Commemorative plaque for inventor

”Epitaf over kgl. Majestæts fyrforvalter Jens Pedersøn Grove”  - ”Epitaph for Royal Lighthouse Overseer Jens Pedersøn Grove” was put up in 1640 and is located close to the entrance to the church. His two wives are also commemorated on the plaque, and a chandelier donated by Jens Grove still hangs in the church.

But who was this Jens Pedersøn Grove?

Grove was born in 1584 near Viborg and died in 1639 in Helsingør. He was principal lighthouse keeper at Skagen in Northern Jutland, district scribe and later district court judge. As district scribe, he was a public officer with responsibilities within law, and with the title of district court judge, he was the uppermost legal authority and judge in his district. The title of district court judge was hereditary, and four-five of his closest ancestors were also district court judges.

But his titles are not what made him important to maritime history. Rather, that would be the invention he developed for the king.

The Danish king wanted to use durable and powerful light sources as lighthouses around the country in order to improve the safety of the trade routes with the Netherlands and other places. The earlier lanterns simply were not powerful enough. The biggest problem was finding durable light sources. Tallow candles shielded by screens were tried, but they did not emit enough light for the ships. Too little light was dangerous and caused numerous shipwrecks along the Danish coastline.

Grove invented the bascule light in 1627. These lights burned for a longer period of time, were more durable and emitted more light. For that effort, he was named ”Royal Lighthouse Overseer of All Danish Waters”. With this title, it was his duty to maintain the lights and pay all expenses for them.

Grove’s invention saved innumerable lives and was used in Denmark for more than 100 years.

The lights are simple to use: The iron basket is lowered to the ground, filled with flammable materials such as coal and lit. When the basket is tilted up into the air, it is visible a long way off and can lead ships safely to harbour.

Source: M/S Museet for Søfart (Maritime Museum of Denmark)

Coordinates:  Latitude: 56.035661
Longitude: 12.613678