came from the French countryside of Languedoc-Roussillon . Via Rastede near Oldenburg , she immigrated to the Russian Empire in the 18th century under Catherine II . In 1862 the family's title of nobility was confirmed by the tsar. In Estonian vernacular, the Suka Anton family is called, a folk etymological corruption of the French name.
The family showed great entrepreneurial and political skills. Through his grandfather Johann Karl Girard (the elder, 1732–1799) and his son of the same name (1785–1868), Arthur Girard's father, an economic activity was placed in his cradle. Arthur Girard's mother Eleonore Christina Johanna von Scheurmann (1786–1861) belonged to the Baltic German nobility.
From 1841 to 1862 Arthur Girard de Soucanton was director of the port of Kunda , which his grandfather had founded primarily for the import of salt from France and England and export to Russia.
In addition, he was politically active. From 1864 to 1876 Arthur Girard de Soucanton was councilor in Tallinn (German Reval ). From 1876 to 1883 he held the post of mayor of Tallinn. His father Johann Karl Girard de Soucanton (councilor from 1805 to 1864 and mayor from 1837 to 1864) and his grandfather Johann Karl Girard (1732–1799, councilor from 1797 to 1798 and mayor since January 18, 1798) also held both offices .
After his older brother Edmund (1810-1861) drowned in front of the island of Wrangelsholm (Estonian Prangli ), Arthur Girard de Soucanton was after the death of his father in 1868 co-owner and 1872 head of the foreign trade company Thomas Clayhills & Son . It handled a significant part of Estonian imports and exports. The company was founded in the 1630s and has been owned (jointly) by the Girard de Soucanton family since the second half of the 18th century.
From 1872 to 1875 Arthur Girard de Soucanton was the first chairman of the stock exchange committee of the Tallinn Stock Exchange. He was also president of the "Credit Association of Real Estate Owners in Reval".
In 1863 Girard de Soucanton founded his summer estate Rocca al Mare in what was then the village of Õismäe near Tallinn. In 1882 the art-loving baron had the property decorated with medieval tombstones from the Tallinn Katharinen Church, which had been uncovered from the crypt . He was inspired by the Via Appia in Rome . The grave slabs were moved back to their original location in 1964.
From 1872 Arthur Girard de Soucanton owned the house at 29 Vene-Straße in Tallinn's old town, which had existed since the 14th century. It was a noble house and company residence in one. In addition, he acquired other representative properties in Tallinn and Estonia.
Private life
Arthur Girard de Soucanton was married to Marie Luise Berg (1821-1901), with whom he had six children. His eldest son Johann Karl Etienne Girard de Soucanton (1843–1910) continued the business of his father. He was British Honorary Consul in Tallinn from 1869 until his death .
Web links
- Jüri Kuuskemaa : "Suka Antonite" majad ja sehvtid . In: Pealinnaleht , December 10, 2004
- Portrait photo in Estonian Wikipedia
- Baltic Historical Commission (Ed.): Entry on Arthur Girard de Soucanton. In: BBLD - Baltic Biographical Lexicon digital
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Girard de Soucanton, Arthur |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Girard de Soucanton, Artur |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Estonian entrepreneur and politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 19, 1819 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Reval , Estonia Governorate , Russian Empire |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 20, 1884 |
| Place of death | Reval , Estonia Governorate, Russian Empire |