Camp Morton, Svalbard
Encyclopedia
Camp Morton was a coal mining encampment in Svalbard
, on the island of Spitsbergen
. It was located on the northern shores of Van Mijenfjorden, near the sea entrance. It was set up at the end of the 19th century by Ernest Mansfield, who owned a coalmine by Kolfjellet, and had a series of mining camps erected there. The installation was called Camp Morton, after Sholto Douglas, 19th Earl of Morton
.
In 1901 Ivar Stenehjem, a merchant, got funding for a couple of expeditions to Spitsbergen with the help of ship-owner Christian Michelsen
from Bergen
. Michelsen later became Norway’s first prime minister
in 1905. At Camp Morton, Stenehjem built a large timber building called Michelsenhuset, which is still standing today.
Along the west coast of Spitsbergen there are cabins in various states of repair that were built by, on behalf of or with funding from Mansfield and the Northern Exploration Company Ltd. Some of these were named after investors and family members: Camp Mansfield, Camp Zoe, (Mansfield’s daughter), as was Camp Morton, after the Earl of Morton.
Two cabins and the remains of mining equipment can still be seen.
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
, on the island of Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen
Spitsbergen is the largest and only permanently populated island of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Constituting the western-most bulk of the archipelago, it borders the Arctic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea...
. It was located on the northern shores of Van Mijenfjorden, near the sea entrance. It was set up at the end of the 19th century by Ernest Mansfield, who owned a coalmine by Kolfjellet, and had a series of mining camps erected there. The installation was called Camp Morton, after Sholto Douglas, 19th Earl of Morton
Sholto Douglas, 19th Earl of Morton
Sholto George Watson Douglas, 19th Earl of Morton, was the son of Sholto John Douglas, 18th Earl of Morton , and Helen Watson, the daughter of James Watson of Saughton. He was a landowner and businessman....
.
In 1901 Ivar Stenehjem, a merchant, got funding for a couple of expeditions to Spitsbergen with the help of ship-owner Christian Michelsen
Christian Michelsen
Peter Christian Hersleb Kjerschow Michelsen was a Norwegian shipping magnate and statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of an independent Norway from 1905 to 1907...
from Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
. Michelsen later became Norway’s first prime minister
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...
in 1905. At Camp Morton, Stenehjem built a large timber building called Michelsenhuset, which is still standing today.
Along the west coast of Spitsbergen there are cabins in various states of repair that were built by, on behalf of or with funding from Mansfield and the Northern Exploration Company Ltd. Some of these were named after investors and family members: Camp Mansfield, Camp Zoe, (Mansfield’s daughter), as was Camp Morton, after the Earl of Morton.
Two cabins and the remains of mining equipment can still be seen.