Johan Thorne

Who was Johan Thorne?

Johan Henrich Paasche Thorne was a Norwegian businessperson and politician for the Conservative Party. He served as mayor of Moss as well as five terms in the Norwegian Parliament, and was Minister of the Interior from 1889 to 1890 and 1893 to 1894.

He was born in Drammen as the son of Johan Frederik Thorne and Gurina Johanna Paasche. After graduating from secondary school, he spent a few years at sea, and also learned the skills of a merchant. He settled in Sarpsborg in 1864, working as a timber trader and ship-owner, and relocated to Moss in 1869. Here, he became a co-owner of the company M. Peterson & Søn. M. Peterson & Søn was a family business, but Johan's younger sister Sara had married its owner, Theodor Peterson. Peterson, Thorne and Georg Reinholdt Wankel had bought Moss Iron Works together in 1875. In 1878 Thorne and Wankel exchanged the shares in the iron works with M. Peterson & Søn's fleet, which Peterson discontinued. Thorne was also the director of the local savings bank from 1875 to 1886, and served as mayor of Moss municipality from 1880 to 1889.

He was also elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1883, representing the constituency of Moss og Drøbak.