Svend Foyn

Svend Foyn (July 9, 1809 – November 30, 1894) was a Norwegian whaling, shipping magnate and philanthropist.

[citation needed] His ship initially transported lumber from Sweden and Norway to European ports and returned with manufactured goods.

[8] Svend Foyn introduced mechanized, steam-powered catcher boats equipped with bow-chaser deck cannons and heavy-caliber harpoons that exploded on impact.

The ship was equipped with seven whale guns separately mounted on the forecastle, each firing a harpoon and grenade.

After years of perfecting a cannon that could fire a grenade and harpoon simultaneously, Foyn finally managed to catch 30 whales in 1868.

Foyn's eventual successful development of the cannon, in combination with fast and sleek steam-powered catcher vessels, ushered in a modern whaling industry that was to become dominated first by the Norwegians, then the British and finally the Russians and Japanese.

[11][12] By processing the whale's raw materials in its own facilities, Foyn steadily increase his profit and accumulated a considerable fortune.

He donated funds for several purposes including worker housing in Tonsberg (Svend Foyns Arbeiderboliger).

[13][14] Svend Foyn wed Elise Amalie Tvede in 1839 in a marriage which ended in an amicable separation in 1842.

[15] Foyn was entered as a Knight in the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1853, was promoted to Commander in 1870 and received the Grand Cross in 1893.

[18] A number of locations related to Antarctica and the surrounding area are named for Svend Foyn, including: Additionally streets were named for him in numerous Norwegian communities including: Tønsberg, Lørenskog, Stavanger, Vadsø, Båtsfjord, and Andenes on the island of Andøya.

When a Norwegian shipping company purchased the Canadian full-rigger William D. Lawrence in 1883 it was renamed Kommandør Svend Foyn.