, the reviver of industry and commerce in Sweden, was born in 1685,
, the reviver of industry and
commerce in Sweden, was born in 1685, in the small town
of Alingsas in West Gothland, of poor parents. After
struggling for a long time with the evils of want, he came
to London, where he paid particular attention to commercial speculations; and from his inquiries into the prosperity of England, he deduced the importance of manufactures and commerce. His native country, for several
centuries engaged in war, had made little progress in the
arts of industry, but was now endeavouring to promote
them; and Alstroemer having formed his plan, returned
to Sweden to assist his fellow-citizens in this undertaking.
In 1723, he requested of the states a licence to establish
manufactures in the town in which he was born, and it
soon became the seat of activity and industry, which spread
over other parts of the kingdom. In the mean time he
travelled to acquire a knowledge of the inventions and the
methods practised in Germany, Holland, and Flanders,
collected able workmen, and the best models, and published several instructive papers. At the same time he
carried on trade, in partnership with Nicholas Sahlgren,
at Gottenburgh. Here he established a sugar-house,
traded to the Indies and the Levant, and bestowed so much
attention on rural opconomy, as to introduce some very
essential improvements, cultivating plants proper for
dying, and extending the culture of potatoes, then a novelty in Sweden. He also improved the wool-trade by
importing the sheep of Spain and England, and even the
Angora goat. The manufacture of cloth, and other articles from wool, was now much encouraged, and gave
employment to a great number of hands, who manufactured to the value of three millions of livres tournois per
annum, and relieved the country from the necessity of
having recourse to foreign markets; but in other manufactures, as the silk, then did not succeed so well. Alstroemer has been accused of not paying sufficient attention to local circumstances in some of his schemes, and of
having encouraged notions that were more showy than
solid; but his design was truly patriotic, and his country
readily acknowledged the benefit it has derived from his
labours. The king Frederic bestowed on him the title of
counsellor of commerce, and the order of the polar star;
Adolphus Frederic granted him letters of nobility; and the
academy of sciences chose him a member, while the States
decreed that his statue should be placed on the exchange
at Stockholm, with this inscription: “Jonas Alstjoemer,
artium fabrilium in patria instaurator.
” “J. A. the reviver
of manufactures.
” He died in