Career

Smitt was born in Nordre Land

Nordre Land

Nordre Land is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Land. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dokka....

. He was the son of the dean

Dean (religion)

A dean, in a church context, is a cleric holding certain positions of authority within a religious hierarchy. The title is used mainly in the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.-Anglican Communion:...

 Anton Elias Smitt (1805–1875) and Livia Sverdrup (1808–1840), and brother of Jonas and Livius Smitt. His father was a curate

Curate

A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...

 in Land

Land, Norway

Land is a traditional district in Oppland, Norway consisting of the municipalities Nordre Land and Søndre Land. Land was a formannskapsdistrikt from 1837, and split into Nordre- and Søndre Land in 1847. By the time of partition Land had a population of 9,199....

 from 1835 until 1840, when he became vicar in Vinje

Vinje

Vinje is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Åmot.-Name:...

. Jakob Sverdrup Smitt was home schooled, except for one year of school in Kristiania

Oslo

Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

 from 1852 to 1853. He took his examen artium

Examen artium

Examen artium was the name of the academic certification conferred in Denmark and Norway, qualifying the student for admission to university studies. Examen artium was originally introduced as the entrance exam of the University of Copenhagen in 1630...

 in 1853, enrolled in theology studies and graduated with a Candidatus theologiæ

Cand.theol.

Candidatus theologiæ , Candidata theologiæ , abbreviated cand. theol. is an academic degree with a long tradition, awarded after a six year higher education in theology in Denmark and Norway. In Norway, the title has remained after the "Quality Reform", though it is equivalent to a Master of...

 degree in 1860.

In June 1862 Smitt became a curate, working under his father in Voss

Voss

is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Voss. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen....

. In April 1865 in 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 , ....

 he married Letta Nicolaysen (1843-1923). In January 1865 he moved to Hammerfest

Hammerfest

is a city and municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The municipality encompasses parts of three islands: Kvaløya, Sørøya, and Seiland. Hammerfest was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...

 to become a catechist and school teacher. He was promoted to vicar in July 1867, then dean in November 1870. In 1876 he succeeded Fredrik Waldemar Hvoslef as bishop in the Diocese of Tromsø. He first showed some willingness to adapt to the "religious peculiarity" of "certain congregations" in the high north, and tolerated Laestadianism

Laestadianism

Laestadianism is a conservative Lutheran revival movement started in the middle of the 19th century. It is strongly marked by both pietistic and Moravian influences. It is the biggest revivalist movement in the Nordic countries. It has members mainly in Finland, North America, Norway, Russia and...

. However, he came to follow the official assimilation policy of the state, especially pertaining to language and culture of the Sami

Sami people

The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...

 and Kven people.

Smitt was a member of Hammerfest city council from 1867 to 1876. In 1874 he was elected to the Parliament of Norway, representing the constituency of Tromsø, Hammerfest, Vadsø og Vardø. He was re-elected in 1877 and 1880. For his last term he served as President of the Lagting. However, in the ensuing struggle between liberal and conservative politicians, where the liberals tried to gain control of the Lagting and henceforth the High Court of the Realm

Impeachment (Norway)

In Norway, impeachment, also known as the Constitutional Court of the Realm , is a judicial process with the power to convict Members of Parliament, Members of the Council of State and Supreme Court Justices for criminal acts performed in line of duty. Impeachment is based on the Constitution of...

, Smitt was perceived as not radical enough. He believed that the King (the executive branch of government) should have an absolute veto

Veto

A veto, Latin for "I forbid", is the power of an officer of the state to unilaterally stop an official action, especially enactment of a piece of legislation...

 in constitutional cases. He was "swept" out of politics, notes the Norsk biografisk leksikon

Norsk biografisk leksikon

Norsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia.The first edition was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles...

.

In 1885 Smitt applied for the post as Bishop of the Diocese of Kristiansand. He was appointed in June 1885, by Minister of Education and Church Affairs Elias Blix

Elias Blix

Elias Blix was a Norwegian professor, theologian, hymn writer, and a politician for the Liberal Party. Blix wrote numerous hymns and was largely responsible for translating the New Testament into the Norwegian language.-Biography:Born in Gildeskål, Salten, in Nordland County, Norway. He attended...

. Only two months later, Blix was replaced by Jakob Liv Rosted Sverdrup in a highly controversial move. Jakob Smitt Sverdrup was a first cousin of Jakob Liv Rosted Sverdrup—and Harald Ulrik Sverdrup, Jr

Harald Ulrik Sverdrup (1846–1916)

Harald Ulrik Sverdrup was a Norwegian engineer.He was born at the farm Rise in Sem as a son of Peter Jacob Sverdrup and Aaselle Thurmann...

, Georg Sverdrup and Edvard Sverdrup

Edvard Sverdrup

Johan Edvard Sverdrup was a Norwegian educator, author and church leader. Edvard Sverdrup was one of the key theologian in the Church of Norway in the first few decades of the 1900s.-Biography:...

, as well as a maternal grandson of Jacob Liv Borch Sverdrup

Jacob Liv Borch Sverdrup

Jacob Liv Borch Sverdrup was a Norwegian educator and farmer, known for establishing the first agricultural school in Scandinavia.-Personal life:...

 and nephew of Prime Minister Johan Sverdrup

Johan Sverdrup

Johan Sverdrup was a Norwegian politician from the Liberal Party. He was the first Prime Minister of Norway after the introduction of parliamentarism. Sverdrup was Prime Minister from 1884 to 1889.- Early years :...

, who conducted the replacement of Elias Blix.

He was also an uncle of Anton Elias Smitt, Jr.

Anton Elias Smitt

Anton Elias Smitt was a Norwegian forester.He was born in Bergen as a son of shipbuilder and works owner Georg Christian Smitt and Marie Cathrine Wolff. His father was a half-brother of Jonas, Livius and Jakob Sverdrup Smitt. Smitt graduated from the Norwegian College of Agriculture in 1909...

 through his half-brother. He died in June 1889 in Holla

Holla, Telemark

Holla was a parish district and former municipality now located in municipality of Nome the in Telemark county, Norway.-History:Holla is situated in the traditional region of Midt-Telemark. Holla parish included the churches at Holla and Helgen both in Telemark county. The parish of Holden was...

.