Personal life

He was born in 1776 in Gjerpen

Gjerpen

Gjerpen is a former township which is now part of the municipality of Skien, in Telemark county, Norway.-Location:The parish of Gjerpen was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 . According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 4,381. Gjerpen was located east of the city...

 as the son of attorney Niels Egidius Gasmann (1747–1811) and his wife Kirstine Schweder (1757–1785) of the wealthy Zachariassen Wesseltoft family.

Jens Gasmann married Bodil Zachariassen Wesseltoft (1779–1848) in 1800. The couple had two daughters and two sons. Their youngest son Niels Egidius Møller became a merchant in Christiania, and married Simonine Møller, sister of parliament member Hans Eleonardus Møller

Hans Eleonardus Møller

Hans Eleonardus Møller was a Norwegian politician and businessperson.-Personal life:Hans Eleonardus Møller was born in 1804 to Hans Eleonardus Møller, Sr. and Inger , née Aall. He had two younger sisters Simonine and Marianne...

 and aunt of Hans Møller

Hans Møller

Hans Møller was a Norwegian politician, consul and businessperson.-Personal life:Hans Møller was born to Hans Eleonardus Møller and Amborg Laura , née Aall. As such his grandfathers were ship-owner Hans Eleonardus Møller, Sr. and statesman Jacob Aall...

.

Career

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

Jørgen Aall

Jørgen Aall was a Norwegian ship-owner and politician.-Personal life:Jørgen Aall was born in 1771 as the second son of Nicolai Benjamin Aall and Amborg Jørgensdatter , née Wesseltoft. In total he had three brothers and three sisters...

. He took part in the Gunboat War

Gunboat War

The Gunboat War was the naval conflict between Denmark–Norway and the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The war's name is derived from the Danish tactic of employing small gunboats against the conventional Royal Navy...

, between Denmark-Norway and Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

, as secretary of admiral Fisker. In 1812 Jens Gasmann acquired burghership and settled on the mainland. He bought various real estate, but had to face a fire in 1824. However, he coped through this, raised a new building and later set up a distillery there. From 1818 he was also vice consul

Consul (representative)

The political title Consul is used for the official representatives of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, and to facilitate trade and friendship between the peoples of the two countries...

 for Great Britain, the country he had helped waging war against only eight years earlier. He was later promoted to consul.

As a politician he served as a deputy representative in the Norwegian Parliament in 1824, representing the constituency of Skien og Porsgrund. In 1837, when local governance was introduced in Norway, Gasmann became the first deputy mayor of Porsgrund municipality. Jørgen Flood

Jørgen Flood

-Personal life:Jørgen Flood was born in 1792 to merchant Peder Jørgensen Flood and Inger Jørgine Jørgensen , née Wesselstoft. He had ten brothers and sisters. They grew up in Skien, but Jørgen later moved to Eidanger. Following the death of his wife Hanna in 1863, Jørgen moved to Grimstad...

 was mayor, following a "mutual agreement" between the council members. Gasmann served as deputy mayor again in 1838, before becoming mayor in 1839 and 1840 with Flood as deputy mayor. Gasmann left local politics on 31 December 1840.

From the 1820s Gasmann worked as a trade inspector and later harbor master.

After his death, an auction were held on his property. It was bought by later mayor Simon Karenius Høegh

Simon Karenius Høegh

Simon Karenius Høegh was a Norwegian bank treasurer, merchant and politician.-Personal life:Simon Karenius Høegh was born in 1810. He was originally christened Søren, because the baptizer was almost "deaf", however the mistake was resolved. His father Anders Jensen Høegh was described by one...

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