Jens Gasmann

[1] He was born in 1776 in Gjerpen as the son of attorney Niels Egidius Gasmann (1747–1811) and his wife Kirstine Schweder (1757–1785) of the wealthy Zachariassen Wesseltoft family.

[1] Jens Gasmann began his career at sea at a young age, and became a shipmaster in 1798, sailing a period for ship-owner Jørgen Aall.

[1] He took part in the Gunboat War, between Denmark-Norway and Great Britain, as secretary of admiral Fisker.

From 1818 he was also vice consul for Great Britain,[1] the country he had helped waging war against only eight years earlier.

[3] In 1837, when local governance was introduced in Norway, Gasmann became the first deputy mayor of Porsgrund municipality.