Joachim Melchior Holten Castenschiold
Encyclopedia
General Joachim Melchior Holten von Castenschiold (1743 – 6 April 1817) was a Danish officer before and during the Napoleonic Wars
. Acquiring Borreby Castle
in 1783, he was the first Castenschiold to own the manor which has been held by the family ever since.
in 1776. He became commander of the Royal Danish Mounted Guard in 1784 (the regiment was eventually closed down in 1866). He was promoted further, becoming major general
in 1788, and finally lieutenant general
in 1802.
On a more curious note, Castenschiold became involved in the coup d'état
against Count Struensee
in 1772. Because of Queen Caroline Matilda's dislike of Castenschiold, he was chosen to escort her to Kronborg together with 30 dragoons after she was arrested.
In 1807, Castenschiold led the East Danish (mainly Zealandic) territorial force, which was established to fight Britain
during the Napoleonic Wars
. His efforts culminated in the Battle of Køge
on 29 August 1807, where Castenschiold's force of around 7,000 militiamen was defeated by the well-equipped British forces under General
Arthur Wellesley
(later 1st Duke of Wellington). Castenschiold was later prosecuted together with the other military leaders in Copenhagen, but was acquitted.
which has been owned by his decendents ever since. He died on 6 April 1817 at Borreby and is burried at Magleby Church
.
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. Acquiring Borreby Castle
Borreby Castle
Borreby Castle is a fortified manor house located near Skælskør, Slagelse Municipality, in the south-west corner of the island of Zealand, in eastern Denmark.-Early history:...
in 1783, he was the first Castenschiold to own the manor which has been held by the family ever since.
Biography
He was son of Johan Lorentz von Castenschiold of Knapstrup and his wife Jacoba von Holten. In 1760, Castenschiold went into training as an officer at the Slesvigske Kyrasserregiment, and was eventually promoted to majorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1776. He became commander of the Royal Danish Mounted Guard in 1784 (the regiment was eventually closed down in 1866). He was promoted further, becoming major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in 1788, and finally lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1802.
On a more curious note, Castenschiold became involved in the coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against Count Struensee
Johann Friedrich Struensee
Count Johann Friedrich Struensee was a German doctor. He became royal physician to the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark and a minister in the Danish government. He rose in power to a position of “de facto” regent of the country, where he tried to carry out widespread reforms...
in 1772. Because of Queen Caroline Matilda's dislike of Castenschiold, he was chosen to escort her to Kronborg together with 30 dragoons after she was arrested.
In 1807, Castenschiold led the East Danish (mainly Zealandic) territorial force, which was established to fight Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. His efforts culminated in the Battle of Køge
Battle of Køge
The Battle of Køge was a battle on 29 August 1807 between British troops besieging Copenhagen and Danish militia raised on Sjælland. It ended in British victory and also known as the 'Træskoslaget' or 'Clogs Battle', since the poorly-equipped Danish militia threw their heavy wooden clogs away when...
on 29 August 1807, where Castenschiold's force of around 7,000 militiamen was defeated by the well-equipped British forces under General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
(later 1st Duke of Wellington). Castenschiold was later prosecuted together with the other military leaders in Copenhagen, but was acquitted.
Civilian life
He was part of the landed gentry. In 1781, when he was in his late thirties, he married Elisabeth Behagen. His holdings included the manor Borreby CastleBorreby Castle
Borreby Castle is a fortified manor house located near Skælskør, Slagelse Municipality, in the south-west corner of the island of Zealand, in eastern Denmark.-Early history:...
which has been owned by his decendents ever since. He died on 6 April 1817 at Borreby and is burried at Magleby Church
Magleby Church
Magleby Church is located in the village of Magleby in the east of Møn, an island in south-eastern Denmark.-History:The church was originally built in the Romanesque style in the second half of the 13th century. The rounded tops of bricked-in windows from this period can still be seen on either...
.