Calmer Hambro
Calmer Hambro | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1747 Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein (then under Danish rule) |
| Died | 1806 Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Occupation(s) | Merchant, financier |
| Known for | Banker for the Danish monarch; founder of a banking dynasty through his descendants |
Calmer Hambro (1747–1806) was a prominent Danish merchant and financier.
Early life
Originally named Calmer Joachim Levy, he was born in 1747 in Rendsburg, located in Schleswig-Holstein, which was then under Danish rule. He spent his formative years in Hamburg, Germany, a city he regarded as his hometown. After moving to Copenhagen in 1778, he adopted the surname Hambro due to an administrative error that altered his intended name, Hamburg.
Career
In 1779, Hambro assumed control of his father-in-law's enterprise based in Copenhagen. According to the 1801 Danish census, he was documented as a handelsman (merchant) living at Store Købmagergade No. 96 with his family. Over time, he progressed to serve as a banker for the Danish monarch.
Personal life
In 1778, Hambro married his cousin Thobe (Dorothea) Levy (1756–1820), daughter of Isach Joseph Levi, in Copenhagen. The couple had four children: their son Joseph Hambro (1780–1848), who became a merchant and banker; twin sons Carl Simon and Eduard Isaac (born 1782), with Eduard establishing himself as a merchant in Bergen; and their daughter Hanne Sophie.
Death
He passed away in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1806.
Legacy
His grandson, Carl Joachim Hambro (1807–1877), moved to London where he founded Hambros Bank in 1839, creating a lasting banking dynasty.