Christopher Blom Paus

Christopher Blom Paus

Christopher Blom Paus (born 8 October 1810 at Rising in Gjerpen, died 28 October 1898 in Gjerpen) was a Norwegian shipowner, merchant and banker. Born into the patriciate of the port town of Skien, he was the son of shipowner Ole Paus and Johanne Plesner (formerly married Ibsen). He was the uncle of playwright Henrik Ibsen, as he was both the half brother of Ibsen's father Knud Ibsen and the first cousin of Ibsen's mother Marichen Altenburg. He was the brother of judge, Bratsberg governor and Member of Parliament Christian Cornelius Paus and lawyer Henrik Johan Paus. Christopher Blom Paus owned the house at Snipetorp where the Ibsen family lived from Henrik's confirmation in 1843 to 1865.^[1]

He was a city councillor i Skien for several years and held other public offices. In addition to being a ship-owner, he was managing director of Skiens Sparebank (Skien Savings Bank) 1874–1887.^[2]

He was the father of factory owner Ole Paus. His grandson Herman Paus married Countess Tatyana Tolstoy, a granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy. Their descendants own Herresta and other Swedish estates. He was also the great-grandfather of General Ole Paus and the great-great-grandfather of singer Ole Paus.

References

1. J. Borchsenius, Skien før branden 1886, Fabritius & Sønners Forlag, Oslo, 1934
2. Einar Østvedt, Skiens historie: Fra 1870 til ca. 1925, Skien Municipality/Erik St. Nilssen, 1959, pp. 358–359