 Salve Christian Frederik Salvesen (1827–1911) was born in Mandal, Vest-Agder, Norway.Christian Salvesen was the son of Norwegian merchant shipowner, Thomas Salvesen (1787–1853).In 1846, his older brother Johan Theodor Salvesen (1820–1865) had gone into the partnership of Turnbull, Salvesen and Company with George W. Turnbull and established an affiliate office in Leith near Edinburgh, Scotland.