▁university - ed uc ated ▁past or ▁and ▁Gener als uper int endant ▁of ▁the ▁Luther an ▁Church ▁in ▁Liv onia . ▁In ▁ 1 7 2 3 ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁St ▁Petersburg ▁and ▁trad ed ▁h emp ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Jacob ▁Wol ff ▁and ▁John ▁Edwards ; ▁his ▁trad ing ▁is ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁accounts ▁of ▁Samuel ▁Hold en ▁and ▁Thomas ▁W ale . ▁ ▁Career ▁▁ ▁When ▁Duch ess ▁Anna ▁of ▁Cour land ▁became ▁Ts arina ▁( Em press ) ▁of ▁Russia ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 0 , ▁German ▁Balt ic ▁mer ch ants ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁use ▁their ▁pre - ex isting ▁connections ▁with ▁the ▁Du cal ▁family ▁to ▁further ▁their ▁trade ▁interests . ▁Sh iff ner ' s ▁wife ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁gover ness ▁to ▁the ▁Duch ess , ▁and ▁her ▁younger ▁sister , ▁Anna ▁Lu cia , ▁was ▁a ▁ma id ▁of ▁honour . ▁Sh iff ner ▁and ▁his ▁partner , ▁Wol ff , ▁explo ited ▁these ▁connections ▁to ▁become ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁trad ing ▁houses ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁In ▁ 1 7 3 0 , ▁the ▁firm ▁contract ed ▁for ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁bar rel s ▁of ▁pot ash , ▁for ▁instance , ▁while ▁also ▁trad ing ▁rh ub ar b , ▁h emp ▁and ▁other ▁comm od ities . ▁It ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁ship ▁ 3 , 6 0 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁Iron ▁from ▁Si ber ia ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 7 3 0 s