Valpuri Innamaa

Who is Valpuri Innamaa?

Valpuri Eerikintytär Innamaa was a Finnish merchant and shipowner in Turku.

Valpuri was widowed in 1563 after her husband Henrik Johannes Innamaa died. The ships were confiscated after the family aided the future John III of Sweden. Innamaa worked for the restoration of the ships, which was granted in 1582. She revived the business enterprise of her late spouse and transported goods from all over the Baltic Sea, carrying goods to Sweden, especially Stockholm. She was the most powerful shipowner in Åbo; she granted loans to the Swedish monarch and equipped the Swedish army. She also owned land and buildings. She was married three times more after she was widowed: to Peter Ingvaldinpoika, Olavi Karls, and Luke Laurin.

A street in Turku is named after her.