August Reymert papers, 1832-1945

Biography/History:
August Reymert was born on October 4, 1851 in Vågå, Norway. He died on May 31, 1932 in Long Island, New York, United States. He was the son of Theodor DeNoon Reymert and Anne Malene Beer. August was a lawyer in New York City, and served as president of the Norwegian-American Chamber of Commerce in New York. August Reymert was the lawyer and legal representative of Ole Herman Krag and Erik Jørgensen who were the developers of the Krag-Jørgensen rifle. This rifle was the standard rifle of the American Army in 1892. Reymert was also a founder of the Scandinavian Seamen's Home in New York and of the Norwegian hospital in Brooklyn. He was named Knight, First Class, of the Order of St. Olav and was decorated with the Vasa Order. 

Christen Reymert (1782–1868), a shipowner and merchant in Leith in Scotland, later customs treasurer in Farsund. Christen was August’s grandfather. Jeanette Sinclair Denoon Reymert (1788–1843), born in Scotland. She was married to Christen Reymert, and August’s grandmother. Christen and Jeanette had three children: Christian, Theodor, and James. Theodor Denoon Reymert (1815-1891), father of August Reymert. Theodor was a brigade doctor and a major in the sanitation division of the Norwegian army. Theodor married Anne Malene Beer. Together they had six children: Jenny, Thorwald, Caroline, August, Theodore, and Elisabeth. James Denoon Reymert (1821-1889), an American newspaper editor, mine operator, lawyer and politician. He was a pioneer settler near Muskego, and was an editor of the first Norwegian-American newspaper, Nordlyset. James Reymert was August Reymert’s uncle. 

Scope and Content:
Correspondence, clippings, articles, reports, and photographs of a Norwegian-born New York attorney. The correspondence deals largely with family affairs in America, Norway, and Scotland. The letters by James Denoon Reymert, August's uncle, first editor of Nordlyset (1847), first Norwegian-American member of a Wisconsin State Legislature, and attorney, deal with opportunities for law practice on the American frontier. Ole Bull was also a correspondent. Other items include biographical sketches of family members, a family chart, and an article about Hans Balling, the portrait painter.