Povel Juel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Povel Juel
|
|
|---|---|
Povel Juel on the scaffold
|
|
| Born | c.1673 Trondheim, Norway
|
| Died | 8 March 1723 (aged 49–50) Copenhagen, Denmark
|
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Occupation | Civil servant and Writer |
| Known for | The Povel Juel Plot |
|
Notable work
|
Et lycksaligt Liv (1721) En god Bonde, hans Avl og Biæring (1722) |
Povel Juel (born around 1673 – died March 8, 1723) was an important person from Norway. He worked for the government and was also a writer. Sadly, he was put to death in 1723 because of a serious accusation.
Early Life in Norway
Povel Juel grew up in Trondheim, Norway. His father was a successful merchant and owned a lot of land. When Povel was young, he started working as a tax collector for Bishop Peder Krog. He also helped the local judge in Harstad.
In 1695, there was a fire at the judge's farm. A servant girl died in the fire. There were rumors that Povel had caused the fire. Because of these rumors, he had to leave Harstad.
Povel then moved to Bergen. He worked there as a lawyer from 1695 to 1709. In 1709, he became an acting commissioner in Bergen. This was an important government job.
Working as a Governor
In 1711, Povel Juel was chosen to be the County Governor for the Lister og Mandals area. This meant he was in charge of that region.
As governor, he often had disagreements with his boss, Henrik Adeler. Adeler was the senior governor for the whole region. One time, Povel Juel took control of a British ship. Adeler told him to let the ship go, but Povel refused. He even had the ship's captain arrested!
Because of this, Povel Juel was suspended from his job in 1713. But he got his position back in 1715. After returning to work, he wrote to King Frederick IV. He complained that he had not been paid since 1711. He also sent very strong letters criticizing other government officials.
In 1718, he was fired from his governor job. This was because he was difficult to work with and did not always follow the rules. After being fired, he sent many letters to King Frederick IV. He asked for another job, and his letters were very demanding.
Becoming a Famous Author
After losing his job as governor, Povel Juel moved to Sweden. He lived there until 1721. Then, he moved to Denmark and settled in Copenhagen.
In Copenhagen, he became a very successful writer. He wrote two popular books. One was called Et lycksaligt Liv (A Fortunate Life) from 1721. The other was En god Bonde, hans Avl og Biæring (A Good Farmer, His Cultivation and Livelihood) from 1722. Both books were bestsellers. They were so popular that they were still being printed 100 years after he died!
The Secret Plot
In 1723, Povel Juel was accused of being part of a secret plan. This plan involved Charles Frederick, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp. Charles Frederick wanted to become the King of Norway instead of King Frederick IV.
The secret plan was to get military help from Russia. In return, Russia would get the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and Greenland. This was a very serious plot against the king and the country.
Because of his role in this secret plan, Povel Juel was found guilty of a very serious crime against the country. He was put to death in Copenhagen in 1723.
