Personal life

Christen Knudsen was born in 1813 at Salterød near Arendal

Arendal

is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...

. He moved to Porsgrund

Porsgrund

Porsgrund is a porcelain flatware company in Porsgrunn, in Telemark county, Norway.-History:The company's production plant is a popular tourist attraction...

 in 1855.

He married Gurine Aadnesdatter (1808-1900). The couple had three children. Their sons Jørgen Christian Knudsen

Jørgen Christian Knudsen

Jørgen Christian Knudsen was a Norwegian ship-owner and politician for the Conservative Party.-Personal life:...

 and Gunnar Knudsen

Gunnar Knudsen

Gunnar Knudsen , born Aanon Gunerius Knudsen, was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party who had two spells as Prime Minister of Norway from 1908 to 1910 and from 1913 to 1920...

 both became wealthy ship-owners and influential politicians: Jørgen Christian as mayor and parliament member, Gunnar as Prime Minister of Norway

Prime Minister of Norway

The Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...

. Their only daughter Serine married Johan Jeremiassen

Johan Jeremiassen

Johan Jeremiassen was a Norwegian ship-owner, consul and politician. He established the Porsgrund Porselænsfabrik .-Personal life:...

 and had a political career of her own, starting even before women's suffrage

Women's suffrage

Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...

 was introduced.

Career

Having moved to Porsgrund, the ship business flourished. As a ship-owner he owned a considerable fleet, of which fourteen ships was built at his own shipbuilding yard. Together with P. M. Petersen and son-in-law Johan Jeremiassen he was described as one of "the three large ship-owners of the city". He was also a navy captain. On the mainland, he invested in real estate.

A ship belonging to his son Gunnar was named Christen Knudsen, but this was sunk by the Kaiserliche Marine

Kaiserliche Marine

The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...

in 1916.